COVID-19 resource hub

Supporting Australian businesses and households impacted by COVID-19

The way Australians live, work, travel and socialise has been dramatically affected by the unprecedented and continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our nation’s energy resources sector is no different. Across the country and through the value chain, innovative small and medium businesses, sole traders and researchers have been severely affected. We recognise that many of you are experiencing first-hand the full impact of this pandemic, may be living in lockdown or have loved ones who are ill. And we expect impacts like these to continue for some time.

Since our inception in 2016, NERA's mission has and continues to be 'creating connections for growth'. Now more than ever this commitment to supporting our sector to communicate, collaborate and come together remains vitally important. In the midst of the business disruptions and uncertainty resulting from COVID-19, we are working to help our sector support itself and support our wider community as Australia navigate these challenging times.

To achieve this goal, NERA has compiled this information hub to:

  • Release our COVID-19 Innovation Challenge Funding Round, which is supporting 10 local energy resources innovators to rapidly develop new solutions to the challenges we face as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • Support SMEs to build business resilience by sharing the range of support opportunities available to Australian SMEs, innovators, entrepreneurs and sole traders working in the energy resources sector.

NERA joins fellow Growth Centres AMGC (Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre), AustCyber and MTP Connect in developing opportunities to assist our sectors at this time.

The Australian Government has announced social distancing measures and restrictions on a number of non-essential services. For more information, see below.

The Australian Technology Catalogue

Many of our innovative suppliers rely on international exhibitions, conferences and trade shows to promote their technology solutions. With these opportunities cancelled or postponed, the Australian Technology Catalogue portal is an invaluable virtual platform for Australian suppliers to showcase and prove their technology solutions, raise exposure, improve their business resilience and connect with end-users to rapidly deploy their technology.

NERA encourages all SMEs with innovative technology to feature their solutions on the catalogue today.

Click here to enter the portal and share your technology.

Building a resilient business — webinar series

NERA is pleased to share recordings of our five-part ‘From Adversity to Advantage: a recipe for building a resilient business’ webinar series, which explored business resilience and provided practical steps, examples and strategies for SMEs, comprising part of our COVID-19 response initiatives.

Presented by Perth-based entrepreneur Bill Withers, the series focussed on the unique opportunity SMEs have to harness the characteristics of their business to build resilience.

Click here to access the recordings

COVID-19 Innovation Challenge Funding Recipients

NERA has committed $227,500 to assist ten Australian energy innovators fast track tech and deliver solutions to combat COVID-19. With funding support already fast tracked to each company, these ten Australian innovators are already rapidly deploying their technologies across the country.

Find out more about the energy innovation projects here.