Grants up to $3 million supporting short-term, industry-led research collaborations in developing products, services or processes that solve industry problems, and boost productivity and competitiveness.
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What is the Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Grants Program
The Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Grants, under Round 17, offer an exciting opportunity for industry-led collaborations to drive innovation through short-term research projects. This grant round focuses on enhancing the competitiveness, productivity, and sustainability of Australian industries through high-quality research.
CRC-P Grants level of support
Grant
- Minimum grant: $100,000
- Maximum grant: $3 million
Co-contribution
- Covers up to 50% of total eligible project expenditure, including cash and allowable in-kind contributions
- Partners in the project must contribute the remaining costs, ensuring co-investment in the impactful research endeavors
CRC-P Grants important dates
- Closing Date: 20 March 2025, 5:00 PM AEDT
- Project Period: Up to 3 years
- Register your interest with GrantHelper
CRC-P Program objectives and outcomes
The main objectives of the CRC-P Grants are to:
- Improve the competitiveness, productivity, and sustainability of Australian industries, especially where Australia has a competitive strength and in line with government priorities.
- Foster high quality research to solve industry-identified problems through industry-led and outcome-focused collaborative research partnerships between industry entities and research organisations.
- Encourage and facilitate small and medium enterprise (SME) participation in collaborative research.
The intended outcomes of the CRC-P Grants include:
- Establishing industry-research sector collaborations.
- SME participation in collaborative research.
- Collaborative research results that are relevant to government priorities.
- Increased research skills in industry and enhanced industry capability in research.
- Improved competitiveness and productivity for industry participating in CRCs and CRC-Ps.
- Industry, research, and other users valuing the program as a support mechanism for innovation and collaboration
Government priorities for CRC-P Grants
National Reconstruction Fund Priority Areas
The Australian Government’s National Reconstruction Fund identifies 7 priority areas focusing on opportunities to add value to primary products and leverage Australia’s natural and competitive strengths. These include:
- value-add in resources
- value-add in agriculture, forestry and fisheries
- transport
- medical science
- renewables and low emission technologies
- defence capability
- enabling capabilities
Further details are available www.industry.gov.au.
Projects eligible for CRC-P Grants support
To be eligible your project must:
- have at least $200,000 in total eligible project value
- be a short term, industry-identified and industry-led collaborative research project to develop a product, service or process that will solve problems for industry and deliver tangible outcomes
- benefit SMEs and increase their capacity to grow and adapt in changing markets
- include eligible activities (listed below).
See the guidelines for full details of eligible projects.
Activities eligible for CRC-P Grants support
Eligible activities must include at least one of the following:
- new research
- proof of concept activities
- pre-commercialisation of research outcomes
- industry-focused education and training activities, such as internships and secondments between industry entities and research organisations
- conferences, workshops, symposia related to the joint research
- information sharing and communication initiatives related to the joint research
See the guidelines for full details of eligible activities.
Costs eligible for CRC-P Grants support
To be eligible, expenditure must:
- be incurred by you or your partners within the project period
- be a direct cost of the project
- be incurred by you to undertake required project audit activities
- meet the eligible expenditure guidelines.
Eligible costs include:
- salaries and on-costs for personnel directly employed for the project activities (calculated on a pro-rata basis)
- contractor costs
- capital items purchased for the project
- costs of acquiring, licensing or registering intellectual property and technology
- student fellowships, stipends and scholarships
- education and training activities
- engagement with SMEs to build their R&D capacity
- costs related to the publication of research and the deployment and take-up of research outputs
- costs related to recruiting or contracting specialist staff
- purchase of computing equipment and software
- reasonable fitout expenditure
- building modifications where you own the modified asset and the modification is required for the project, for example installing a clean room. Modifications to leased buildings may be eligible. You must use the leased building for activities related to your manufacturing process
- costs you incur in order to obtain planning, environmental or other regulatory approvals during the project period. However, associated fees paid to the Commonwealth, state, territory and local governments are not eligible
- travel and overseas expenditure as outlined below
- financial auditing of project expenditure as outlined below
- contingency costs up to a maximum of 10% of the eligible project costs. Note we make payments based on actual costs incurred
- costs associated with the development of new patents.
- clinical trials of medical product, process or service innovations that are new to Australia or the world, rather than only new to the business and represent minor incremental improvements.
The Program Delegate may determine other expenditure items eligible.
