Industry grants

Defence provides a range of grants to support industry. These grants help Australian small and medium enterprises grow to meet Defence capability needs and join global defence industry supply chains.

Guidance for applicants

The following guidance is provided to assist applicants before applying to a Defence industry grant program.

For an application to be considered, it must meet eligibility requirements and address the merit criteria for the relevant grant program. 

Before submitting, applicants should read and understand the Grant Opportunity Guidelines available on the grant program information page, and understand the mandatory activities described in section 5. 

An application to the Defence Global Competitiveness Grant or the Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grant programs is likely to be considered ineligible unless it primarily focuses on 1 of the following:

• buying, leasing, constructing, installing or commissioning of capital equipment, or
• enhancements to cyber security including purchase of specialist software.

Some activities are not allowed by the Grant Opportunity Guidelines. Applications are likely to be considered ineligible if they focus on activities such as:

• product development or manufacturing inputs such as non-recurring engineering
• hiring staff
• business development.

Optimise use of the word limit to address the merit criteria which may include highlighting:

• commercial track record
• competitive advantage
• customer relationships
• value/volume/duration of commercial Defence opportunities which the business is planning to support.

Applicants should proof-read, tailor and agree on any content prepared by an external party.

• Customise an application to describe the approach of the business, including assessment of the specific risks and benefits associated with the grant project. 
• Applications which contain identical or similar wording to other applications might suggest a lack of internal analysis, planning or preparation.
• Only include attachments that are requested. In most cases, the Grant Opportunity Guidelines specify that additional attachments (other than a budget) will not be considered.

Opportunities available to Australian businesses