Do you have a new idea or approach to boost the defence capability of Australia?
The Capability and Technology Demonstrator Program improves Australia’s Defence capabilities by giving Australian and New Zealand industry opportunities to demonstrate new ideas and approaches related to using technology.
Lodgement date for the Initial Proposals will be 22 June 2015
All CTD Round 20 initial applications will be responded to within a week of closing by email. If you don’t receive a response within a week, please contact the CTD Program Office immediately.
Propose your project
Our Proposing a CTD Project page contains proposal guidelines and selection criteria, as well as a template for initial proposals, a draft contract and information about intellectual property and confidentiality.
For an overview of the program, see About the CTD Program, or go direct to our CTD brochure or Frequently Asked Questions.
Priority areas
For further information about priority areas for Defence, see the 2012 Public Defence Capability Plan , or visit our CTD Round 20 Defence capability priority areas page.
The purpose of the Initial Proposal is to provide Defence with a basic understanding of the technology, so that Defence may decide if the proposal is suitable for inclusion in the CTD Program and relevant to a Defence capability requirement. Initial Proposals that are selected for further consideration will be assigned a Defence sponsor within Capability Development Group. The Defence sponsor will the provide guidance to the proposer for the development of a Detailed Proposal. The Detailed Proposal will become the primary reference for the evaluation and ultimate selection of proposals.
Need help with your application?
Treadstone is a private consulting business that specialises in grant applications for innovative Australian businesses. We have been submitting grants since 2008 and have a team that understands how to present your business to meet policy objectives and grant questions. Call us on (03) 9008 5937 or email us if you wish to discuss if you are eligible for the CTD program or find out about other grants.
Timeline for CTD round 20 applications
Although times will vary slightly from year to year, the following timeline gives a general indication of when each stage takes place:
- April/May – New CTD Program round is advertised
- June – Initial proposals are submitted to the CTD Program Office, Canberra
- August – Detailed proposals are requested from short listed applicants
- October – Deadline for getting detailed proposals back from industry
- November – CTD Review Group meeting shortlists detailed proposals
- February – Defence Capability Committee selects CTDs for funding
- April – Minister for Defence approves and announces CTD round winners
Contracts, templates and guidelines
Before submitting an Initial Proposal, potential proposers should consider the structure and purpose of the CTD Program. CTD proposals that are approved for funding will be expected to enter into a contract of development and demonstration with Defence, with funding commencing at the beginning of the Financial Year following submission of a Detailed Proposal. The CTD Draft Contract template (currently under review and temporarily unavailable) provides guidance to proposers on their rights and obligations if their proposal is approved and they enter into contract with Defence
The CTD Program does not operate like a traditional grants program, but rather a program of collaborative development, where risks, costs and rewards are shared between the parties. Selection of a particular project for inclusion in the CTD Program does not represent a commitment or intent on behalf of Defence to enter into any subsequent acquisition or procurement agreement with the proposer.
Proposing organisations should ensure that initial proposals are brief and concentrate on substantive material that is essential for an understanding of the potential project. Detailed information such as graphs or designs should be included where necessary. Use of original or unique attachments should be avoided, as Defence will take no responsibility for the loss of such documents.
Proposers are required to use our Initial Proposal Template and follow our Guidelines for Proposers.
Criteria CTD proposals must meet
All Initial Proposals must satisfy certain criteria in order to be considered for funding under the CTD program. Proposals that meet all such criteria will then be comparatively evaluated in order to determine the final selection of proposals for inclusion in a particular round of the CTD program.
The five selection criteria, detailed below, have been revised to reflect recent policy changes governing the CTD Program:
- Potential to contribute to Defence capability development.
This criterion describes the proposed technology’s potential to provide a new or enhanced capability to Defence and/or inform the capability development process. - Potential to transition into service.
This criterion describes the presence of an identified need, or pathway into service, for the proposed technology. - Technology and innovation.
This criterion describes the degree of technical innovation and its strategic importance to Defence. - Industry capability enhancement.
This criterion describes the degree to which Australian industry will benefit from receiving Defence assistance in demonstrating the technology. - Project management.
This criterion describes the maturity of project management processes, with particular emphasis on risk management, described in the CTD proposal.
Intellectual property and confidentiality
The CTD Program operates within the Defence Intellectual Property (IP) Policy.
Defence expects that it will gain some IP benefit from each of the CTD projects, especially with regard to Defence research.
Specific IP arrangements will be made for each CTD project. The content of each CTD proposal and subsequent agreements with proposers are treated as Commercial in Confidence.
Defence will use the information contained in proposals for evaluation purposes only. All information provided will be treated by Defence as Commercial in Confidence unless the information:
- is already in the public domain
- is already known to Defence, or
- is required to be disclosed by law, or statutory or portfolio duties (‘Confidential Information’).
Proposers should appropriately mark pages of proposals in order to maximise protection of Confidential Information.
PREVIOUSLY FUNDED PROJECTS – Round 17 CTD Projects
The successful projects for Round 17 of the CTD Program are as follows:
- Wideband Adaptive Interference Canceller which aims to protect Electronic Warfare (EW) systems from on-board and off-board electronic interference (Ultra Electronics û Avalon Systems Pty Ltd, SA).
- Sensor Augmented Vision for Improved Operation of Rotorcraft in a Degraded Visual Environment (SAVIOUR) which seeks to reduce the probability of helicopter accidents caused by spatial disorientation in bad weather and light by providing aircrew with an all-direction, augmented view of the outside environment (Rheinmetall Simulation Australia Pty Ltd (formerly known as Sydac), SA).
- Data Cloudlets to Support IT Services which will develop techniques for protecting and synchronising data before, during and after a sudden disconnection to avoid loss of operational data (SMS Consulting Group Ltd, NSW).
- Active Electronic Scanned Array for High Bandwidth Data, a proposal to develop a capability for a high bandwidth, ship-to-ship communication link by adapting equipment currently installed on ANZAC Class Frigates (CEA Technologies Pty Ltd, ACT).
- Passive Radar designed to demonstrate a system that detects objects by picking up the energy radiated or reflected by them, without requiring a transmitter (BAE Systems Ltd, SA).
- Photonic Enhanced Radio Frequency Front End will use advances in microchip and photonic technologies to build a high-sensitivity electronic front end û placed between a radar antenna and follow-on signal processing stages û which should improve detection of smaller, faster, smarter targets like missiles, as well as generally enhance operational intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. (The University of Sydney, NSW).
- Combat Helmet System with High Powered Rifle and Increased Fragment Protection which aims to apply new bonding and laminating techniques to make advanced ceramic helmet shells to be manufactured into light weight composite infantry helmets offering multi-hit and shock protection for soldiers (Armor Composite Engineering Pty Ltd, NSW).
- CEA Missile Simulation Target (CEAMIST) which plans to develop the Navy capability to conduct anti-missile training exercises with low cost realistic radar targets (with CEA Technologies Pty Ltd, ACT).