Ineligible costs include:
- research not directly supporting eligible activities
- activities, equipment or supplies already being supported through other sources
- costs incurred prior to us notifying you your application is successful
- audit costs greater than 1 per cent of total eligible project expenditure
- financing costs, including interest
- capital expenditure for the purchase of assets such as office furniture and equipment, motor vehicles, computers, printers or photocopiers and the construction, renovation or extension of facilities such as buildings and laboratories (unless directly related to the project)
- costs involved in the purchase or upgrade/hire of software (including user licences) and ICT hardware (unless directly related to the project)
- costs such as rental, renovations and utilities (unless directly related to the project)
- non-project-related staff training and development costs
- insurance costs (the partners must effect and maintain adequate insurance or similar coverage for any liability arising as a result of its participation in funded activities)
- costs related to recruiting or contracting non-specialist staff
- depreciation of plant and equipment beyond the life of the project
- maintenance costs
- costs of purchasing, leasing, depreciation of, or development of land
- routine operational expenses, including communications, accommodation, office computing facilities, printing and stationery, postage, legal and accounting fees and bank charges
- costs related to preparing the grant application, preparing any project reports (except costs of independent audit reports we require) and preparing any project variation requests
- travel expenditure exceeding 10 per cent of total eligible project expenditure except where otherwise approved by the Program Delegate
- overseas expenditure exceeding 10 per cent of total eligible project expenditure except where otherwise approved by the Program Delegate.
See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible costs.
CRC-P important details that you will need to know
Organisations eligible for CRC-P Grants support
To be eligible as a lead applicant you must:
- be an SME
- have an Australian business number (ABN)
- be incorporated in Australia and a trading corporation.
Your trading activities must be either:
- enough to be called a trading corporation
- a major, not minor, part of your overall activity.
Project partners must include:
- 2 Australian industry organisations
- 1 Australian research organisation.
You’re not eligible to apply as the lead applicant if you’re:
- not an SME
- an individual, sole trader, partnership, unincorporated association or trust
- a research organisation or an entity whose primary purpose is to undertake research
- a Commonwealth, state, territory or local government agency or body (including government business enterprises)
- an entity where most of your funding is from government sources, for example grant programs
- an administrative or support service to a CRC-P.
CRC-P Grants assessment criteria
1. Project alignment with the program objectives (25 points)
- how your project will address an industry-identified problem, improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries and the extent of alignment with government priorities (refer to Appendix A), with a focus on addressing one or more of the critical research areas identified in the National Science and Research Priorities (10 points)
- how your project will foster high quality research through industry-led and outcome-focused collaborative industry-research partnerships (8 points)
- how your project will encourage and facilitate SME participation (7 points).
2. The quality of your project (25 points)
- the research you will do and the methodologies you will use, including describing the role of your partners in the project (10 points)
- how your research will address the identified problem, build on the current body of knowledge and enhance the adoption of new technologies (8 points)
- the education and training opportunities your project will provide to build capability and capacity in the industry and research sectors (7 points).
3. Capacity, capability and resources to deliver your project (25 points)
- how you will manage and monitor your project, explaining the governance and planning arrangements, including security (8 points)
- how you will manage risks, including but not limited to security (in particular any associated national security issues), involvement of international partners and intellectual property protection (7 points)
- your access to required resources including personnel with the right skills and experience, funding, security, infrastructure, technology and intellectual property (10 points).
4. Impact of the grant funding on your project (25 points)
- how the grant will impact the project in terms of scale and timing. This should include justification for the funding amount requested and whether the project could proceed without Australian Government funding (6 points)
- the total investment the grant will leverage and why the Australian Government should invest in your project, including how grant benefits will be substantially retained in Australia (6 points)
- how your project will have a positive impact for communities and businesses in regional and remote Australia (4 points)
- the commercial potential of your project, including the expected commercial outputs such as new products, processes or services, any expected spill over benefits and plans at the end of the project (9 points).
See the guidelines for full details of assessment criteria.
How do I get CRC-P Grants?
You should read and understand the guidelines.
You need to ensure your organisation is eligible for the funding. Organisations that do not meet all of the eligibility criteria outlined above will not be considered.
Successful applicants will demonstrate:
-
- an industry-led project that solves an industry problem, boosts productivity and competitiveness and has commercialisation potential
- collaborative research and knowledge sharing that engages SMEs in research and is mutually beneficial to industry and research
- an optimal mix of partners whose contribution reflects a strong commitment to the project
- the financial capacity and necessary expertise to support successful completion of the project within the agreed timeline
Information to prepare for the CRC-P Grants application
You must provide the following documents and information with your application:
- a partner declaration from each project partner
- trust deed (where applicable)
- latest financial year figures
- project description, outcomes and milestones/activities
- project budget
See the guidelines and sample application form for full details of information requirements.
Applying for CRC-P Grants
Applications are submitted via business.gov.au.
Register your interest with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this grant and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.
CRC-P Grants resources
For a full list of successful applications please see the CRC Projects selection round outcomes page.
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