Accelerate Adoption of Wood Processing Innovation Program 

The objectives of the program are to:

• fund privately owned wood processing facilities (for example, timber, pulp or wood fibre) to increase and/or diversify production capabilities or capacity. For example, the ability to process smaller logs or install new technology to create new products
• allow greater use of Australia’s sustainably managed timber
• support the forestry and wood processing industries to continue to reduce their carbon footprint

The intended outcomes of the program are:

• the adoption of smarter, more efficient practices in wood processing
• increased onshore processing capabilities
• retention or creation of regional jobs and support for regional communities

To be eligible you must be one of the following entity types:

• Indigenous Corporation
• Company
• Cooperative
• Incorporated Association

If you are applying as part of a consortia, you must have a lead applicant who is solely accountable to the Commonwealth for the delivery of grant activities and is an eligible entity as per the list above. Eligible organisations can form a consortia with ineligible organisations.

If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust, the Trustee must have an eligible entity type as listed above.

You are ineligible to apply if you are a/an:

• organisation or individual, or your project partner is an organisation or individual, currently under investigation for prohibited acts under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 or any similar state or territory legislation
• organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’
• organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the Workplace Gender Equality Agency website non-compliant list
• Corporate Commonwealth Entity
• Corporate State or Territory Entity
• International Entity
• Local Government
• Partnership
• Person
• Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity
• Non-corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority
• Non-corporate State/Territory Entity
• Non-corporate State/Territory Statutory Authority
• Sole Trader
• Statutory Entity
• Unincorporated Association
• already receiving full funding for your project activities – whether it be by insurance, state government grants or other sources

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible applicants.

To be eligible, your project must:

• increase or diversify your production capabilities. This may include increasing capacity of existing production lines or expand an existing production range, which you intend to sell solely or mainly to interstate and/or international markets or enhance your capacity to improve carbon efficiency
• have eligible activities which directly relate to the project and can include:
  • upgrades or adaptation of existing plant and equipment
  • development of new manufacturing processes
  • investments in new technology, including to diversify product lines

See the guidelines for full details of eligible projects and activities.

Eligible expenditure items include minor capital and other costs (for example, upgrades in technology) related to the delivery of the activity.

You must incur the expenditure on agreed project activities and between the start date and end date of your grant agreement for it to be eligible.

You cannot use the grant for:

• purchase of land
• wages
• major capital expenditure associated with the project. For example, but not limited to:
  • major improvements to electrical infrastructure
  • construction of new buildings or major improvements to current building infrastructure
  • construction of roads to or from the project site
• the covering of retrospective costs
• costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation
• subsidy of general ongoing administration of an organisation such as electricity, phone and rent
• overseas travel
• activities for which other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government bodies have primary responsibility

Co-contributions are expected to cover the ineligible grant costs listed above.

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible expenditure.

All of the following documents must be attached to your application for it to be considered compliant and for it to proceed to assessment:

• completed templates for the following:
  • an indicative budget
  • a project management plan
  • a risk management plan
• evidence to support you meeting the requirements set out in Assessment Criterion 3 (see below)

See the guidelines for full details of information requirements.

Applications are submitted using the online application form on the GrantConnect website

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