A little extra cash in the pocket never goes astray when you’re in the early stages of building your business. The process can be lengthy and tedious when it comes to Government Grants, but if your application is successful, it can give your startup a real leg up.

We’ve rounded up a list of the National and State-specific grants most relevant to early-stage startups below, and if you are interested in engaging with the public sector more broadly, here's our guide.‍

We also recommend you search the Government’s Grants and Programs finder, you’ll see that there are hundreds of opportunities for various sectors and industries, opening and closing on a regular basis.

National

Export Market Development Grants

Austrade’s Export Market Development Grants (EDMG) program helps Australian businesses grow their exports in international markets. Grants are categorised into 3 tiers, with each tier offering a different level of support:

1. Ready to export
2. Exporting and expanding
3. Exporting, expanding and strategic shift

Criteria

Your startup is eligible to apply if:

• Your turnover for the financial year before the financial year in which the application is made is less than $20m
• You have an ABN
• You’re an Australian person as per the EDMG Rules 2021

What you can get

Cash reimbursements of 50%, up to $150,000 to claim on expenses related to:

• Marketing consultants
• Marketing visits
• Overseas representatives
• Samples and advertising costs
• Trade Fairs
• Overseas Buyers
• Eligible IP

Find out more about Export Market Development Grants.

Research & Development Tax Incentive

The R&D Tax Incentive is not a straight cash grant but helps your startup grow and innovate by providing tax assistance for eligible R&D activities. 

Criteria

Your startup is eligible if your aggregated turnover is less than $20 million.

You must be participating in genuine R&D activities. Check here to see if your core R&D activity is included.   

What you can get

The refundable tax offset is your corporate tax rate plus an 18.5% premium. If you’re running at a loss, you may be entitled to a 43.5% tax offset, paid as a cash rebate. 

Find out more about the Research & Development Tax Incentive.

CSIRO Kick-Start

If you’re looking to access the CSIRO’s research expertise and capabilities, CSIRO Kick-Start provides matched funding that will enable your business to:

• Research a new idea with commercial potential
• Develop a novel or improved product or process
• Test a novel product or material

Criteria

Your startup is eligible if you:

• Have an Australian company number and are registered for GST
• Can demonstrate your ability to dollar-match the funding
• Have an annual turnover of less than $1.5 million, in the current and each of the 2 previous financial years
• Have been a registered company for less than 3 years
  

What you can get

You’ll receive dollar-matched funding between $10,000 and $50,000. This funding may be used to cover the costs of undertaking a project, including:

• Salary and on-costs of researcher(s)
• Travel and accommodation (if required)
• Administrative/overhead costs
• External facilities access/services/contractor costs
  

Find out more about CSIRO Kick-Start.

‍Business Research and Innovation Initiative

The Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) provides startups and SMEs with funding to develop innovative solutions for government policy and service delivery challenges. There are several different BRII grants that open and close during the course of a year. The most recent round is the Workplace Relations Usability Challenge Feasibility grant.

Criteria

Your startup is eligible if:

• You have an Australian business number (ABN) and are either an entity incorporated in Australia OR an individual or partnership, provided you agree to form a company incorporated in Australia to enter into a grant agreement
• You have a combined annual turnover of less than $20 million for each of the three financial years prior to your application

Joint applications are acceptable, provided you have a lead organisation who is the main driver of the project and is eligible to apply.

What you can get

Up to $100,000 for a feasibility study. If your feasibility study is successful, you may receive up to $1 million to develop your proof of concept.

Find out more about the Business Research and Innovation Initiative.

Industry Growth Program

The Industry Growth Program (IGP) is the Australian Government’s main commercialisation program for innovative SMEs and startups in National Reconstruction Fund priority areas.

Criteria

Your startup may be eligible if you:

• are an innovative SME or startup operating in Australia
• have an ABN, are GST-registered and not income-tax-exempt
• are working on a commercialisation or growth project in at least one NRF priority area (for example, value-add in resources or ag, medical, renewables, defence, enabling tech).

To apply for grant funding, you must first complete an Industry Growth Program Advisory Service and receive an advisory report.

