Guidelines

About the program

The Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland Innovation for a Future Economy Roadmap 2022–2032 is focused on the next phase of Queensland’s innovation journey and the goal to become a leading and sustainable world-class innovation economy.

We are supporting this goal through its Science into Industry Initiative, which aims to make Queensland’s science sector more competitive.

The Investment Assistance Program (IAP) aims to:

  • raise the quantity, quality and success rate of Queensland university and research institute applications to eligible Australian Government funding programs for significant projects over $10 million with a strong industry engagement component
  • increase Queensland’s share of Australian Government grant funding and strengthen the translation of its world-class research and development activities.

Benefits

The program will assist Queensland-based universities and research institutes to:

  • create competitive and high-quality applications that achieve higher success rates
  • retain independent experience in developing successful applications
  • connect unsuccessful applicants to other opportunities.

The objectives of the program are to:

  • upskill and lift application quality to eligible Australian Government funding programs
  • raise and maintain consistency in application quality within and between research organisations
  • deliver tangible benefits and practical outcomes for Queensland by supporting research and development.

Available funding

  • Funding is available for approved eligible applicants across two categories:
    • Tier One: Where an eligible Australian Government funding program has a single assessment round, up to $50,000 (GST excl) is available per eligible project.
    • Tier Two: Where an eligible Australian Government funding program has two assessment rounds/Expression of Interest (EOI) stages (e.g. Cooperative Research Centres), up to $100,000 (GST excl) ($50,000 + $50,000) is available per eligible project.
      An initial payment of $50,000 (GST excl) is available to approved applicants.
      A second payment of $50,000 (GST excl) is available to approved applicants that successfully pass the first of a two-stage assessment/EOI process.
  • IAP is currently closed to allow for a program review. No applications will be accepted during this period, and the online application system will not be accessible at this time.
  • Following the review IAP will re-open to applications until funding is exhausted.
  • Updates on funding availability will be published on the department's website.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for this program the applicant must:

  • be a Queensland-based university or research institute
  • have an ABN and be GST-registered
  • have a project proposal with a total value of at least $10 million, with a minimum 25% funding commitment to be obtained from industry
  • be in the process of applying to an eligible Australian Government funding program, which is due for submission within 12 months from the date the applicant submits an IAP application.

Prospective applicants should review the current list of eligible Australian Government funding programs.

Eligible Australian Government target funding programs

Applications to the IAP must relate to developing an application for one of the following eligible Australian Government funding programs:

The Program will not accept applications relating to Australian Government funding programs focussed on individuals or fellowships, infrastructure, programs relating specifically to funding of clinical trials, defence-specific programs or industry or company-led applications.

Applicants may contact the department to obtain advice on other, or newly announced, eligible target Australian Government funding programs via science.grants@des.qld.gov.au.

Funding conditions

  • Successful applicants will be required to enter into a legally binding Grant Agreement with the State of Queensland through the department. Payments will be subject to milestone deliverables set out in the Grant Agreement.
  • Eligible costs include:
    • salary costs toward an industry Chair and/or industry CEO for proposed Centres of Excellence or Cooperative Research Centres (CRC)—up to 50%
    • salary costs toward an industry Chair Research Hub for Industrial Transformation Research Hubs (ITRH)—up to 50%
    • salary costs toward an industry Chair Training Centre for Industrial Transformation Training Centres (ITTC)—up to 50%
    • related travel
    • partner facilitation activities.
  • Ineligible costs include:
    • professional grant writers
    • organisational overheads
    • capital works and/or physical infrastructure, including any buildings
    • plant and equipment
    • telecommunications, IT networks, land acquisition costs or leases.
  • The IAP funding must be expended wholly in Queensland unless it can be demonstrated that expenditure outside of Queensland is essential to ensure successful delivery of the project.
  • At the end of the funding period, any unspent awarded funds are to be returned to the department.
  • Should the applicant fail to submit the relevant application to the eligible target Australian Government program in accordance with their requirements, the entirety of the grant funding is to be returned to the department. Prospective applicants should consider the likelihood of submission prior to applying to the program.

Application evaluation

Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of eligibility and against the investment principles below, including the extent to which the application demonstrates that the project:

  • will strengthen Queensland research, innovation and commercialisation/translation activities, including the development of potential products and services
  • is feasible/makes sense
  • is not duplicated/is novel
  • is aligned with eligible Australian Government programs and eligible for those programs
  • involves meaningful outcomes-focused collaboration between industry partners/collaborators, including aiming to solve industry identified problems and encouraging industry take up of research
  • has a strong likelihood of securing 25% industry funding
  • has a total proposal value of over $10 million
  • demonstrates value for money
  • has an identified industry CEO/Chair (aligning with the specific Australian Government program structure).

How to apply

Applications can be submitted online any time using the SmartyGrants portal.

Applicants must first review the list of eligible Australian Government programs and ensure their proposed application will meet eligibility requirements prior to submitting the application. The applicant organisation must certify that they have reviewed Australian Government program eligibility and agree that these criteria will be met in the final Australian Government application.

The department will endeavour to process applications within eight weeks, noting this is subject to obtaining relevant approvals.

Privacy

The Queensland Government and the department collects and collates information from the application form for the purpose of assessment as well as for program monitoring and evaluation. Only authorised officers from the department, the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport, and approved grant assessors and evaluators will have access to this information under the Financial Accountability Act 2009.

Applicants should note that broad details of successful proposals, agreed outcomes, progress and the level of funding awarded may be published by the Queensland Government.

Some information may be used to promote funded projects.

The applicant organisation information will not be disclosed to any other third party without their consent, unless required by law or for the purposes of the Information Privacy Act 2009.

For audit purposes, the Queensland Government is required to retain the applications and other supplied support material. Applicants wishing to access this information should contact the department in the first instance.

The provisions of the Right to Information Act \ 2009 apply to documents in the possession of the Queensland Government.

If you wish to obtain access to your personal information, please contact the department at science.grants@des.qld.gov.au.