Grants of between $5000 and $15,000 are available for small businesses to provide family friendly work arrangements. The Fresh Ideas for Work and Family funding can be used to help meet the set-up costs of family friendly arrangements that suit the individual needs of the business. Applications for the current funding round close on Friday 24 April 2009.

The Small Business and General Business Tax Break will allow small businesses with an annual turnover of $2 million or less to claim an additional 30 per cent tax deduction for eligible purchased assets costing $1000 or more. Other businesses can receive the same deductions for eligible assets greater than $10,000.

Up to $83 million will be provided to early stage start-up companies under the Australian Government's Innovation Investment Follow-on Fund. More than 20 venture capital fund managers licensed by the Commonwealth under existing programs will be offered the $83 million in follow-on funding, and they in turn will invest in innovative firms to bring promising new technologies and services to market.

Young Australians can access grants of up to $50,000 under the Next Gen Farmers program. The funding is to build a person's farming knowledge, experience, skills and networks in order to unearth future leaders and representatives for primary industries. Focus will be on people aged 18-25, but people aged 15-30 will be considered. Applications close on Thursday 9 April 2009.

Applications for $20,000 Ethanol Distribution Program grants must be received by Thursday 30 April 2009, 5pm, for service stations that have completed an eligible upgrade to enable them to sell E10 petrol, and have achieved their E10 sales target. Service station owners or operators who think they may qualify should call the AusIndustry hotline on 13 28 46 or click above.

The Victorian Government's Business Loan Finder is now available here as a result of the Australian Government's roundtable discussion between bank representatives and small business organisations. The discussion will also lead to the creation of a small business complaints clearing house established by the office of Dr Craig Emerson, Minister for Small Business, enabling small business operators to register complaints on denied and/or the cost of bank finance. The Australian Bankers' Association will work with the clearing house.

The Asia Pacific Symposium on Entrepreneurship and Innovation - New Thinking and Practice, will involve academia, industry and policy makers in bringing together theory and practice on entrepreneurship and innovation. Emphasis will be on international dimensions within the Asia Pacific region. The symposium will be in Sydney from 1-3 April 2009.

DesignBuild 2009 showcases domestic and international building products, services and technologies. The Green Building Zone and Innovation Alley are major exhibits while seminars will include themes on small business management and the global economy's effect on business. DesignBuild 2009 is on at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday to Saturday 21 to 23 May 2009.

The Australian Government's Accessing International Carbon Markets - Introductory Workshops will show people how they can take part in international carbon credit projects and reduce compliance costs under the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. Workshops will be staged in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in April, 2009.

Recent AusIndustry announcements

Round 2 of the Small Business Advisory Services Program produced 55 funding offers. The $4 million grant program builds on the $42 million over four years from round 1, used to fund 36 Business Enterprise Centres to deliver low-cost small business advisory services.

AusIndustry project highlights

Tasmania's Lightning Protection International has used the Australian Government's Tradex Scheme and R&D Tax Concession to improve the company's cash flow and increase expenditure on research. Lightning Protection designs and manufactures equipment to prevent damage to electrical goods from lightning strikes and power surges.

Almost $100,000 in Australian Government funding through the Commercialising Emerging Technologies (COMET) program has played a part in Perth-based Cool Energy developing a new way to capture carbon dioxide which contaminates many natural gas fields round the world. Cool Energy has accessed the R&D Tax Concession since 2003-04, which allows for research and development expenditure deductions.