Commercial Grants in Australia

Incubator Support: New and Existing Incubators

To help develop new incubators in regions or sectors with high potential for success in international trade, and to boost the effectiveness of high performing incubators, including funding support to expand their services and/or develop the innovation ecosystem.

Grant: $10,000 – $50,000

Eligibility: be an entity incorporated in Australia, an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust, a not for profit organisation, a publically funded research organisation excluding government departments or agencies which undertake publically funded research.

Incubator Support: Expert in Residence

To organise and provide access to top quality research, managerial and technical talent through national or international expert

advisers who will improve the chance of commercial success for start-ups in international markets.

Grant: $1,000 – $25,000

Examples of eligible activities include but are not limited to:

– a workshop where an expert gives advice on developing business activities, for example in international markets.

– engaging a national or international expert (with knowledge in start-up related technology and international experience) to

assist start-ups address key challenges during an Incubator program.

Biomedical Translation Fund 

The $500 million Biomedical Translation Fund will make venture capital investments in promising biomedical innovations with
commercialisation potential in Australia.
At the time of the first investment, an eligible company must have:
– a majority of its employees and assets inside Australia, or will use the whole of the initial investment within Australia, and
– an average annual revenue over the previous two years below $25 million per year.

Export Market Development Grant 

Encourages small and medium sized businesses to grow their export markets.
Grant: Businesses that have spent $15,000 or more on export promotion can be reimbursed up to 50% of costs exceeding $5000.

Innovation Connections

 Provides small and medium sized businesses with access to expert technology advice to address technology and knowledge gaps,
and collaborate with the research sector in developing new ideas with commercial potential.
Grant: Up to $50,000 in matched funding

Accelerating Commercialisation 

Provides businesses with access to expert advice and matched funding to cover eligible commercialisation costs to help them to
take novel products, processes and services to market.
Grant: Up to $1 million
Eligibility: Applicants must be
– a for-profit company registered and operating in Australia
– a commercialisation office or Eligible Partner Entities, or
– individuals, partnerships or trustees who agree to form a for-profit company.

R&D Tax Incentive 

Companies with an annual turnover under $20 million can claim a 43.5% refundable tax offset against R&D expenditure that
amounts to $100 million or less.
All other eligible companies can claim a 38.5% non-refundable tax offset.
For R&D expenditure under $20,000, companies can only make a claim if it was undertaken with a research service provider or cooperative
research centre.

Venture Capital Limited Partnerships 

Provides foreign investors with a flow-through tax incentive (exemption from capital gains tax for gains made on eligible
investments) for foreign investors to stimulate Australia’s venture capital sector.
Eligibility:
– Funds must register as a VCLP under the Venture Capital Act 2002 and make high risk investments that hold for at least 12 months.
– Investments must be in ventures where total assets are valued under $250 million, 50% of assets are located in Australia and 50%
of employees are also located in Australia.

ARC Linkage Projects 

Promotes national, and international, collaboration and research partnerships between key stakeholders in research and
innovation. The scheme aims to support research and development projects which: are collaborative between higher education
researchers and other parts of the national innovation system, are undertaken to acquire new knowledge, and involve risk or
innovation.
Grant: $50,000 – $300,000 per year for 2-5 years

Medical Research Commercialisation Fund 

Managed by Brandon Capital, the MRCF provides dedicated investment funding to support the commercialisation of early-stage
medical research discoveries that originate from its member institutes.
Grant: Seed stage up to $3 million
MRCF portfolio companies up to $10-20 million
Elibility: member (http://www.mrcf.com.au/members) institutes and hospitals only

University grants

Individual universities each have their own grant systems available to researchers from that university.
Independant researchers and businesses can also partner up with commercialisation offices from universities.
University of Western Australia – Pathfinder Fund 
University of Western Australia – Partnering 
Curtin University – Kickstart funding 
Curtin University – Partnering
Murdoch University – Partnering 

Innovation Vouchers Program

Assists small to medium enterprises (SMEs) get a step closer to commercialising their innovations by developing collaborative relationships with research providers, specialist commercialisation support services or getting deal flow.

Grant: Up to $20,000

Eligibility: WA SMEs only (up to 200 employees with an ABN or ACN).

Research Advisory Committee Project Grants

Applications are open to researchers currently working at or employed for at least 25 per cent of their time at either SCGH or OPH. Evidence of employment will be required for your application.

Grant: Up to $40,000

Medical Research Foundation

The Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation aims to improve the quality of healthcare available to all West Australians by supporting medical researchers associated with the hospital.

Grant: Up to $25,000

Eligibility: Royal Perth Hospital basic and clinical research projects

Minimum Viable Product

Supports promising startups with the funds needed to progress from a proof of concept stage to a minimum viable product.

Grant: 50% of approved project costs up to $25,000

Eligibility:  Have a completed proof of concept, have an ABN registered in NSW and be based in NSW, hold IP or the rights to commercialise, have a potential channel to market, demonstrate that 80% of development costs will occur in NSW, demonstrate adequate matched funding has been secured for the project.

Building Partnerships

The grants are designed to complete pilot projects with key customers and to fund new marketing partnerships here in Australia or overseas to develop innovative, new-to-market solutions.

Grant: Up to 35% of project costs up to a maximum of $100,000

Eligibility: The business must be primarily focused on the development of technology and own the relevant intellectual property.

The business must have a relationship with a potential customer who can give feedback, or with a potential distributor willing to on-sell the technology and must be either a resident of a co-working space, incubator or accelerator or an established business able to provide recent financial statements to Jobs for NSW.

