Defence and Industry minister Melissa Price will announce funding for the Defence Ready Pilot on Friday in Newcastle at the Hunter Defence Conference.

A series of seminars titled Defence Ready was conceived by Hunter Defence in partnership with groups including HunterNet and the Australian Defence Industry Network in 2019 and a pilot was launched in November before COVID-19. Organisers pivoted to take the course online and the federal government funding is seen as a significant win and recognition of the work being done in the region to encourage diversification into defence.

The Morrison government funding will assist Hunter Defence member HunterNet to deliver the "ground-breaking" program aimed at helping local businesses win a greater slice of the defence contract pie. Free to businesses, the Defence Ready pilot will provide information and education to help companies become 'defence ready'.

HunterNet will partner with the Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC) - considered the shopfront for defence work - to deliver the program.

Ms Price said the pilot would assist businesses who are new to working with defence, as well as those wanting to improve their business practices to become more competitive when bidding for defence work.

"Regional businesses like those in the Hunter provide crucial support to defence," she said. "The pilot will provide free online workshops to Hunter region businesses to help them understand what it takes to work with Defence, and how to navigate the defence industry landscape."

The workshops cover topics including tendering, cyber security requirements and export controls. Through targeted partnerships like the Pilot, Defence is able to engage with a broader group of businesses who are able to support the defence industry supply chain.

Hunter Defence taskforce chair Tim Owen said the funding was a coup for SMEs in the region.

"It's about preparing them to best be able to compete in the defence global supply chain," he said.

Mr Owen said the pilot was a national first aimed at raising the capability of regional Australia. There would be huge "capability development" in the next two decades in terms of funding commitments for acquisitions of equipment for the Australian Defence Force and it was important for industry to be ready.

Hunter businesses can register their interest in the Defence Ready Pilot at hunterdefence.org.au.

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