Testing Within Government (TWiG) program guidelines

About the program

The Testing Within Government (TWiG) program helps small to medium enterprises (SMEs) improve the positioning of their products for government and large enterprise markets, by working collaboratively with Queensland Government on a range of problems.

It is a short 12-week program for SMEs designed to:

• accelerate the growth and capability of SME businesses in Queensland
• provide valuable experience to SMEs in how to deliver products to large enterprise
• encourage Queensland Government to work with SMEs to become more agile and innovative in solving problems.

Program structure

Problem definition

Queensland Government has identified a number of business problems for SMEs to assess the suitability of their products.

Release to market

The problems were released to market on 20 March 2017.

Industry Information session

An industry information session will be held on 27 March 2017, where business problem experts will provide more information on their problems and address questions from the SMEs.

Shortlisting and pitch day

Applicants will be shortlisted by an evaluation panel based on assessment criteria. A due diligence search will also be conducted.

Short-listed applicants will attend a pitch day in May 2017 to present their product to the panel.

The evaluation panel will select the applicants to participate in the 12-week program, commencing June 2017. Each successful applicant will address 1 problem during the 12 weeks.

Participation

During the engagement product testing, facilitated workshops and/or meetings will be conducted with the relevant agencies to help applicants refine their product.

No commitment is made to applicants to continue with, or procure products at the end of the TWiG program.

Program participation will be in alignment with the ICT SME participation scheme policy to provide a procurement mechanism if any Queensland Government agencies want to engage the SME at the end of the TWiG program.

All intellectual property in the SME’s product (including improvements) remains owned by the SME.

Showcase event

At the end of the program there will be an event for successful applicants, together with the relevant business problem experts, to showcase the product and the lessons learned/experience gained during the program to government and industry representatives.

Objectives

The program will help Queensland businesses to improve a product to better meet the needs of government and/or enterprises by working within a government department.

It aims to:

• increase the number of successful SMEs in Queensland selling to government and enterprise businesses
• provide SMEs an opportunity to test or assess the viability of their product in addressing a government problem
• increase SME awareness of government and how it works
• encourage Queensland Government to work with SMEs to become more agile and innovative in solving problems.

Key dates