Steve Adcock, CEO of the Electronics and ICT Association (EICTA), has announced that the Association has signed an agreement with SME Gateway. SME Gateway is a national organisation established to grow Australian small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) through winning contracts and delivering contractual outcomes in the defence, ICT and mining business sectors.

“This agreement will provide a genuine boost for [SMEs in the electronics and ICT sectors] who aim to pitch for lucrative contracts,” explains Adcock. “The main purpose of the agreement is to serve as a streamlined gateway for members of [EICTA] to engage in defence and large business contracts they would not normally tender for. Other advantages include business coaching from those who are extremely experienced in pitching for these types of business contracts.”

According to Adcock, Defence will expend over $100 million in Satellite Communication procurements over the next few years and with SME Gateway the Association is ready to position the South Australian Electronics and ICT industry to win a significant amount of the work.

“This agreement heralds a new chapter for South Australian electronics and ICT SMEs to gain access to contracts secured by SME Gateway,” says Charles Rudder, CEO and Managing Director of SME Gateway. “Our model for growing SMEs is very successful. We have just received a Leaping Frog Award for the second highest rate of growth [668.73 percent] in the value of ICT contracts awarded to [SMEs] by Federal Government Agencies in the three years to 30 June 2008. The agreement with [EICTA] is a key enabler for South Australian.”

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