A new round of the Cooperative Research Centre Project (CRC-P) grant program has opened with applications closing on 20 March 2025.
The CRC-P provides 50% matched funding grants valued at up to $3M to co-fund later stage commercialisation projects up to 3 years in length for new technologies.
Who can apply?
Applicants for this grant opportunity must be an Australian SME (typically the technology developer) who partners with at least one research institution (to validate the technology) and at least two other Australian organisations of any size that are typically the “end users” of the technology. For example, an SME may be seeking to commercialise a new low carbon building material/cement substitute technology, and the CRC-P could include the CSIRO to test the technology and organisations such as Boral or Fulton Hogan as ‘industry partners” to test the product – each partner would formally need to sign up to the project.
What type of project is funded?
The Government is targeting the commercialisation of technologies under the following areas with a high level of innovation and solid commercial potential:
- value-add in resources
- value-add in agriculture
- forestry and fisheries
- transport
- medical science
- renewables and low emission technologies
- defence capability
- enabling capabilities (i.e. robotics, automation, AI, education etc).
What can the grant be used for?
The grant money co-funds activities to bring the technology to commercialisation (first sales) including:
- new research
- proof of concept activities
- pre-commercialisation of research outcomes
- industry-focused education and training activities
- conferences, workshops, symposia related to the joint research
- information sharing and communications related to the research.
- IP related costs.
Note this program is not suited to early-stage technologies as the pathway to first sales needs to be very clearly defined in the application with end users targeted. The applicant should demonstrate that “first sales” are “highly likely” at the completion of the max 3-year project.
If you have an innovative technology under development with a clear pathway to first sales, get in touch with DCC Ventures about this program.
DCC Ventures has specialists available with experience putting together competitive applications to access CRC-P funding.