Innovation grant to help develop disability engagement tools

A Cairns organisation that provides specialist regional services for people affected by disability or mental health disorders has been awarded $43,334 to fund research and develop online engagement tools for use in regional communities.

This is one of 22 businesses state-wide offered grants under the Advance Queensland Knowledge Transfer Partnerships program.

A total of $1.16 million has been awarded in the first round of the program, with more than $930,000 going directly to businesses and the remainder shared by universities for mentoring and coordination of the partnerships.

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business Leeanne Enoch said GSL: A Good Start to Life would partner with James Cook University (JCU) to undertake the project.

A JCU graduate with expertise in digital marketing will work with GSL to develop tools to help them better communicate with their customers.  The project will focus on researching and addressing communication challenges when providing services to customers with a diverse range of needs.

“The project aims to help GSL identify the online services and tools customers want and use, and determine the most successful social media platforms to meet their needs,” Ms Enoch said.

GSL Director Lyndsey Kotsch said the grant was a welcome boost for their small, regional business, which wants to improve the quality of its services and grow.

“The grant offers us a rare opportunity to work with JCU and a talented graduate with online marketing skills on a project that will improve our online services and our reach,” Mrs Kotsch said.

“We want people in far north Queensland to contact us for services they need and if we can make it easy, convenient and of value to them, we will increase our customer base,” she said.

Ms Enoch said the Advance Queensland Knowledge Transfer Partnerships program was an example of how the Queensland Government is working to create jobs through innovation, and supporting businesses to develop new products and services.

“The Palaszczuk Government’s Advance Queensland initiative provides opportunities to share knowledge, skills and ideas across sectors to foster collaboration, inspire innovation and create jobs,” she said.

“The Knowledge Transfer Partnerships program offers grants of up to $50,000 to small to medium enterprises to employ a university graduate who can bring new ideas and technologies to projects designed to grow the business.”

The Australian Council of Learned Academies, in its Translating research for economic and social benefit report, recommended other states, territories and the Federal Government adopt a model similar to the Advance Queensland Knowledge Transfer Partnerships program.

For further information about the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships program or to apply for funding visit the Advance Queensland website. 

Media contact: Daniel Lato 0438 830 201