Where can I get help ascertaining if my invention is commercially viable?
Is there any Government assistance for new inventions?
What is a confidentiality/secrecy agreement?
When should I use one?
NSW Innovation Advisory Centres offer a range of services to help you make your idea more marketable or profitable. These services include access to self-assessment software, business advice and referral and low cost technical assessment. There is also an on-line Innovations Service provided jointly by the Department of State and Regional Development and the University of Wollongong. This website, at www.ausinvent.com, is for inventors and innovators and allows for feedback, facilitates networking and provides an advisory and referral service.
Top of Page
A technical or market assessment of your innovation can be subsidised by the Department of State and Regional Development. The assessment provides you with a written report and the Department subsidises half the cost, up to a maximum of $150.
A secrecy agreement is an agreement between the inventor and the inquirer who wishes to be given certain technical and confidential information for the purpose of evaluating the invention. It should outline that all possible steps will be taken to keep the information secret and prevent the disclosure, publication or acquisition of the inventor's information.
Confidentiality or secrecy agreements may be helpful when you begin to contact potential manufacturers or distributors for your innovation. Once they are signed by the other party, it prohibits them from acting on your invention or divulging it to others without your permission. These agreements are best prepared by a professional legal adviser.