Published Wednesday, 16 May, 2007 at 10:45 AM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
APPLICATIONS FOR MORE TRADE SHOW FUNDING NOW OPEN
Small businesses from Cairns to Coolangatta may be eligible for State Government help to show their wares overseas.
Acting Minister for State Development Desley Boyle said the Queensland Government has made more funding available to help small biotechnology and information and communications technology (ICT) companies attend international trade shows.
“It can be very expensive for small businesses to even think about going overseas.
“The International Trade Show Assistance Program (ITSAP) that began in 2000 provides grants up to $5000 to each successful applicant.
“So far ITSAP has helped 109 companies to generate immediate export sales of more than $5.6 million,” Ms Boyle said.
“These companies have projected more than $310 million in future exports and more than 450 new jobs.
“Previous ITSAP recipients have gained invaluable exposure at trade shows across Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the UK, America and Asia Pacific regions.”
Ms Boyle encouraged eligible ICT or biotech companies who had identified an export market or had a product or service that had export potiential and were export ready to take the next step and show the world the highly innovative products and services Queensland had to offer.
“This funding is for Queensland-based, small to medium businesses that primarily operate in the ICT or biotechnology areas and who employ less than 100 people – this means most of Queensland’s ICT and biotech companies,” she said.
He said applicants were assessed by a panel to make sure the selected companies were ready to enter the export market.
Application forms for the International Trade Show Assistance Program are available online at www.iiib.qld.gov.au. Companies have until Friday 8 June 2007 to submit their application.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349
16 May, 2007
Acting Minister for State Development Desley Boyle said the Queensland Government has made more funding available to help small biotechnology and information and communications technology (ICT) companies attend international trade shows.
“It can be very expensive for small businesses to even think about going overseas.
“The International Trade Show Assistance Program (ITSAP) that began in 2000 provides grants up to $5000 to each successful applicant.
“So far ITSAP has helped 109 companies to generate immediate export sales of more than $5.6 million,” Ms Boyle said.
“These companies have projected more than $310 million in future exports and more than 450 new jobs.
“Previous ITSAP recipients have gained invaluable exposure at trade shows across Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the UK, America and Asia Pacific regions.”
Ms Boyle encouraged eligible ICT or biotech companies who had identified an export market or had a product or service that had export potiential and were export ready to take the next step and show the world the highly innovative products and services Queensland had to offer.
“This funding is for Queensland-based, small to medium businesses that primarily operate in the ICT or biotechnology areas and who employ less than 100 people – this means most of Queensland’s ICT and biotech companies,” she said.
He said applicants were assessed by a panel to make sure the selected companies were ready to enter the export market.
Application forms for the International Trade Show Assistance Program are available online at www.iiib.qld.gov.au. Companies have until Friday 8 June 2007 to submit their application.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349
16 May, 2007