The Australian government has announced the first round of grants for the $40 million Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund (GSTDF) to boost Australia’s regional scientific industry. 

With a focus on collaboration within the Asia-Pacific, the grant makes up a part of the government’s ongoing commitment to strengthen scientific collaborations with Australia’s neighbours. 

Australian researchers and businesses can now apply for a share of $6 million, enabling them to collaborate with counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Brazil. 

“The Albanese Government is deploying all elements of our national power to make Australia more stable, confident and secure at home, and more influential in the world,” said Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong.

“Working with our partners to diversify our economy, make more things in Australia, respond to climate change and improve health security is all part of making Australia more robust and resistant to external shocks.”

The funding will focus on boosting global efforts in areas of key national interest, including advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, hydrogen production, and RNA vaccines. 

The GSTDF builds on the federal government’s $10.3 million investment to establish an Asia-Pacific regional office of the International Science Council to coordinate scientific engagement across the region. 

“Refocussing this program on collaborations with our nearest neighbours cements our commitment to play a constructive role in the region, while more effectively addressing our biggest challenges at home,” said Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic. 

The federal government is teaming up with the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and the Australian Academy of Science to deliver the first round of grants. 

Researchers and businesses may submit their applications starting 20 March and up until 31 May 2024. For more information, visit industry.gov.au/international-collaboration.

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The Australian government has launched a $40 million grant program to bolster the nation’s international partnerships for critical minerals.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King on Wednesday opened the applications for the four-year grant program. 

King said the initiative is expected to bolster Australia’s international engagement on critical minerals and support cooperation with global partners, like the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, South Korea, and European Union nations. 

“Secure supply chains for our critical minerals are essential if we want to build the windfarms, solar panels and batteries we need to reach net zero,” Minister King said. 

“These supply chains will also be essential in working with our allies and friends in developing technology needed by defence industry.

“These grants support our Critical Minerals Strategy, which will build Australia’s sovereign capability in critical minerals processing, diversify global supply chains and help Australia become a clean energy superpower.”

Grant funding ranging from $2 million to $20 million will be available for various projects including: 

• Pilot and demonstration plants, capacity expansions, and research and development projects;
• Development or commercialisation of technology and intellectual property;
• Critical minerals processing technologies; and 
• Development of downstream processing capability. 

Critical minerals are crucial in manufacturing low-emissions technologies, such as electric vehicles, solar panels, and wind turbines. 

They are also needed in the advancement of modern defence and medical technologies. 

To read more about grant guidelines, visit the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources website. 

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The Australian government has announced $200 million in grant funding that aims to help Australian steel manufacturers be globally competitive and secure the future of the local steelmaking industry. 

The grant marks the launch of the first round of Powering the Regions Fund (PRF), delivering support to BlueScope Steel Limited and Liberty Steel Australia. 

BlueScope received $136.8 million in funding to reline and upgrade its No. 6 Blast Furnace at the Port Kembla Steelworks. The project aims to maintain domestic production, reduce emissions, and support pathways to produce even lower-emissions steel in the future. 

Approximately 250 additional workers are expected to be hired during the upgrade and relining of the blast furnace.

The BlueScope project is also expected to help secure the local workforce over the long term, including the thousands of jobs at the Port Kembla Steelworks. 

Meanwhile, Liberty Steel Australia was awarded $63.2 million in funding, which it will use to replace its existing traditional blast furnace at the Whyalla Steelworks with a low-carbon electric arc furnace (EAF). 

The new EAF will support the manufacturing of green steel and help Liberty reach its carbon neutrality goals by 2030. 

Liberty’s transition to green iron and steel is expected to scale the company’s workforce by around 24 per cent over five years and help provide retaining and opportunities to learn new skills for a substantial number of existing employees.

“This $200 million investment in the steel sector is about securing the long-term future of the steel industry in Australia. As we undergo the transformation to Net Zero it is vital that we support our industries to adopt and manufacture cleaner technologies,” said Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen. 

“Steel is essential for our energy transformation. Ninety per cent of the materials that go into making a wind turbine are steel and cement, and we’re going to need a lot more of it.”

 “Regions like the Illawarra and Whyalla have been industrial powerhouses for generations, making the steel used in building our houses, infrastructure and industry, while creating jobs, and we want to see this continue,” Bowen added. 

