Professional business advisory, capital raising and commercialisation services

Breaking News: Our client awarded $31 million to establish the CRC for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We completed the 2012 Queensland Life Sciences Industry Survey on behalf of the Queensland Government.

Running total of funding awarded to our clients: $454,170,000

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Advisors to universities, research institutes, hospitals, government departments and companies on securing funding and capital, establishing and developing new ventures or centres, undertaking industry analyses, and conducting strategic organisational reviews.

VenturePro consultants combine technical expertise with industry know-how to provide hands-on advisory services across most industry sectors. We work closely with senior executives, administrative staff and research staff in academia, industry and government to help plan for new initiatives and to prepare the necessary funding submissions, business cases, economic impact assessments or budgets.

Since our establishment in 2005, VenturePro clients have had a success rate of just over 75% with over $454 million in government and private funding awarded for 67 research and infrastructure projects. This includes $151 million in funding from Queensland Government programs and $258 million from various Australian Government programs, such as the ARC, NHMRC, NCRIS, EIF, HHF and CRC program; and $46 million from private sources.

We also contribute to science and innovation policy through the development of major industry reports. Patrick and Lavinia have authored a range of industry reports for the Queensland Government or its agencies, including the Queensland Life Sciences Industry Report (2012 and 2010), the Life Sciences Queensland business plan (2011) and the Queensland Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Complementary Medicine and Medical Devices Industry Reports (2005 to 2008).

Since 2005 we have provided, on average, over 280 hours in pro bono services annually to non-profit groups and charitable organizations.

Success Stories

2011-2013

VenturePro client Autism Queensland and Partners awarded $31 million to establish the CRC for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The research will enhance the lives of individuals with lifelong development disabilities arising from an autism spectrum disorder. We provided many hours pro bono to this successful bid. See Press Release 16th February 2013

VenturePro client Bond University wins $5.75 million grant from the Commonwealth Government for a national $14 million sports science research project. See Press Release 30th July 2012

VenturePro client (confidential at present) awarded $5.10 million for three projects in April 2012 from the Australian Government Health and Hospitals Fund (HHF).

VenturePro client UQ awarded Smart Futures funding of $2 m in June 2012 to establish the Queensland node of Therapeutic Innovation Australia providing researchers with access to coordinated and integrated translational health pathways in a range of areas including small molecule pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, devices, biomarkers and cell based therapies. The TIA-Qld Node launch was held at UQCCR on 25th July

VenturePro client The Australian Centre for Ecogenomics awarded an $870,000 ARC Discovery & Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award (Prof Phil Hugenholtz: Toward a complete view of life on earth via single cell genomics) and a $380,000 Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grant for a high-throughput screening and sequencing facility for single cell genomics.

VenturePro client Bond University was awarded two Queensland Smart Futures Fund grants worth $1.2 million (January 2012).


Some examples of our successes from earlier years include:

  • UQ awarded $40.2 m in 2010 for the Centre for Advanced Imaging, and $2 m for the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative.
  • The Wound Management Innovation CRC awarded $28 m in 2009.
  • The Australian Future Forensics Innovation Network (AFFIN) awarded $2 m in 2009.
  • The National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training awarded $30 m in 2009.
  • The Queensland Tropical Health Alliance (QTHA) awarded $20 m in 2008.
  • The Queensland Centre for Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing awarded $15 m in 2008.
  • The Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) awarded $30 m by the Australian Defence Force in 2007.
  • The Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University awarded $11 m in 2007.
  • The Australian Institute for Biotechnology and Nanotechnology awarded $6.5 m in 2006.
  • The Hear & Say Centre for Deaf Children awarded $487,000 in 2007.
  • St Andrews Medical Research Institute awarded $986,000 in 2007.
  • The Gallipoli Research Foundation awarded $5 m for clinical research infrastructure in 2006.
  • The Queensland Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Network awarded $5 m in 2005.
  • The Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation awarded $2 m in 2007.
  • The Syngenta Centre for Sugarcane Biofuel Development and the QUT Mackay biorefinery together awarded over $5 m in 2006/07.
  • The ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials awarded $1.1 m in 2006.
  • JK Tech Pty Ltd awarded $6.5 m in 2006 to establish the Mineral Characterisation Research Facility.
  • The Centre for Clinical Research at the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital awarded $40 m in 2005.

Our services

VenturePro offers services to public and private sector clients. Our services include:

Latest Awards

$31 million awarded to our client on 16th February 2013 to establish the CRC for Living with Autism Spectrum disorders. We provided pro bono assistance in the development of the full research plan, the Impact Tool and other associated activities.

Over $20 million in Philanthropic Funding and Grants awarded to our clients in the last quarter of 2012.

VenturePro client [confidential] awarded more than $10 million in funding from a philanthropic organisation

VenturePro client QUT awarded an NHMRC project grant worth $490,000

VenturePro client Queensland Eye Institute awarded a $50,000 Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA) grant

Prize Winners Announced

Queensland Life Science Industry Survey

All respondents to our survey earlier this year were eligible to enter into a prize draw as a token of thanks for their participation. We are pleased to announce that that prizes were won by the following members of the industry. Congratulations to all the winners. First Prize (iPad 2): Mr Stephen Edwards, Banksia Scientific Second Prize (iPod Touch): Mr Peter May, BioProspect Third to Fifth Prizes ($50 gift voucher): Dr Peter Welburn, Leo Pharma Australia; Dr Sandra Hall, Advanced Water Management Centre; and Professor Matti Lang, Entox.

Recent Consulting Projects

2011-2012

VenturePro assists the UQ Centre for Preclinical Drug Development to prepare for its septennial review (October 2012) a month before the original deadline.

VenturePro assists a university client [confidential] in a strategic review in October 2012.

VenturePro assists the Sustainable Minerals Institute at UQ in multiple strategic projects during 2012.

VenturePro acted as Secretary to the Panel for the septennial review of the, Queensland Brain Institute with the process finalised several weeks ahead of schedule.

VenturePro assisted The University of Queensland Deputy Vice Chancellor's Office in preparing an internal document entitled, Institute Funding Report: Investment in Research Excellence.

VenturePro client Autism Queensland and partners shortlisted for the second year running in their Coperative Research Centres bid for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Here is what our client had to say about our service...

"Drs Silvey and Proctor provided timely, constructive and pivotal input to our team that was mounting a bid for a Cooperative Research Centre in Autism Spectrum Disorders. VenturePro's skills in economic impact of health conditions from the perspective of the Australian economy and public good were critical to our bid. VenturePro went the extra mile to support us and our team's efforts. They demonstrate critical research skills, a sound understanding of economic issues impacting research outputs, the critical capacity to adapt to the specific needs of research teams, and exceptional interpersonal communication skills that makes working with them a pleasure. We would highly commend VenturePro as professional operators in a complex and competitive research arena."

Professor Sylvia Rodger and Professor Robert van Barneveld, The University of Queensland and Autism Queensland