Kate is founder and Managing Director of Avant Group. Her role sees her undertake major competitive grant applications and key project management for research and development activities, and other major project management activities. Kate oversees the company’s grants consulting team, who is charged with application identification, submission, management and auditing compliance.

Outside of her work Kate is a Director and Board Member of the Fight Cancer Foundation, a major Australian not for profit research organisation.

Kate holds a Masters in Marketing and a Post Graduate Diploma of Business Management from Melbourne Business School. Kate also holds qualifications in Engineering (Mech) and Business Management.

Roundtables 

Kate will be hosting two Roundtable sessions at this year’s conference discussing two different topics:

TOPIC 1 : UNDERSTANDING GOVERNMENT GRANTS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

This session will provide an overview of government grants and funding opportunities for businesses.

Understanding government grants and programs enables strategic decisions by businesses in areas including expansion into new markets, investment into new technologies and collaborative projects.

Hosted by leading grants advisory firm Avant Group, the session will assist businesses in identifying what business types and structures are eligible to receive funding, what grants and funding options are available, what the application process involves, what the compliance and reporting obligations typically involve and the types of activities that can be covered under Government Grant funding.

TOPIC 2: CLAIMING AND COMPLYING WITH THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TAX INCENTIVE

The Government’s Innovation Agenda has been designed to encourage investment and activities into new IP and research projects.

Businesses that are undertaking research and development activities may be entitled to the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Incentive program. This provides up to a 43.5% cash rebate on eligible costs incurred on R&D activities. This session will discuss what constitutes eligible R&D projects, the reporting and compliance obligations and the process of applying.

Further information will be provided on the Government’s Early Stage Innovation Company (ESIC) incentives. ESIC is a ‘super’ deduction and modified CGT treatment scheme designed to encourage investment into innovative businesses.