If you already have a recent investor deck, a basic financial model and a one-pager or internal project brief, you’ll mostly be re-using and tightening that material for your application, rather than starting from scratch.

What you can get

Once you have an advisory report, you may be able to apply for:

• Early-Stage Commercialisation grants of between $50,000 to $250,000 to help establish the commercial viability of an innovative product, process or service.
• Commercialisation and Growth grants from $100,000 to $5 million to support projects from prototyping through to market readiness and scaling.

Find out more about the Industry Growth Program.

Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Grants

CRC-P grants support short-term, industry-led research collaborations to develop new technologies, products or services that solve real industry problems and benefit SMEs.

The grant program runs in numbered rounds, which open and close on set dates each year. Check the website to see if the program is currently open.

CRC-P sits alongside the larger Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program, which funds longer, bigger-budget collaborations. CRC-P is the more accessible pathway for startups to plug into this ecosystem and opportunity.

Criteria

Your startup can take part in a CRC-P if:

• You are an Australian company with an ABN and incorporated in Australia
• The project team includes at least two Australian industry organisations (with at least one SME) and one Australian research organisation
• You’re proposing a collaborative R&D project of up to 3 years
• The project addresses an industry-identified problem and aligns with government priority areas (for example NRF or National Science and Research Priorities)

What you can get

• Matched funding between $100,000 and $3 million
• Funding for projects up to 3 years in length
• Support for activities like new research, proof-of-concept, and pre-commercialisation of research outcomes

Find out more about CRC-P Grants.

New South Wales

MVP Ventures Program

The goal of the MVP Ventures program is to support businesses to increase the commercialisation of innovative products and services in NSW. Examples of projects include:

• Prototyping and piloting studies
• Development of current products through the implementation of new technology that will enhance competitive capability.
  

Criteria

MVP grants are available to startups developing scalable technology solutions. To be eligible, your startup must:

• Be based in NSW and demonstrate that core activities include research and development.
• Have an aggregated turnover of less than $1m for each of the 3 financial years prior to the lodgement of your application
• Have less than or equal to 20 full-time employees.
• Hold IP or rights to commercialise your product

What you can get

Grants on offer are from $25,000 to $200,000.

‍Find out more about Minimum Viable Product grants.

Queensland

Ignite Ideas Fund

The Ignite Ideas Fund supports you to commercialise an innovative product or service that your startup has already developed and is ready to take to market for the first time.

Criteria

You’re eligible to apply if you:

• are a business headquartered in Queensland
• have no more than 50 full-time-equivalent employees
• are not a subsidiary of a group that has more than 50 FTEs in total
• are an innovation-driven enterprise with high-growth potential
• have an ABN and are (or will be) registered for GST
• have not received government funding for the same project activities
  

The Ignite Ideas Fund typically opens rounds in the second and third quarter of the calendar year.

What you can get

There are two tiers of funding available:

• Tier 1: Up to $100,000 (excluding GST) for projects of up to 12 months duration.
• Tier 2: Greater than $100,000 and up to $200,000 (excluding GST) for projects of up to 24 months duration. 
  

Find out more about the Ignite Ideas Fund.

Backing Female Founders Program

The Backing Female Founders Program assists Queensland female founders at different stages of the entrepreneurial journey. It includes the Female Founders Co-investment Fund, plus capability programs such as Accelerating Female Founders that are delivered through partner organisations.

The Female Founders Co-investment Fund provides matched funding to majority women-owned, women-led, innovation-driven businesses that are raising early-stage capital.

Criteria

To be eligible for the Female Founders Co-investment Fund, applicants must:

• be headquartered in Queensland, with an active ABN and GST registration
• be majority female-owned (at least 51% of shares held by a woman or women for at least 6 months)
• be female-led (at least one key decision-making role such as CEO or CTO held by a woman for at least 6 months)
• have no more than 50 full-time-equivalent employees
• not have received more than $500,000 through previous capital raises
• be undertaking a new early-stage capital raise from an eligible investment entity

What you can get

The Female Founders Co-investment Fund provides grants from $50,000 to $200,000 matched at a 1:3 ratio over a period of 12 months, for either a single investment or a raise round led by an eligible investment entity. 

