As outlined in Section 5, the Project Team is actively seeking to establish firm profiles to be able to centralise information on and capabilities of ICT firms and create a individual firm marketing profiles for display on the website that will be accessible to demand side firms. In the process of putting the firm profiles together, the project is also collecting cluster stakeholder data on marketing requirements to identify how to best provide firms with the linkages they need to professional development and for consideration into future Cluster forum design. For example, the ICT Cluster website provides links to resources from the Federal government (business.gov.au) and to the Dynamic Small Business Network http://dsbn.com.au /index.asp which provides marketing assistance.

As part of the provision of business resources, the Ballarat ICT Cluster Information Kit was produced as a paper-based and online resource. A hardcopy of Ballarat ICT Cluster Information Kit was presented to all firms that were visited by the Project Officer. The kit was used to raise awareness of existing resources and provide firms with a one-stop-shop overview of linkages to existing services and resources. The Information Kit continues to be updated and expanded as new resources become available.

The project gathered an extensive set of resources which were subsequently disseminated via the Ballarat ICT cluster website. Resources generally fell into three categories, e.g., business development resources, business support and assistance, and useful weblinks to information to resources.

Business development information (http://www.ballaratict.com Training.php) included links to business information and training, featuring offerings ranging from a comprehensive guide to business services, to business marketing solutions and to a step-by-step marketing solutions guide on offer from the City of Ballarat Economic Development Unit. Links to business development workshop offerings included the City of Ballarat and Victorian State government partnership offerings in a range of business development workshops, training incentives aimed at bolstering the small business sector. Suppliers Guide to Government Purchasing (http://www.vgpb.vic.gov.au) This excellent 16 page resource explains how the Victorian Government is seeking to maximise the opportunities for small and regional businesses to participate in the area of government procurement.

A total of 11 Ballarat business network links ( http://www.ballaratict.com Networks.php) were provided, including BisNet, Ballarat Export Network, BITS, Ballarat Women in ICT Network, Ballarat Junior Chamber International (JCI), Ballarat Like Minds, Ballarat .NeT Special Internet Group, Brace Micronet, Commerce Ballarat, Linux Users Victoria - Ballarat Chapter and the University of Balalrat Technology Park Executive Network.

Weblinks (http://www.ballaratict.com) were divided into three sections: (1) Business, Industry and Community Development, (2) export, and (3) Government. Business, Industry and Community Development included links to AusIndustry, Australian Customs Service, Australian Industry Group, IBIS, INNOVIC, Business Ballarat and other local links. Export included such links as AusTrade, Ballarat Export Hub, Customs, Women in Export and Export Awards. Government links ranged from federal to regional (RDV) and local business access points as well as assistance programs for businesses operating in Victoria.