ARENA Launchpad Program

Startup Funding Round

Applicants must:

• Hold a valid Australian Business Number.
• Be an Australian incorporated entity.
• Be a for-profit entity.
• Own or develop the relevant technology, product or solution.
• Have freedom to operate regarding relevant intellectual property and assets.
• Be a genuine early-stage business seeking to develop and commercialise an innovative technology or solution.

An Australian subsidiary of an international entity may be eligible where it demonstrates a presence and commitment to operating and commercialising its technology or solution in Australia.

The following cannot apply directly:

• Universities.
• Publicly funded research organisations.
• Government entities.

University spin-outs and research commercialisation companies may be eligible where they satisfy the requirements.

ARENA may screen out well-established companies with established workforces, lengthy operating histories or meaningful previous capital raising where they are not considered genuine early-stage companies.

Ecosystem Funding Round

Applicants must hold an ABN and be one of the following:

• An Australian entity incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001.
• A state or Commonwealth Government statutory corporation.
• An Australian university or research institution.
• A registered Australian not-for-profit or charity.
• An Australian industry association.

Eligible applications are assessed against the criteria applicable to their funding round.

Startup Funding Round

The Startup Funding Round uses a timebound, ranked assessment process. Applications undergo preliminary screening before eligibility and merit assessment.

ARENA may screen out applications that are incomplete, incoherent, poorly aligned with the program or submitted by entities that it does not consider genuine early-stage companies.

A – Market and Technology – 30%

ARENA will consider:

• Significance and relevance of the problem to ARENA’s statutory functions, Strategic Priorities and Australia’s energy transition.
• Novelty and innovation of the technology or solution.
• Technical development achieved to date.
• Evidence supporting the claimed TRL.
• Size and accessibility of the target market.
• Size and accessibility of the potential customer base.
• Evidence of customer need.
• Evidence of market demand.
• Evidence of industry validation.
• Strength of the value proposition compared with existing alternatives.
• Potential for the solution to scale.
• Potential energy, emissions and economic benefits.
• Credibility of technical and scientific claims against accepted science or relevant industry literature.

B – Team Capability and Capacity – 30%

ARENA will consider:

• Experience, skills and track record of the applicant’s team.
• Experience and capability of relevant Applicant Partners.
• Capacity to execute the proposed activities.
• Ability to overcome foreseeable challenges.
• Reasonableness of proposed recruitment or partner engagement.
• Access to relevant technical expertise.
• Access to commercial, industry and operational expertise.
• Support secured from customers, industry partners, investors, research institutions and other stakeholders.
• Evidence of progress, traction and achievements.
• Participation in relevant startup support or accelerator programs.
• Quality and completeness of the application.
• Evidence supporting claims, such as letters of support, agreements and external recognition.

C – Activities and Business Plan – 20%

ARENA will consider:

• Whether the proposed activities will materially advance the technology.
• Whether the activities will materially advance commercial readiness.
• The applicant’s understanding of technical risks.
• The applicant’s understanding of commercial and delivery risks.
• Strategies proposed to manage identified risks.
• How the technology will be incorporated or translated into a customer product or service.
• Evidence supporting customer demand.

D – Financials – 20%

ARENA will consider:

• Credibility of the proposed budget.
• Justification for any Top Up Grant requested.
• Current financial runway.
• Financial ability to deliver the proposed activities.
• Existing and previous funding secured.
• Cash or in-kind co-contributions.
• Investor interest or referrals.
• Customer commitments.
• Other external validation of future funding pathways.
• The extent to which ARENA-supported activities will improve the applicant’s ability to secure future funding, customers or strategic partners.

ARENA may shortlist eligible applicants for a virtual Assessment Pitch with ARENA staff and members of its assessment panel.

Ecosystem Funding Round

The Ecosystem Funding Round is collaborative and open merit-based. The funding announcement does not prescribe percentage weightings for its four criteria.

A – Market Need and Opportunity

ARENA will consider:

• Significance of the market need or opportunity.
• Capability gaps, skills shortages, market failures or other barriers faced by Australian startups.
• Relevance to ARENA’s mandate, Strategic Priorities and Australia’s energy transition.
• Evidence of demand for the proposed activities.
• Participation and validation from Applicant Partners.
• Evidence of customer need, market demand or industry validation.
• Pathways to private-sector investment.
• Additionality and complementarity to ARENA’s existing programs.
• Clarity of the target startup cohort.
• Needs, characteristics and barriers affecting that cohort.
• Understanding of customer, investor and industry requirements relevant to successful commercialisation.

