A feature of the IDEA Project is its business attraction program, which aims to secure 1,000 smart jobs between 2003 - 2008. The project has already signed some 850 jobs under a series of memoranda of understanding (MOU) and two of these have already progressed to heads of agreement with more to follow in 2005.

A key project is the Churches of Christ aged care facility at Capricorn Coastal Village, with the potential to provide some 200 jobs. Other priority projects are in the renewable energy and medical services industries.