TechVouchers 

Designed to drive opportunities for research collaboration between NSW small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and Boosting Business Innovation Program (BBIP) delivery partners.

Grant: Up to $15,000

Eligibility: Incorporated in NSW, have fewer than 200 employees, turnover less than $30 million p/a, have been in operation for at least one year, be able to demonstrate the ability to match the voucher amount in cash, conduct the majority of the proposed activities in NSW.

NSW-Israel Research & Development and Technological Innovation Program

Designed to assist NSW entities cooperate with an Israel entity on joint research and development projects. 

Grant: Up to 50% of project costs up to a maximum of $250,000

Eligibility: At least one commercial entity from NSW and one from Israel must express a desire to cooperate in the R&D of a new and innovative product, service or process. The NSW applicant is required to provide a matching co-contribution to the R&D project. 

NSW Medical Devices Fund

Invests in the development and commercialisation of medical devices and related technologies in NSW.

Grant: Not announced for 2018. In 2017, 4 companies received $6.61 million funding.

LaunchVic

A new entity that will accelerate startups, drive new ideas and create jobs.

The current open round of funding aims to support world class accelerator programs delivered in Melbourne.

Grant: Up to $3 million.

Eligibility: An accelerator program that supports established early stage startups to scale their businesses.

Victoria-Israel Science Innovation and Technology Scheme

An initiative providing Victorian and Israeli organisations with the opportunity to work collaboratively on projects of mutual benefit.

Grant: Up to $2,000 in reimbursement for accommodation and travel expenses for attendance of conferences, meetings or other events in Israel – Victoria Israel Trade and International Partnering program

Up to $50,000 in assistance – Victoria-Israel Feasibility and Proof of Concept program

Up to $250,000 in funding support – Victoria-Israel Science and Technology Research and Development Fund

Accelerate Small Business Grants Program

Helps established Queensland-based small businesses to engage business mentors, coaches, specialist consultants or an advisory board, for a 6 to 12 month period.

Grant: Matched funding of up to $10,000.

Eligibility: business must have a minimum trading history of 3 years,  a minimum turnover of $500,000 in the previous 12 months, a maximum of 20 employees, have an ABN, have Queensland headquarters or significant Queensland operation.

Business Development Fund

Helps Queensland businesses at the forefront of cutting edge research or innovative ideas, products or services to commercialise their technology.

Grant: $125,000 – $2.5 million

Eligibility:

Queensland based businesses that are commercialising research or an innovative idea, require seed, early stage or follow-on investment, will create opportunities for new, high value and skilled employment and have a realistic prospect of becoming commercially successful.

Private sector co-investors that have committed to providing an investment in a business that at least matches the investment sought from the Business Development Fund.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Program

Helps businesses with two thirds of the cost of hiring a graduate to work on an innovative project.

Grant: Funding up to $50,000

Eligibility:  have less than 200 full-time employees, have an ABN, be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST), be able to contribute one-third of the eligible project costs.

Platform Technology Program

Supports projects that research, develop and apply emerging technologies in their execution, accelerating the development and deployment of highly collaborative, industry based platform technology projects in Queensland.

Grant: 3:1 ratio of government to applicant funding.

PTP projects will represent a minimum total investment of $1 million (i.e. a minimum $250,000 Queensland Government grant and a minimum $750,000 cash contribution from lead applicants and their partners, excluding GST).

Eligibility: Lead applicant must be a registered business with a minimum of 3 Queensland based partners and be able to demonstrate the ability to fund at least 75% of the project costs.

Queensland Startup Events and Activities Fund

Builds capability within Queensland’s startup community with funding of up to 50% of total activity costs.

Grant: Up to 50% of activity costs up to $25,000

Eligibility:

You can apply if your activity is conducted on a not-for-profit basis, has a broad impact on the Queensland startup community, delivers practical information, advice and networking opportunities (e.g. through webinars, networking activities, presentations, mentoring sessions, workshops and forums).

Small Business Digital Grants Program

Helps businesses build their digital capability and grow, assisting with the purchase of hardware, software or digital training and skills development.

Grant: $1,000 – $10,000 matched funding

Eligibility: Less than 20 employees and turnover of less than $2 million.

South Australia Early Commercialisation Fund

Help entrepreneurs and innovative companies commercialise their ideas.

Grant: Up to $500,000

Eligible projects: 

Examples of eligible projects include: proof of concept, including accessing and protecting intellectual property, prototyping, testing and market research, product development and early commercialisation.

Innovation Vouchers

Encourages collaboration between small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and research and development organisations.

Grant: $10,000 – $20,000

Eligibility: research and development projects that partner SMEs with an annual turnover of less than $20 million. 

Medical Device Program

 The program provides small and medium enterprises with specific R+D services and support (through Flinders University’s Medical Device Partnering Program) and commercial assessment support to help them develop commercially viable medical technology products.

Grant: Applicants themselves contribute $5,000. In return, Flinders University provides 3 months of research and support plus a 30 hour commercial assessment.

Eligibility:  Be a medical device or assistive technology. Be technically feasible. Be commercially feasible. Involve innovation. The proposing entity must be able to co-contribute $5000 (ex GST) to the project.

Business Innovation Support Initiatives

Helps Northern Territory (NT) businesses undertake research and development which could lead to new products, processes or services.

Innovation Voucher Scheme: Up to $25,000

Innovation Grant Scheme: Up to $60,000

Eligibility: Projects are supported in the areas of science, engineering, technology and design.