The grants mark the rollout of the PRF under the Critical Inputs to Clean Energy Industries program. 

The initiative aims to support hard-to-abate sectors like steel to allow Australia to keep making things that are vital to the energy transition, including electricity and rail infrastructures like wind towers, solar farms and energy transmission, and the construction of energy-efficient buildings. 

The Albanese government also recently announced $200 million in grant funding to support hard-to-abate cement and lime and alumina and aluminium sectors. 

Successful projects are slated to be announced in the coming months. 

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Assistant Minister Bruce Saunders has called on the state’s local manufacturers to apply for support through the Queensland government’s grant programs dedicated to fostering businesses in the sector. 

Saunders visited the Kwana work site of Rockhampton-based herbicide manufacturer, Cirrus Ag, a Round 3 recipient of the Made in Queensland grant program. 

With almost $1 million in grants, Cirrus Ag has been able to purchase, install, commission, and operate a leading-edge granule manufacturing plant including advanced software control systems. 

“Cirrus Ag is a brilliant example of how well a business can grow after receiving the right support at the right time,” Saunders said. 

“Our investments in these programs have created and supported more than 7,000 jobs across Queensland.”

The state government has developed a series of programs to help bolster the local manufacturing sector. This includes ReMade in Queensland, the Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Grant, and the Manufacturing Hubs Grant Program. 

The first round of ReMade in Queensland (ReMIQ) grants was launched recently. The program aims to help local small-to-medium-sized manufacturing and recycling businesses adopt remanufacturing processes that reduce waste and energy costs, reuse materials that might otherwise end up in landfills and convert materials into new manufactured goods. 

Under ReMIQ, local SMEs can secure funding between $50,000 and $2.5 million to support projects that increase the reuse of existing recycled material streams in manufacturing or enable diversification to remanufacture new waste streams. 

Applicants can submit expressions of interest for the grant funding until 19 February. 

Support for manufacturers to reduce their energy usage and cut energy costs is also available through the Queensland government’s Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Grant program. 

Eligible businesses can apply for matched grant funding between $5,000 and $25,000 to buy equipment or introduce processes that will reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. 

Round 1 of the program will receive applications until 30 June or until all funding is allocated. 

Queensland businesses are also benefitting from the state’s $28.5 million Manufacturing Hubs Grants Program. This was made possible through the more than $60 million investment in the six manufacturing hubs in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, and the Gold Coast. 

The program seeks to support the development of businesses’ advanced manufacturing capabilities like technology adoption, skills, training, and business development. 

Round 3 of the grant program is open until 30 June or until all funding is allocated. 

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Cashcor Engineering, a Cairns-based company, is set to deliver a jobs boost to Far North Queensland and significantly bolster local manufacturing supply chains through funding from the Queensland Government’s Industry Partnership Program (IPP). 

The funding will enable the company to spearhead a $2.9 million project that will include the refurbishment of two metal manufacturing and fabrication workshops equipped with new laser-cutting equipment. 

New specialist metal fabrication equipment will enhance product precision and accelerate the delivery to customers with new staff offices and amenities also being built on-site. 

Slated to be completed by the end of 2024, the project will create 33 jobs and enable the company to grow its supply chains in defence and marine industries. 

Established more than 40 years ago, Cashcor Engineering delivers niche metal manufacturing and engineering services to boost local content in industries and supply chains in Far North Queensland and across into the Northern Territory. 

“The IPP Grant will provide a significant boost for Cashcor Engineering and our manufacturing capabilities. It will enable us to transition into a much-needed larger premises, which is located near the Cairns Marine Precinct Common User Facility site,” said Brett Cahill, managing director of Elite Engineering Services, doing business as Cashcor Engineering. 

“Cashcor Engineering has serviced the North Queensland market for over 40 years in the areas of defence, mining, marine and general engineering. The IPP grant will now allow us to purchase new state-of-the-art manufacturing machinery to help service these growing markets,” Cahill added. 

Minister for State Development and Infrastructure Grace Grace said Caschor Engineering’s expansion marks a win for the local economy and the people of Far North Queensland. 

“Companies like this one will provide the vital services to grow and strengthen industry supply chains, including in our growing marine and defence industries. Importantly, it means more good, local jobs for Far North Queenslanders,” Minister Grace said. 

