Government investment in innovative technologies, in partnership with industry and academia, for future-focussed solutions to build Defence capabilities in a rapidly changing global security environment.
Current status of program
CLOSED
To register your interest in future rounds or discuss alternative grant opportunities please contact us here.
On this page you will find
What is the Defence Innovation Hub?
The Defence Innovation Hub is an initiative of the Australian Government’s Department of Defence established as a 10–year innovation program to help Defence and Australian and New Zealand companies and businesses, and academic and research organisations to evaluate their innovative technologies for a Defence application.
The Defence Innovation Hub invests in business led innovative technologies that will enhance Defence capability and grow the Australian defence industry capability. It supports a broad range of technologies at different phases of maturity – from early concept stage through to demonstration, prototyping and integration.
How does the Defence Innovation Hub operate?
The Defence Innovation Hub will, where a technology is identified as having an appropriate Defence application, work with the organisation and provide a level of funding for the technology to be matured in a collaborative way for defence applications.
Australian and New Zealand business, academic and research organisations are eligible and can submit proposals for evaluation that align with Key Focus Areas at the time or Innovation Priorities being considered all year round.
Key Focus Areas are two-fold:
High priority funding – open for a fixed submission period and aligned with Defence’s key focus areas, which for FY 22-23 are:
- integrated air and missile defence (IAMD)
- undersea warfare (USW)
- guided weapons explosive ordnance (GWEO)
Innovation priorities – Open all year-round for submissions that are outside the Key Focus Areas but align with Defence’s operational domains of:
- Information and Cyber
- Maritime
- Air
- Space
- Land
- Defence Enterprise
Defence also welcomes year-round submissions for proposals that do not align with the above areas but offer opportunities to explore unexpected or unforeseen technologies and ideas initiating from industry.
DIH level of support
- The DIH program has over $1 billion funding through to 2030
- Up to $10 million total funding per key focus area over three years
- Support from a dedicated Project Manager of the DIH to support contract delivery
- Applicant retention of IP to facilitate further commercialisation opportunities
DIH important dates
- This program is currently closed
- Register your interest with GrantHelper
DIH important details that you will need to know
DIH objectives and current focus areas
The Defence Innovation Hub will invest in innovative technologies that can enhance Defence capability and grow the Australian defence industry and innovation sector capability.
What are the current Key Focus Areas and Innovation Priority Areas for the Defence Innovation Hub?
Key Focus Areas
IAMD
Innovative technologies that will increase IAMD capability effects, survivability and resilience. Technologies are expected to be capable of providing a high level of efficacy to contribute to a resilient IAMD capability able to keep pace with the air and missile threat set.
Specifically, the Hub is seeking:
- novel sensing solutions that contribute to awareness of air and missile threats, particularly advanced and high-speed threats
- innovative technology solutions that enhance human decision making for the air and missile defence mission
- innovative non-kinetic and passive defence technologies that disrupt, degrade or defeat adversary targeting and engagement or enhance own force survivability and resilience
USW
Innovative technologies that provide both deployed sensor and denial systems for Navy. Technologies are expected to be capable of providing a high level of efficacy to respond to the evolving maritime threats, within the constraints of size, weight, power and cooling considerations for maritime based assets.
Specifically, the Hub is seeking:
- deployed sensor technologies that enhance undersea surveillance
- denial systems for naval platforms that allows timely response to threats
See the scopes for IAMD and USW for full information on each. The GWEO scope will be provided in due course.
Innovation Priority Areas – Operational domains
| Information and Cyber | Technologies in secure and resilient information systems, offensive and defensive electronic warfare capabilities and technologies that enhance joint command and control capabilities. |
| Maritime | Technologies that could increase survivability and effectiveness of all maritime platforms, including signature management, autonomous and remotely piloted platforms, advanced environmental sensing systems and processes for crewing, and human-machine integration. |
| Air | Technologies that could enhance situational awareness capabilities, including air defence and airborne weapons systems, electronic warfare, early warning and control capabilities, and technologies that can sense and better understand operating environments. |
| Space | Technologies in space domain awareness, management and access to space capabilities. |
| Land | Technologies that enhance human performance, amphibious warfare capabilities, robotics and autonomous systems, and future special operations capabilities. |
| Defence Enterprise | Technologies to support the resilience and effective management of critical infrastructure, information and communications technology, logistics, science and technology and health services to ensure longer-term operations and operational ability during times where supply chains may be strained. |
See the Hub website for full details for each domain.
The Defence Innovation Hub will not progress submissions where the proposed innovation:
- is covered by existing procurement or research activities Defence is undertaking
- has been developed by or with the assistance of an individual during the course of their employment with the Commonwealth of Australia
- has been developed under a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia (unless the contract specifically allows this)
Organisations eligible for DIH support
The Defence Innovation Hub accepts submissions from business, academic and research organisations registered in Australia or New Zealand with an ABN or NZBN.
Projects eligible for DIH support
Defence is seeking proposals that:
- meet the identified innovation Key Focus Areas for FY 22-23
- align with one of the innovation priority operational domains
- do not align with any of the operational domains but nonetheless offer Defence opportunities to explore unexpected or unforeseen technologies and ideas.
