Project snapshot
Alignment with RDA strategy
- Economic development
Alignment with RDA strategy
- Economic development
Small grants for small businesses
The Hills & Coast Business Grant was designed to provide funding for small businesses falling through grant funding gaps.
In 2021, Regional Development Australia Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island (RDA AHFKI) decided to trial a fund program aimed at small business where a project didn’t quite fit existing grant requirements, or the amount of funding sought was too low to qualify for bigger project grants.
Our aim was to remove this barrier by creating a smaller, more flexible grant, that would cater to projects which didn’t qualify for appropriate funding elsewhere. Maximum funding was $10,000 and applicants were required to match the funding dollar for dollar.
The Hills & Coast Business Grant was not intended for business-as-usual projects, but to support local business where limited funds restricted an ability to progress an idea or need. It was intended to support businesses:
- taking novel and/or creative approaches to business growth, or;
- addressing challenges and/or barriers to growth.
Examples of suitable endeavours included (but were not limited to):
- establishing online sales or optimising online presence
- new equipment or infrastructure purchases
- concept and/or product development
- establishing a new operating or service model
- feasibility work
After receiving a total of 88 applications, we eventually selected 8 businesses we felt had the most innovative approaches to business growth, the most potential to impact the local and regional economy, provided the best value for money, and had the most promise of success.
The successful 2020-21 Hills & Coast Business Grant projects
With family ties to one of the oldest horse studs in South Australia, HorseRecords has been developed with serious pedigree behind it. This comprehensive horse husbandry application provides a fast and easy way to record everything you ever need to know about the background, health and performance of a horse. Launched in 2021, the app is intended to help horse owners protect their investment by providing instant access to critical information – anywhere, anytime.
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Section28 Artisan Cheeses is one of the few commercial producers of raw milk cheeses in Australia. Since launching in 2015, they’ve developed a reputation here and abroad for creating exceptional quality cheeses that reflect the terroir and seasonal conditions of the Adelaide Hills. They have won multiple awards, including National Champion at the Australian Grand Dairy Awards for both their raw milk cheeses.
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The Lobethal Fodder Store was a passion project for animal lovers Nat and Matt Egan, opening in February 2020. Looking to grow their business further and promote tourism in the region they hatched the idea of a “Chook Nook”. The aim was to provide a fun, interactive experience for visitors to the store and the Adelaide Hills.
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Carolyn Jeffrey, owner of CJ’s Business Solutions, established the Women in Business Regional Network to support, train, promote and advocate for regional women in business across Australia. Her aim was to generate additional revenue streams to make the network self-sustainable and reduce the time impact of ongoing administration and development.
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Managing family orchards that have produced fruit since 1932, Damian McArdle is a 4th generation pear grower adopting new technology to sustain the family business into the future. Changing market demands and practices have provided an opportunity for Chamberlain Orchards to not only provide fresh produce later into the year, but also transition to more environmentally-friendly practices to remain ahead of current industry best-practices in Australia.
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Finch Restorations have been part of the Adelaide Hills landscape since 1988, and today has workshops in Mount Barker and Woodside. Building on decades of shipbuilding experience. Discover how Finch Restorations proprietor, Peter Roberts, is using cutting edge technology to support the restoration and recreation of vintage vehicles.
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Based in the coastal town of Normanville, Maudie & Fox is a retail store that has been selling a diverse mix of wares to locals and visitors alike since 2015. Looking to increase both foot traffic and repeat sales to boost revenue, owner Bridget Fox explored options for pre-made food items that could be purchased for gifts, or as immediate consumables, that would keep brining people back for more.
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With a knack for thinking outside the box, Barney Ralston is building on a European concept to engineer new uses for existing plastic. The aim is to to reduce waste and boost the circular economy. His machines are designed to allow community groups, schools, councils and small businesses to recycle a range of plastic items, turning them into new objects for use in everyday life!
Read the Case Study →Looking for funding for your business?
In conjunction with our region’s councils, we offer the Hills & Coast Grant Finder, a one-stop grant portal that pulls in grants from councils, state and federal government agencies. Once you register to use the portal, you can set up automated grant alerts based on your industry or specific keywords.