The Queensland government’s Industry Partnership Program was established to foster the state’s priority industries, strengthen local supply chains, encourage collaboration between government and industry, and leverage private sector investment. 

The $415.5 million program currently supports local projects that create economic opportunities and local jobs, address industry supply chain gaps, and build strengths across industries. 

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Edith Cowan University has secured a $349,108 grant from the Australian Research Council (ARC) for a research project that aims to help supply chain companies model and effectively manage uncertainties faced by their upstream suppliers. 

The grant was awarded through the ARC’s Linkage Projects scheme, which aims to foster national and international research collaborations between higher education institutions and other parts of the research innovation system. 

The collaborative project, titled “An Oriented Approach to Manage Dependent Supply Chain Risks,” involves ECU Associate Professor Ferry Jie and Associate Professor Omar Hussain from the University of New South Wales, Professor Daniel Prajogo from Monash University, and Dr Ripon Chakrabortty from the University of New South Wales. 

Industry partner Claude Abouchar from Prime X Connect is also set to contribute $100,000 in funding to support the research initiative. 

“In the current uncertain business environment, the project’s outcome will benefit service-based industries to have an enhanced understanding of their operating environment and take decisions accordingly to avoid failures. This will significantly increase the productivity of Australian service-based industries across different domains,” Professor Jie said. 

“The expected outcome is that it generates new knowledge by which risk managers of a focal company can conjointly consider risk identification/assessment with risk management analysis to develop explainable strategies for managing uncertainties,” said Jie.

The research project is expected to run over three years. 

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The Victorian government is calling on regional bodies to apply for the $1 million Regional Activation Grants Program, an initiative to showcase the local food and beverage producers in regional Victoria. 

Grants of up to $70,000 are available for regional tourism boards, food and fibre groups, and regional entities that seek to hold local events that will highlight local food and beverages in the regions where they are produced.

The program aims to highlight the quality of food and drinks produced across regional Victoria and to connect local producers and manufacturers with local consumers. 

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence announced the first round of grants under the program today. 

“We’re empowering local producers to promote Victoria’s wonderful variety of locally sourced food and drinks and celebrate the unique stories behind every product,” Minister Spence said. 

“These grants will help foster a rich appreciation for Victorian produce and encourage consumers to shop in their local region and build a connection with local producers.”

Events held under the initiative may include farmers’ markets, immersive food and beverage festivals, or collaborative tasting sessions. 

In a media release, the Victorian government said the grants aim to support greater appreciation for locally sourced products and bolster the community’s connection with the creators behind the goods they value and enjoy. 

Businesses involved in the program will also have their products showcased on the Vic Grown website. It will serve as a comprehensive hub that highlights diverse producer profiles and offers insights into the stories behind local products. 

Victoria’s agricultural industry injects more than $20 billion into the state’s economy annually. 

The state also reigns as Australia’s biggest producer of dairy, sheep meat, horticulture for human consumption and more, with many of the products available locally.

Applications for the grant will be accepted until 16 February. For more information about program eligibility and guidelines and to apply, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au.

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The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced six applicants who have been shortlisted for the $2 billion Hydrogen Headstart Program. 

The shortlisted applicants are bp Low Carbon Australia, HIF Asia Pacific, KEPCO Australia, Origin Energy Future Fuels, Stanwell Corporation Limited, and Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Pty Ltd as trustee for Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Project Trust. 

ARENA is calling on these companies to submit a full application in the next stage of the Hydrogen Headstart Program. 

Together, these applicants represent a total electrolyser capacity of over 3.5 GW across various end uses, placing them amongst the largest renewable hydrogen projects in the world, according to ARENA. 

These companies are developing projects that involve deploying large-scale electrolysers of at least 50 MW in size, making a significant and faster impact on a new renewable hydrogen industry. The projects are located in Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Western Australia. 

The Hydrogen Headstart Program, announced in the 2023-24 budget, was established to catalyse Australia’s hydrogen industry to tap into the nation’s opportunity to be a global hydrogen leader. 

Under the program, projects seeking to produce renewable hydrogen or derivatives can apply for a production credit delivered over 10 years to bridge the commercial gap between the cost of producing renewable hydrogen and the market price. 