Activities eligible for DIH support
Specific types of technologies sought for IAMD and USW proposals include:
IAMD
Sensor Technologies
-
- Novel sensing
- Networked sensing
- Elevated sensing
- Sensor fusion
- Low latency, resilient communications
- Predictive algorithms and associated technologies
- Discrimination and characterisation algorithms and associated technologies
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Non-Kinetic and Passive Defence Measures
-
- ISR countermeasures that disrupt, degrade or deny detection and/or tracking of friendly forces
- Satellite navigation and position, navigation and timing countermeasures that disrupt, degrade or deny communication and/or guidance systems
- Countermeasures that defeat, seduce or decoy direct attack weapons during the terminal phase
- Camouflage, Concealment and Deception
- Automated and autonomous mobility technologies
Decider Technologies
-
- Decider Fusion / Multi-Sensor Integration / Track management
- Automation & Decision Support
- Open Systems
- Multi-level Security
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Counter Un-crewed Aerial Systems (UAS)
- Counter adversary swarming capability / systems
- Trusted Systems and Information Assurance
- Decider Collaboration
- Force Level Threat Evaluation and Weapon Assignment
- Near Real Time Cross Domain Solutions
- Modelling Simulation and Experimentation
USW
Deployable Sensors
- Low-cost, semi-persistent and easily deployable undersea sensor systems with a focus on passive or active acoustic sensors
- Fibre optic sensor technologies
- Acoustic and non-acoustic sensor technologies
- Deployable decoys
- Simulating submarine platforms, active sensors or undersea weapons
- Littoral positioning modules
- Passive and active sonar processing systems
Automated Denial Sensor Systems
- remote sensor management
- machine learning / artificial intelligence
- sensor power, management, and communication technology
- deciders fusion / multi-sensor integration / track management
- time dominance at tactical edge
- trusted systems and information assurance
- decider collaboration
- near real time processing
- sensor networks and communications paths
See the scopes for IAMD and USW for full information on each.
Expenditure eligible for DIH support
The following expenses are eligible:
-
- direct research and development costs
- salaries for nominated personnel for the period of the project
- costs of materials and technology necessary to complete the project
- direct overheads such as employee administration and equipment (i.e. computers and stationery)
- salary on-costs such as superannuation, leave loading and payroll tax
The following expenses are ineligible:
-
- profit margin
- contingencies or reserves
- indirect overheads not attributable to the development of the funded technology, such as equipment depreciation, utilities and corporate headquarter costs.
DIH assessment criteria
Each submission that passes initial screening will be evaluated against the following criteria, not in any order of importance:
| Ref | Criteria |
| 1 | Suitability – articulates and explains the proposed innovation represents a new or enhanced capability – improves Defence’s effectiveness |
| 2 | Feasibility – demonstrates technical readiness demonstrates ability to be developed/adapted into current systems |
| 3 | Timeliness – aligns with Defence’s capability requirement timelines |
| 4 | Contribution to Australia’s Defence industry capability – improves Defence capability and capacity – creates and retains jobs in Australia |
| 5 | Organisational capability and capacity (RFP stage only) – demonstrates project management capability and experience – demonstrates financial viability of the organisation |
How do I get DIH?
Applicants should read and understand the information guide and read the Hints and Tips for good CFS submissions and good RFP submissions.
You must read the relevant scope (when available) prior to making a Key Focus Area submission.
Your proposal needs to clearly articulate your technology, its benefits to Defence and alignment with its capability needs, the maturity of your innovation and the work you will be conducting to develop it. You also need to explain what you need from Defence to deliver your innovation. For example, are you going to need a submarine, a lab or testing range? This will depend on the investment phase and the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) that you are aiming for.
As part of your submission, you will be asked to nominate an investment phase. To increase your chances of success, choose one phase rather than multiple phases.
The table below describes each phase and the amount of investment, timeline and TRL recommended for each:
| Investment phase | Actual value range | Indicative timeline | TRL |
| 1. Concept exploration Explore your proposed innovation and demonstrate how it will be matured. |
$50k-$1.7m Average: $340k | Contract delivery 2-12 months | 1-3 |
| 2. Technology demonstration Demonstrate the concept, which may include analytical or laboratory studies and testing. |
$100K-$5.4m Average: $1.8m | Contract delivery 1-3 years | 3-4 |
| 3. Prototype system Develop a prototype in a system context with an increased focus on systems engineering principles. |
$300k-$7.9m Average: $3.1m | Contract delivery 1-3 years | 5-6 |
| 4. Integrated Capability Development Demonstrate the prototype in an integrated and relevant capability environment (e.g. in an aircraft, ship, network etc.). |
$700k-$8.7m Average: $3.7m | Contract delivery 1-4 years | 6-8 |
Information to prepare for the DIH application
You will need to develop your proposal pitch by clearly describing:
-
- the proposed technology/innovation
- the benefits to Defence
- the stage of development
- what is needed from Defence
Applying for DIH
All proposals are evaluated under a two-stage process:
-
- Call for Submission (CFS) – a high level overview of your technology
- Request for Proposal (RFP) – a more detailed proposal outlining specific activities and outcomes, benefits and risks
Submissions are made through the Defence Innovation Hub portal by responding to the Priority Innovation Notice (PIN), Call for Submission.
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DIH resources
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