A company being paid $31 million to deliver commercialisation advice on behalf of the government used inside advice to land the job and then helped a family member’s company secure a grant from the program, according to allegations aired in the Senate.
The companies allegedly involved have denied the allegations, including claims of a large finder’s fee for helping land the lucrative tender, and say they acted within the guidance of the Industry department.
But the allegations, made under Parliamentary privilege late last month, have reopened scrutiny of the tender for the former federal government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme, which has already been heavily criticised by the federal watchdog.
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