Accelerating Commercialisation Grant


What is Australia Accelerating Commercialisation ?


Commercialisation is a service under the AusIndustry Entrepreneurs' Program, which provides you with advice and funding to bring a new product, process or service to market. By accelerating the commercialization of services and processes, helps entrepreneurs and researchers to commercialize new products, small and medium businesses. It is present in Industry, through the Department of Energy, Science and Resources, as part of a broader Entrepreneurs Program operated.

Accelerating Commercialisation Provides grants of up to $1 million to commercialize new technology. This grant helps SMEs and entrepreneurs match project funding, with an expert from AusIndustry working with your business to guide your commercialization process.

To gain access to the Accelerating Commercialisation Grant, you first need to obtain commercialisation guidance through AusIndustry, which provides your business a facilitation from the department. It helps you develop tailored support and your commercialization strategy, including feedback, before applying for a grant.

How the Accelerating Commercialisation Works ?


Accelerating Commercialisation is formally called Commercialisation Australia and is a key offering under the Entrepreneurs’ Programme. It helps Australian researchers, entrepreneurs, commercialization offices, start-ups, inventors and small or medium enterprises to address the challenges associated with the commercialization of novel intellectual property.

The Entrepreneurs' Program aims to promote competitiveness and enhance business growth through support for business improvement, research connections and promotion of economic growth through commercialization.

The Accelerating Commercialisation Grant will be awarded to researchers, start-ups and businesses that have a new product, process or service, which is ready for large scale and commercialization in global markets.

Under Accelerating Commercialisation, you will be paired with an independent facilitator, then the facilitator will make recommendations for taking your project from prototype to your first commercial sale and help you apply for a commercialization grant.

Overview of Accelerating Commercialisation Grant


There are 2 major phases of accelerated commercialisation :
  • A guidance stage that connects you to a facilitator.
  • A grant stage, to fund commercialisation project.
A Customer Service Manager will contact you to ensure that your project meets the new criteria for Accelerating Commercialisation. When your application is approved, the facilitator will work with you to make recommendations on your business and help you apply for a merit-based accelerated commercialisation grant. There is no upfront cost to accelerate this guidance. 

If you are applying for a grant, you will need to provide resources depending on the nature of the project (such as staff, funding, equipment or facilities). Providing Nationally Accelerating Commercialization Services, Partners i4Connect host information sessions, you can talk to them about your project.

Objectives of Accelerating Commercialisation


Following are the objectives of this program :
  • Creating new businesses with high growth potential based on innovative intellectual property.
  • Accelerating commercialization of innovative intellectual property in the form of novel processes, services and products.
  • Promote business growth and competitiveness.
  • Facilitating greater commercial and economic benefits from both private and public research and development investment.
  • To generate greater economic and commercial benefits from both private and public sector research.

Who is Eligible for Accelerating Commercialisation Grant ?


Only companies are eligible to apply under the Accelerating Commercialization Program. If your business fulfills the eligibility criteria then you can apply. Eligibility Criteria is a set of rules that tells who we can consider for this opportunity. You can apply if you fulfill the following requirements :
  • Have a qualified business structure.
  • There must have a research commercialization entity or a qualified partner entity.
  • A must have project with novel product and process service.
  • There must have evidence of your ability to fund at least 50% of the eligible project expenditure.

1) Business Structure :
  • Should be non tax free.
  • Must have a combined annual turnover (for the last 3 fiscal years) of less than $20 million.
  • Must be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST).
  • Must be one of the following entities :
  1. A company and a trading corporation incorporated in Australia
  2. A qualified partner entity or research commercialisation entity.

If your business is a company, your business activities should be :

  • It constitutes a sufficiently significant proportion of the corporation's overall activities as it is being described as a commercial corporation.
  • Not only peripheral activity of the Corporation but sufficient.
  • Your business turnover or operating expenses for each of the last 3 fiscal years will be less than $20 million.
  • If you are a qualified partner entity or a research commercialisation entity, the business must be in isolation of less than $20 million for each fiscal year preceding the 3 years.