Find out more about the Backing Female Founders Program.

South Australia

Seed-Start Program

The Seed-Start Program is South Australia’s main early-stage startup grant. It provides matched funding to help SA startups commercialise a unique product or service with strong growth potential in national or international markets.

Criteria

You’re generally eligible if you:

• are based in South Australia (or plan to relocate before the project starts) and have an Australian company with an ABN, registered for GST
• are a non–tax-exempt business with annual turnover under $1 million for each of the last three financial years
• have an innovative product or service with a clear competitive edge and national or global growth potential

What you can get

Seed-Start offers two levels of matched funding:

• Seed grants of $50,000 to $100,000 with 2:1 matched funding (government:you) for projects up to 2 years
• Start grants of more than $100,000 up to $500,000 with 1:1 matched funding on projects up to 3 years

Funding must be used for a defined commercialisation project with clear scope, milestones and an end date.

Find out more about the Seed-Start Program.

Western Australia

Innovation Booster Grant

The Innovation Booster Grant is part of the WA Government’s New Industries Fund, which assists WA-based startups and small businesses to commercialise their innovative ideas or projects and expand to create jobs.

Criteria

Your startup is eligible if:

• It is registered in Western Australia and will continue to be based there for the next 3 years
• You’re developing an innovative project in WA
• You’re willing to, and have the financial capacity to contribute at least 20% of the requested project funding costs 

What you can get

Funding up to $20,000 vouchers for eligible expenditure categories including:

• Research and development
• Product development
• Technology transfer and intellectual property
• Commercialisation support services 

Find out more about the New Industries Fund: Innovation Vouchers Program grants.

Northern Territory

Business Innovation Program

The Business Innovation Program (BIP) helps Northern Territory startups and entrepreneurs develop and commercialise innovative concepts, with a mix of funding, mentoring and access to Start NT at the Darwin Innovation Hub.

Criteria

You’re generally eligible if you:

• are an NT startup or business with an innovative idea
• have a valid ABN and operate in the Northern Territory

The program structure combines planning, development and commercialisation support, with advisors helping you refine your project and get investment-ready.

What you can get

When open, BIP typically offers:

• Up to $30,000 in grant funding to help progress and commercialise your innovation
• Access to approved advisors and Start NT, which provides an investment-readiness and commercialisation pathway through the Darwin Innovation Hub.

The program has run in staged intakes and may close while it’s being refreshed, so check current status on the NT Government site.

The Business Growth Program offers smaller grants of $2,000 to $10,000 to reimburse up to 50% of the cost of eligible professional advice and systems for NT small businesses. Founders often use it for strategy, finance or marketing support alongside other innovation funding.

Australian Capital Territory

Innovation Connect Grant (ICON)

The Innovation Connect Grant (ICON) offers matched funding to help Canberra-based startups and entrepreneurs turn innovative ideas into market-ready products and services.

Criteria

You’re generally eligible to apply if you:

• have an ABN and are based in the ACT or surrounding Canberra region
• are a smaller, technology-focused business or early-stage startup with turnover under $2 million or pre-revenue
• are developing an innovative product, service or technology with clear commercial potential
• have not previously received an ICON grant (and are not a founder/director of a business that has)

What you can get

• Matched funding between $10,000 and $30,000 ACT Government matches your cash (and in some cases founder time) invested in the project
• Funding can cover everything from prototype or functional software development to technical and commercial feasibility work to marketing, legal, IP or patenting advice.

ICON runs in competitive rounds that open and close during the year, with grants awarded to early-stage projects that show strong innovation and commercial potential.

Find out more about the Innovation Connect Grant (ICON).

Tasmania

If you’re in Tasmania, most government support is delivered through smaller, sector-specific or general small-business programs rather than dedicated startup grants. Use the Business Tasmania funding and support hub as your main starting point to find current programs that might suit your business.

Victoria

If you’re in Victoria, most government support right now flows through LaunchVic-funded programs, accelerators and university initiatives rather than direct grants to founders. Start with Business Victoria’s grants finder and LaunchVic’s programs page.

Check out our Open Source VC list of Australian Grants

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