Round two of Vic government Digital Futures Fund opens

The Victorian Coalition government has announced that the second round of funding in the $11 million Digital Futures Fund is now available to organisations in the state.

The Fund is designed to drive productivity through the use of ICT. Projects must involve a minimum of three partner organisations, two of which must be Victorian small to medium enterprises (SMEs) facing a shared business challenge. Successful projects will receive funding of up to $500,000 and may run for as long as two years.

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In order to be considered for funding, the projects must improve the quality of a non-ICT business product, reduce the time, labour or quantity of raw materials required to produce products or improve the speed and quality of service delivery.

Victorian technology minister Gordon Rich-Phillips said applications were welcome from all industries and could involve partnerships between private and public sector organisations such as industry bodies, universities and TAFEs.

Applications for the second round of funding close at 2pm on 7 March 2013. Successful projects from round one of the Digital Futures Fund will be announced later this year.

The Fund is part of the Coalition government’s <i>Victoria’s Technology Plan for the Future – Information and Communication Technology</i>, an $85 million plan launched in November 2011 to support the state’s ICT sector.

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