“Hydrogen Headstart is a crucial step towards keeping Australia on the path to become a global hydrogen leader, creating new export opportunities, while helping to decarbonise our economy,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller. 

“The applicants shortlisted for the next stage provide us with the best opportunity at fast-tracking our renewable hydrogen industry. It’s great to see the commitment from Australian companies who are looking to invest in and utilise hydrogen in their own decarbonisation efforts.” 

Hydrogen Headstart builds on ARENA’s success as a leader in renewable hydrogen, with the Agency having already committed over $315 million to 48 renewable hydrogen projects since 2017. 

The funding is in addition to over half a billion dollars of Australian government funding awarded to regional hydrogen hubs in places such as the Hunter, Gladstone, and the Spencer Gulf. 

“ARENA has long supported an Australian renewable hydrogen industry. Hydrogen Headstart is the logical continuation of our work, providing further funding to support the acceleration of renewable hydrogen,” Miller said. 

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Early-stage startups and small to medium enterprises in New South Wales can now apply for grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 to accelerate the commercialisation of their products or processes. 

The NSW Government’s 2023/24 MVP Ventures Program will allocate a total of $3 million each year for the next four years to help projects along the Technology Readiness Level scale attract large-scale private investment. 

Minister for Innovation Science and Technology Anoulack Chanthivong said the program offers targeted support for businesses ready to take the next step in their commercialisation journey. 

“Our main objective through this program is to help increase commercialisation in NSW to ensure we both attract and retain this entrepreneurial activity in the state for years to come,” Chanthivong said. 

Stuart Grover, co-founder of climate tech startup Framed Carbon and recent MVP Ventures Program grant recipient, said the funding will enable his business to commercialise and continue developing its innovative technology. 

“One of the biggest challenges we’re facing as a business is figuring out how we can commercialise our sustainable products such as our carbon-negative concrete. This support will give us the kick-start we need to take the next step,” Grover said. 

Since resuming, the program has approved 24 previously submitted applications and unlocked $1.8 million in funding for the remainder of the financial year. 

“A new two-stage application process now starts with a simplified EOI application, with applicants hearing back on their eligibility within 15 days of submission. For those deemed eligible through the EOI, further information will be sought, with a 30-business day assessment of their final detailed application,” Minister Chanthivong said. 

Applicants will be vetted in the order in which they are received. 

“I encourage all eligible businesses to review the program guidelines if they haven’t already and submit an expression of interest in a timely manner,” the minister added. 

For more information about the program and to submit an expression of interest, visit investment.nsw.gov.au. 

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The Australian Government has officially launched its $392 million Industry Growth Program, an initiative aimed at helping startups and small businesses commercialise and grow their companies. 

The program’s launch follows the release of a report from the Industry Innovation and Science Australian Board, which revealed that Australian businesses often face barriers in scaling up. 

The report recommended the government identify businesses with the need and risk appetite to innovate and deliver novel products and services. It also outlined ways Australia can take steps to translate its world-class research performance into commercialisation outcomes, helping to grow a diverse economy while delivering well-paid jobs. 

“While we outperform in the creation of start-ups and small businesses against other OECD countries, our industry structure is overly skewed to small businesses with less than 20 employees. It’s hard to compete when you are small,” said Andrew Stevens, chair of Industry Innovation and Science Australia. 

“The outcome we need right now is the scaling of small businesses into medium-sized businesses. This will build sovereign capability and economic complexity in Australia.

The Industry Growth Program will deliver advisory services from a national network of expert business growth and commercialisation advisers, providing guidance on seeking investment, market testing, business models and networking. 

Eligible businesses under the program will also have access to matched grant funding ranging from $50,000 to $5 million. 

The Industry Growth Program aims to support projects under National Reconstruction Fund priority areas and scale the pipeline of businesses working to transform and diversify Australia’s economy. 

“Australia’s small businesses are known for their ingenuity and innovation – how adaptive, resilient and passionate they are.  The Industry Growth Program will help turbocharge this innovation,” said Minister for Small Business Julie Collins. 

“This is good for jobs, good for our economy and good for Australia’s small businesses. This is another way our Government is backing Australia’s small businesses to succeed.”

For more information and to apply for expert advice, visit business.gov.au. Grant funding opening is expected to begin in early 2024. 

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