The WA Government’s X-TEND WA program announced its fourth round of funding on Friday, with a total of $680,000 going to nine educational programs aimed at boosting regional, female, indigenous and other Western Australian entrepreneurs, founders and investors.
The money comes from the newly boosted $25.8M New Industries Fund (up from an original $16.7M fund, having been given an additional $9.1M over the next two years), which supports the early-stage innovation sector in WA.
The successful projects were:
| Company name | Program | Project Overview | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 Degrees South | First Nations X | Provide indigenous startups with connections to capital, prospective clients and other collaborators | Indigenous entrepreneurs |
| Innovation Cluster | The Set | Run out of new co-working space in Vasse, various programs will be provided to entrepreneurs in the South West | Regional, South West |
| Australian Sports Technologies Network | ASTN Entrepreneurship Education Program | An entrepreneurship education program aimed at accelerating sports innovation and commercialisation in WA | Sports tech |
| Curtin University | Curtin Invest WA program | Four-part series designed to raise awareness and educate WA investors, corporates and investees in startup investment. | Investor education |
| We are Emersyn | Scale Advisory Female Founders | Program to build capability and accelerate the growth of female-led ventures. | Female founders |
| Oceania Indigenous House of E-commerce Ltd | Oceania DigitalX Skills Program | Digital 3-phase skills program teaching indigenous entrepreneurs how to build, launch, and grow an online store | Indigenous entrepreneurs |
| Purpose Ventures Fund Management | Venture Capital Education Series | 4-part education series for investors and various types of startup investment | Investor education |
| University of South Australia | Australian Centre for Business Growth | The Australian Centre for Business Growth (AUCBG) delivers high-value, world-class programs that enable owners, CEOs and executive teams of SMEs to build successful, sustainable and scalable businesses. | Scaling up |
| Westmark Pty Ltd | IP Reach | Regional series of IP workshops, in-person mentoring in Broome, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie and Albany | Regional, IP education |
“The Cook Government recognises how difficult it can be for emerging innovators to scale up and secure investment, which is why we’re supporting investor-ready education programs through X-TEND WA,” said Science and Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson MLC.
These programs will give a diverse range of businesses the guidance and help they need to take their ideas to the next level, with some programs catering to Indigenous entrepreneurs, female founders and innovators in our regions. X-TEND WA will also offer support to organisations delivering programs designed to further educate current and potential investors, providing further confidence for private investment in innovative projects throughout the State.
Science and Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson MLC
Each organisation will be announcing opportunities to join their respective programs over the next few weeks and months.
Since establishing X-TEND in 2019, the WA government has awarded more than $2 million to 19 education programs for sectors including health tech, regional innovation, export market entry and impact, and angel investment.
X-TEND WA is funded up to mid-2025, so other rounds and opportunities should be open in the coming financial year.
For more information on the X-TEND WA program, including how business operators can access a range of education programs, visit: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-jobs-tourism-science-and-innovation/new-industries-fund-x-tend-wa-program-grants.