B – Team and Partners

ARENA will consider:

• Experience, skills, expertise and track record of the applicant team and partners.
• Capacity and resourcing to deliver the proposed activities.
• Reasonableness of proposed recruitment and partner engagement.
• Specialist capability in commercialising renewable energy, energy efficiency or electrification technologies.
• Access to relevant technical, commercial, industry and operational expertise.
• Access to appropriate networks and facilities.
• Commitments from investors, customers, advisers, mentors and industry organisations.
• Previous results from startup support programs.
• Measurable outcomes such as startups supported, alumni capital raised and commercialisation outcomes.
• Ecosystem reach and network strength.
• Quality and depth of Applicant Partners and broader delivery networks.

C – Solution and Program Delivery

ARENA will consider:

• Expected technical, commercial and investment-readiness outcomes for participating startups.
• Capabilities expected to be developed by participating startups.
• Additional impact compared with providing no acceleration or incubation support.
• Evidence that the methodology, processes and services are effective and deliverable.
• Track record and demonstrated results of proposed delivery approaches.
• Quality, rigour and competitiveness of the startup selection process.
• Strength and differentiation of the proposed value proposition.
• Advantages compared with existing programs or alternative support services.
• Rationale for any proposed sub-sector specialisation.
• How that specialisation responds to an identified market need or opportunity.
• The applicant’s longer-term vision, including potential additional programs, capabilities and expansion opportunities.

D – Financials

ARENA will consider:

• Credibility of the proposed budget.
• Evidence supporting the budget.
• Applicant’s current financial position.
• Applicant’s ability to deliver the activities.
• Co-contributions and in-kind support from partners.
• Contributions from investors, customers, universities and research organisations.
• Value for money relative to the proposed outcomes.
• The applicant’s strategy and capability to establish a future funding model that is not solely reliant on ARENA.

Applicants should first determine which Launchpad funding round best matches their organisation and proposed activities.

To put forward a competitive application, applicants should be able to demonstrate:

• Strong alignment with ARENA’s statutory functions, Investment Plan and Strategic Priorities.
• A clear and significant problem, market need or opportunity.
• A credible and innovative solution or support program.
• Evidence of market, customer or industry demand.
• Appropriate technical maturity, including at least TRL 3 where required.
• A capable and appropriately experienced team.
• Access to relevant partners, networks and specialist expertise.
• Clear and achievable activities, milestones and deliverables.
• A credible commercialisation or program delivery pathway.
• A realistic, evidence-based budget.
• Strong value for money.
• A clear understanding of technical, commercial, financial and delivery risks.
• Appropriate strategies to mitigate those risks.
• Evidence of progress, validation, traction or previous impact.
• A credible pathway to further investment, customers, partners or sustainable funding.
• Appropriate supporting evidence for claims made in the application.
• Sufficient financial and organisational capacity to deliver the proposed activities.

For Startup applicants seeking the optional Top Up Grant, the application should also demonstrate a genuine high-impact cost barrier, why alternative funding options are unsuitable or unavailable and why the additional funding would materially accelerate progress.

For Ecosystem applicants, strong Applicant Partner engagement and evidence that the proposed support addresses genuine capability gaps in the Australian startup ecosystem will also be important.

Startup Funding Round

Applicants should prepare:

• Completed online application form.
• Applicant and company details.
• Proposed grant request.
• Responses demonstrating alignment with the merit criteria.
• Pitch deck of no more than 10 slides.
• Details of founders, team and relevant experience.
• Applicant Partner details and contributions.
• Technology or solution summary.
• Intellectual property ownership information.
• Addressable market and target customers.
• Evidence of industry, customer and investor validation.
• Evidence of traction achieved to date.
• Proposed activities and locations.
• Objectives and performance measures.
• Project timetable and key deliverables.
• Budget and sources and uses of funds.
• Details of cash and in-kind contributions.
• High-level commercialisation roadmap.
• Fundraising and go-to-market strategy.
• Business model and, where relevant, unit economics at scale.
• Key project risks and mitigations.
• Short video of no more than two minutes.
• Completed Conflict of Interest declaration.

The two-minute video should explain:

• The problem being solved.
• How the technology or solution is differentiated.
• Why the team is positioned to succeed.
• What ARENA funding would enable the applicant to achieve.

Optional evidence may include a technical primer, evidence supporting the claimed TRL and letters of support from customers, investors and partners. ARENA advises applicants to minimise unnecessary attachments.

Ecosystem Funding Round

Applicants should prepare:

• Completed online application form.
• Written responses to ARENA’s application questions.
• Design and Execution Plan.
• Conflict of Interest declaration.
• Supporting evidence.
• Evidence of the identified market need and capability gaps.
• Clear description of the target startup cohort.
• Applicant and partner capability information.
• Details of the proposed program design and delivery model.
• Startup identification and selection methodology.
• Proposed outcomes and measures of success.
• Program budget and supporting evidence.
• Evidence of value for money.
• Details of partner contributions and commitments.
• Strategy for establishing a funding model that is not solely reliant on ARENA funding.

Applications are submitted through ARENA’s Grants Management System, ARENANet.

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