Regional Development Australia (RDA) says it will help break the ice between businesses, to build productivity through communication and collaboration.

Applications are open for the South Australian Government’s $2.6 million Innovation Cluster Program, which will build beneficial new bonds between regional food, wine and tourism-related businesses.

RDA Murraylands and Riverland, a local arm of the nationwide body, has welcomed the announcement, saying it would be willing to help connect members of the cluster early on.

But the RDA wants the clusters to work on their own once they have been set on their way.

“RDA's role is to facilitate, help and assist,” Chief executive Brenton Lewis said.

“We don't want to be running clusters in the long-term - very, very happy in the immediate to help with facilitation, support, guidance and then we probably want to drop off to the side a little bit to be able to purely be an assistance organisation to help them find their way.”

“The role we'll play is ... to continue what we've already been doing. We've been working on cluster development for some time and this is just an opportunity for us to hook in.

“A little bit of assistance to offset our costs would be appreciated but nevertheless, our intentions and aims haven't changed. It's about benefiting regional businesses through collaboration.”

While this round of Cluster Projects is aimed at bolstering the state’s world-renowned Barossa wine industry, the State Government says projects will potentially draw on other sectors for support and advice.

More information is available here.