Not Eligible :

You are not eligible if you :
  • A person
  • A partnership
  • An unincorporated union
  • A non-corporate Commonwealth entity.
  • A trust

2) Eligible Projects :

The project will be a new product, service or process (which will be significantly different from any previous innovation) that provides a solution and value to the industry in which it will be business. The novel project will need to demonstrate the following requirements :
  • Scalability, if it's a service, offers a one-to-many solution.
  • Technical feasibility, along with research and development for your working prototype.
  • Market acceptance, but not its first sale.
  • Intend to do business in Australia or overseas markets.
  • Ability to rapidly grow business and sell in multiple markets.
  • Ownership, access or beneficial use of any existing intellectual property.

Activities not eligible for your project include :
  • Technological experiments or research and development to build your prototype.
  • Marketing or increasing production for a process, product or service that has been commercially sold.
  • Internally focused solutions and innovations that will not reach the external market.
  • Developing iterations of an existing process, product or service.

3) Eligible Partner Entities and Research Commercialisation Entities :

Research Commercialisation Entities :

This entity is part of a publicly funded research organization or an eligible corporation controlled by more than one publicly funded research organization. They help researchers commercialize their intellectual property. Publicly funded research organizations include the following :
  • Australian higher education provider.
  • Federal, state, and territory government departments or agencies.
  • If there is no publicly funded research organization they can apply to become an eligible participating entity.

Eligible Partner Entities :

This unit is an Australian organization whose primary focus is research, but they also help researchers commercialize their intellectual property.

The current registered eligible partner organizations are The Burnett Institute, George Institute for Global Health, Australian Wine Research Institute Ltd., Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Medvet Science Pvt Ltd and Brian Holden Vision Institute.

The Grant Opportunity Guidelines contain more information about eligible expenses for your project that are covered by your grant.

How Much is Accelerating Commercialisation Grant ?


Funding amounts under this program are two-tier. Businesses can receive up to $1 million and researchers working with institutions, universities or government departments/agencies have a limit of $500,000. The Accelerating Commercialization Grant provides projects up to 50% of the maximum expenditure:
  • $250,000 grant to eligible partner organizations and commercialization offices.
  • $1,000,000 grant for all other applicants.
  • Grant recipients will also receive portfolio services for the duration of the project.

How to Apply for Accelerating Commercialisation Grant ?


You can submit your application through the online portal for Accelerating Commercialization Guidance. You will need to set up an account when you log in for the first time. Once you have started your application, you can save, return or exit it at any time. There is no need to complete the application in one go. You can apply for Accelerating Commercialization through the online portal at any time.

Before applying for commercialization guidance, make sure you :
  • Read the Grant Opportunity Guidelines.
  • May fulfill all the eligibility criteria.
  • Read customer stories to make sure your project is the right one.
  • Keep all the information ready.

Accelerating Commercialisation Information Sessions


This seminar provides businesses that have a new process, product or service with information about the funding and advice offered under this grant. To learn more about accelerated commercialisation, register for an information session hosted by commercialisation facilitators.

These sessions will give you more information about why Accelerated Commercialization exists, what qualifies you, what is on offer, what it is for and how the service works.


After Applying for Accelerating Commercialisation


Applications for guidance are continually evaluated as they are made. A Customer Service Manager will contact you to discuss the application within 5 business days after receipt of the application. The result is intimated within 12 working days of receipt of the completed application. If you are successful, they connect you to a facilitator. If you are not successful, feedback will be given and you will be referred to other relevant government services.

Grant applications are processed in cycles of 6 to 8 weeks, with your facilitator following a guidance step by step. All applications for the Accelerating Commercialization Grant are evaluated according to eligibility criteria with the Entrepreneur Program Committee. Due to the complex nature of this grant, this phase can take up to 75 days to complete.

Accelerating Commercialisation Contact


Your question can be answered via phone, email or webchat: