Guidelines

Program overview

The Quantum and Advanced Technologies Commercialisation Infrastructure Program (QCIP) seeks to co-invest with universities, research facilities and industry to establish shared infrastructure to support the development and commercial scale-up of prototype devices and components derived from Queensland’s quantum and advanced technologies capabilities.

The primary objective of the program is to support Queensland quantum and advanced technologies startups and industry to move their invention beyond the prototype stage without having to go to offshore facilities, to keep value-adding and manufacturing opportunities in Queensland.

The outcomes of the program are to:

• Outcome 1: Increase the pipeline of quantum and advanced technologies devices and components ready to move into scaled-up manufacturing or direct sales to end users
• Outcome 2: Establish Queensland as an attractive destination for the development of quantum and advanced technologies businesses and products
• Outcome 3: Increase leverage of Australian Government and other sources of funding.

For the purposes of this program, commercialisation infrastructure in Queensland is defined as:

• Assets, facilities and services located and delivered in Queensland to support uplift of quantum and advanced technologies to technology readiness levels (TRLs) beyond those achievable with existing shared infrastructure at universities, National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) facilities, and private sector providers. The commercialisation infrastructure is accessible to publicly and privately funded users in Queensland, across Australia, and internationally.

Available funding

Funding is available to support infrastructure, plant and equipment, and staffing costs for projects with a duration of up to three years.

Available grants range from $500,000 (minimum) to $10,000,000 (maximum), excluding GST.

Applications for the maximum funding level will need to demonstrate significant ecosystem benefits, co-investment, and establishment of consortia for project delivery.

Note: If you are successful, the proposed project must commence within six months of being advised of funding approval.

Applicant eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this program, the applicant (or lead applicant in the case of a consortium) must, at the time of application:

• be registered for GST and have an Australian Business Number
• be an organisation that conducts or will conduct research commercialisation in Queensland including, but not limited to:
  • universities
  • research agencies
  • facilities established under the NCRIS
  • limited companies.

Note: Applicant organisations cannot submit more than one application for the same project.

Priority investment areas

The Queensland Government invites applications aligned with the Queensland Quantum and Advanced Technologies Strategy. Projects should augment Queensland’s commercialisation capability in at least one (and preferably more than one) of the following priority areas:

• Quantum systems, devices, components and materials
• Quantum and advanced technologies supply chain
• Photonics, including integrated photonics capabilities
• Compound semiconductor devices and components
• Technologies based on superconductors
• Technologies based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
• Integration of the above into prototypes and systems
• Characterisation and testing of the above for commercialisation purposes.

Eligible project costs

QCIP funding must be used for project specific activities and fall within the following eligible cost categories:

• salaries costs for technical staff employed by the applicant for the purposes of the proposed project including for translation activities that provide economic, social and environmental benefits to Queensland
• purchase, leasing, design, construction and installation costs of instrumentation or plant equipment that will be located in Queensland for the purposes of the proposed project
• costs to obtain non-instrument-based capability such as fee-for-service researchers and/or technical staff for the purposes of the proposed project.

Only eligible expenditure incurred on or after the project commencement date (specified in the executed Grant Agreement) can be claimed by the successful applicant organisation.

It is expected that all QCIP grant funding will be expended in Queensland. By exception, the department will consider expenditure outside Queensland if it is essential to ensure successful delivery of the project, and clear benefits will accrue to Queensland.

Payment of grants will be made based on agreed periodic project milestones. A final milestone payment will be made upon the provision of documentary evidence that all project requirements have been satisfied, including evidence that total project expenditure has been incurred and project contributions have been made by all relevant parties, and may include the requirement of an audited financial report. Conditions of the final milestone payment may be negotiated in cases where a delay could cause cashflow difficulties.

Costs not eligible to be paid from QCIP funding include:

• supporting project administrative activities that are not directly applicable to the operation of the proposed QCIP project. Specifically, these activities include costs such as enterprise information technology, human resources, accounting, legal overheads, depreciation or other routine expenses for universities or publicly funded research agencies. More specifically, any general ‘administrative charge’ (however calculated) not supported by evidence of services being provided, or the like is excluded
• indirect costs of researchers using research infrastructure, namely researcher travel and accommodation expenses
• specific, identifiable costs already supported by the Queensland and/or Australian Governments
• payments to third parties for research and development
• provision of free access to the infrastructure.

Applications and GST

Applicants registered for GST will not be provided with funding to account for costs directly associated with GST and are required to provide the GST exclusive amount in their budget. Recipients registered for GST can claim the GST component for any expenditure that they incur back from the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

For advice on GST, please seek assistance from the ATO. Contact qldquantum@qld.gov.au for further information.

Collaborations

Applications that involve collaborations among eligible research organisations, including CSIRO and/or with industry are strongly encouraged.

State and local government agencies may collaborate in support of applications.

Two or more eligible organisations may collaborate on a single QCIP project. The lead applicant organisation will manage the project budget and reporting requirements for the duration of the funding agreement activities.

A letter of commitment will be required from the accountable officer of each collaborating organisation providing details of the organisation’s involvement in the project.

Cash contribution

Applications that include cash contributions from applicants and partners are strongly encouraged.

‘Cash contribution’ is defined as the sum of:

• cash funding directly contributed to the project by the applicant organisation and/or the partner organisation(s)
• “salaries as cash”. This includes the standard remuneration and on-costs of research/technical staff. The non-project time of these staff cannot be claimed.

Assessment criteria

Assessment criterion 1: Uplift in commercialisation capability in quantum and advanced technologies

The application must demonstrate:

• alignment with one or more of the priority investment areas in this Guide
• the proposed impact of the project on Queensland’s commercialisation capability relative to existing Queensland facilities and interstate facilities that Queensland users have access to
• evidence of the potential of the facility to increase demand from interstate and overseas users, and therefore increase investment in Queensland.

Assessment criterion 2: Proponent capability

The application must demonstrate:

• technical, professional, research, project management, industry engagement and communications skills to undertake and complete the proposed project
• the track record of the applicant organisation and/or project team’s relevant experience in establishing or operating similar facilities and mechanisms to support successful science translation for economic and broader societal benefit(s)
• opportunities and support for under-represented groups, and those with carer responsibilities to participate in the quantum and advanced technologies ecosystem
• a sound approach to the identification and management of risks across project establishment, skills, and facility utilisation.

Assessment criterion 3: Engagement and utilisation

The application must demonstrate:

• anticipated utilisation of the new capability by industry, startups and research organisations, including the basis for any projections
• an effective strategy for fostering active engagement of the new capability with potential users across the Queensland ecosystem
• a fair and economical access regime (consistent with NCRIS facilities), that does not take or demand any beneficial interest in projects carried out using QCIP-funded staff members or equipment (excluding cases where there is a pre-existing interest)
• readiness to fast-track access arrangements with entities that facilitate the growth of quantum and advanced technologies startups in Queensland.

Assessment criterion 4: Value for money and financial sustainability

The application must demonstrate:

• the forecast economic impact of the project, including the contribution to job creation (FTE)
• the cash and in-kind contributions of the applicant and any partners
• the proportion of the total project funding that will be spent in Queensland, noting the default expectation that Queensland Government investment is spent in Queensland unless a clear economic case is made that flexibility is essential to delivering outcomes for Queensland
• a comprehensive and realistic project budget for the entire funding period that separates eligible and ineligible expenses
• a financial model that ensures the facilities/infrastructure can be sustained into the future without the need for ongoing Queensland Government support.
• the extent to which Queensland involvement in the project may be expected to attract future investment
• how the project will leverage the equipment and expertise of other facilities to gain greater capabilities and efficiency gains for the proposed project.

Selection and assessment process

The department will undertake probity, due diligence and eligibility checks and may seek further information from applicants during the assessment period. Eligible applications will be assessed in a competitive, merit-based process against the program’s assessment criteria by an expert panel comprised of members with scientific, research and industry backgrounds, including state government representatives. The department will coordinate the assessment of QCIP applications by the expert panel.

The expert panel will assess and rank applications according to the QCIP’s selection criteria and provide advice to the department on any technical matters for its consideration.

Applicant organisations may be contacted during the assessment process to clarify information provided in the application and/or to request additional information to enable the appropriate consideration of the application.

Applicants should be aware that the department will adopt a portfolio approach to decision-making. This means assessment process may take into account the need to support a diversity of capability across technologies, technical disciplines and geographical regions alongside the ranked assessment of projects.

The department may also seek to bring together applicants proposing similar or complemetary capabilities to explore opportunities to increase value to Queensland through collaboration.

The department will make a recommendation to the Director-General on the successful applicant organisations and the level of funding, taking into account the advice of the expert panel, available budget and program purpose. The Director-General will decide successful applications.

For successful applicants, the department will provide administrative services by:

• entering into a Grant Agreement with successful applicant organisations
• making milestone-based grant payments
• monitoring grant recipients’ use of funds.

Grant recipients will be required to provide the department information on how the project is meeting the required deliverables and how the funding is utilised (further details of this are explained below and will be outlined in the QCIP Grant Agreement).

All applicant organisations will be informed of the outcome of the decision on their applications, whether they are or are not successful. Applicants can appeal decisions relating to their application.

Submitting an application

Applications for QCIP close on Monday 29 July 2024. The application consists of:

• A completed online application form through SmartyGrants.
• Support documentation from partner organisation(s), clearly outlining:
  • its commitment to and reasons for supporting the project
  • the likely benefits to be gained by participating in the project
  • the annual cash and in-kind contributions they will make to the project.

The applicant organisation must read any Grant Agreement template made available on the department's ‘Science funding and grants’ website for QCIP and be satisfied it can comply with its terms and conditions. The terms and conditions of the Agreement are non-negotiable.

Conditions of the funding Agreement will include that recipients undertake:

• case studies of downstream impact arising from use of the new capability
• a yearly questionnaire that is sent to all users on usage of the new capability and outcomes achieved as a result of their usage of the capability (jobs created, money saved, products/services/methods developed, venture investment milestones reached).

Applicant organisations should clearly identify in their application (including attachments) any information that the applicant organisation requests be treated as confidential.

Successful applicant organisations will receive a letter requiring the applicant organisation to sign and return a Grant Agreement which will be countersigned by the department and a copy returned to the applicant organisation for their records. The Project (which is based on the application for QCIP funding) will be approved by the department in the execution of the Grant Agreement.

Key dates

The timetable for the selection process is as follows:

• 29 July 2024: Applications closed.
• End of September 2024: Applicant organisations anticipated to be informed of the outcome.

Funding agreement

The Queensland Government QCIP payments will be released to the applicant organisation to administer the grant funding. QCIP funding will take the form of milestone-based cash contributions as detailed in a Grant Agreement between the applicant organisation and the department on behalf of the State of Queensland. The grant monies must only be used on eligible activities (as defined in the Grant Agreement and these Guidelines).

The department must be advised in writing within 30 days of any changes that are likely to impact on the project, including changes that may impact on eligibility, research milestones, project funding or reporting.

It is required that funded facilities will be able to regularly provide detailed reporting on Queensland usage, as this is fundamental to understanding the impact of the proposed investment.

The applicant organisation must provide a financial statement to the department annually containing details of:

• Queensland Government funding received and expended
• their cash contributions to the project
• the cash contributions of all partners towards the project.

If the applicant organisation allocates funding to collaborating organisations, the applicant organisation must request that the collaborating organisation also provide an income and expenditure statement relating to the Queensland Government funding which has been allocated to them. This must be included in the annual financial reporting.

Promotion of supported projects

Applicant organisations should actively promote the funded project; provide broad project information if required; and attend media/promotion events if requested. The applicant organisation must acknowledge Queensland Government funding in all relevant published material, media releases and public statements.

Privacy

The Queensland Government collects and collates information from the application form for the purpose of assessment as well as program monitoring and evaluation. Only authorised departmental officers 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.

Further information

Contact: QCIP Coordinator
Email: qldquantum@qld.gov.au