The NSW Government has issued a call for applications for its $6 million Collaborative Solutions program. This first initiative in the program, called Mobile Concierge, focuses on mobile and wireless technologies in the tourism and retail sector.

The NSW Government has launched a new program called Collaborative Solutions, as part of its $36 million Digital Economy Strategy. The first initiative in the program is called Mobile Concierge and is aimed at creating mobile and wireless technologies consortiums.

On 2 February 2011, approximately 150 people gathered at a technology industry briefing where the new program was launched. This meeting took place after an invitation was issued by the NSW Government, last month, and published on the Anthill website.

“The Collaborative Solutions program will provide $2 million per year for the next three years to help business consortiums develop ICT enabled solutions for various sectors of our growing digital economy,” said NSW Treasurer and Minister for State and Regional Development Eric Roozendaal.

“Funding is open to business consortiums that can bring together mobile application developers, technology and service providers, device manufacturers, research organisations, and user organizations to deliver innovative and new-to-market solutions.”

The Mobile Concierge

The Mobile Concierge is the first of several initiatives aimed at creating consortiums to develop innovative ICT solutions. Its objectives are to provide a platform that motivates dialogue between multiple players in the ICT industry, to speed up the development of innovative mobile solutions and to force innovation and productivity in the retail and tourism sectors.

To be able to participate, each entry must be a consortium of at least three members, the Consortia Lead must be a business registered in NSW and the development must be predominantly undertaken in NSW.

Applications opened on 2 February 2011 and will remain open until 25 March 2011.

Photo by Ben Hosking