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Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grants

The grant program is undergoing revision and will emerge as a fresh stream within the Defence Industry Development Grant program by mid-2024.

 

Defence-related businesses may be eligible for a grant of up to $1 million per project, up to three projects over three years, to invest in projects that build capabilities aligned with Defence’s Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities.

Australian SMEs may be eligible for grant funding between $50,000 and $1 million per project, up to three projects over three years i.e. up to $4.2 million, to invest in priority projects for the Sovereign Industrial Capability program.

Funding is provided on a matched funding basis however applicants only need to fund 50% of the project’s value, funding can be used to fund capital equipment (including specialist software and security infrastructure), design and engineering or workforce training and accreditations.

Grant funding is capped at $1 million per project, up to three projects over a three-year period per recipient as identified by ABN.

  • The minimum grant amount is $50,000
  • The maximum grant amount is $1,000,000 (per project, up to three projects over three years i.e. a maximum of $4.2 million)
  • The grant amount will be up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs
  • The maximum grant period is 30 months

Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grants. Defence-related businesses may be eligible for a grant of up to $1.4 million per project, up to three projects over three years, to invest in projects that build capabilities aligned with Defence’s Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities.

Key Requirements

In order to be eligible you must:

  • Provide evidence from your board (or chief executive officer or equivalent if there is no board) that the project is supported, and that you can complete the project and meet the costs of the project not covered by grant funding
  • Provide an external Accountant Declaration that confirms you can fund your share of the project costs. You must use the Accountant Declaration form available at the bottom of this page.

To be competitive you must score highly against all of the merit criteria.

  • Merit criterion 1 – The extent to which your project will help you contribute to Defence’s Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities (50 points)
  • Merit criterion 2 – Your capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project (30 points)
  • Merit criterion 3 – The impact of grant funding (20 points)

What is eligible for funding?

Funding is provided on a matched funding basis with applicants required to fund 50% of the project’s value, funding can be used to fund capital equipment (including specialist software and security infrastructure), design and engineering or workforce training and accreditations.

What companies are eligible for funding?

Generally:

  • SMEs with less than 200 employees
  • have an Australian Business Number (ABN)

Be one of the following entities:

  • a company, incorporated in Australia
  • an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

  • Industry analysis presentation
  • Competitor Analysis Presentation
  • Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
  • 3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
  • 3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
  • End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
  • CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
  • Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
  • Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.