Defence Global Competitiveness Grants, announced in the 2018 Defence Export Strategy, are a dedicated annual grants program of up to $4.1 million each year supporting eligible Australian Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Defence Global Competitiveness Grants seek to build a stronger, more sustainable and globally competitive Australian defence industry by supporting eligible Australian SMEs to build export capability.
Defence Global Competitiveness Grants will build the export capability of Australian SMEs by assisting in overcoming barriers to accessing export opportunities, including achieving international accreditations and procuring capital items.
It will do this by providing matched funding grants to eligible projects.
What type of activities will this grant fund?
Eligible activities must directly relate to a project that will help your business build defence industry export capability and may include:
- buying, leasing, constructing, installing or commissioning of capital equipment including specialist software to enhance cyber security;
- design, engineering and commissioning activities; and/or
- workforce training and accreditations.
What are the funding conditions?
Ongoing funding of up to $4.1 million each year will be available from November 2018 through to June 2029. The grant amount will be up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs.
- The minimum grant amount is $15,000.
- The maximum grant amount is $150,000.
You can apply for a grant at any time, with the maximum grant period being 18 months.
What is the eligibility criteria?
To be eligible, your project must:
- include eligible activities and eligible expenditure;
- have at least $30,000 in eligible expenditure;
- relate to new or expanded defence export opportunities; and
- occur within Australia.
Who can apply?
To apply for this grant, you must:
- be an SME with less than 200 employees as defined in the grant opportunity guidelines; and
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN);
and be one of the following entities:
- a company, incorporated in Australia; or
- an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust.
Additionally, you must:
- provide evidence from your board (or CEO or equivalent if there is no board) that the project is supported, and that you can complete the project and meet the costs of the project not covered by the grant; and
- provide an external Accountant Declaration that confirms you can fund your share of the project costs.
Joint applications are acceptable, provided you appoint a lead organisation to deliver the project. Only the lead organisation can submit the application form and enter into the grant agreement with the Commonwealth.
You are not eligible to apply if you are an individual, a partnership, a trust (however, an incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust, or a Commonwealth, State, Territory or local government body (including government business enterprises).
How will my application be assessed?
We assess your application against the eligibility criteria and then against the merit criteria. Only eligible applications will proceed to the merit assessment stage.
To be competitive, you must address all merit criteria and score highly against each criterion as follows:
- the extent that your project will help your business to build defence industry export capability (50 points);
- your capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project (30 points); and
- the impact of grant funding on your project (20 points).
The Program Delegate will make the final decision, taking into account the application assessment and the availability of grant funds.
What will I need to do if successful?
If you are successful, you will receive an email, after which you must enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth.
The grant agreement will specify the reporting requirements, payment schedule, milestones and any other conditions necessary to receive payments.
We will make an initial payment on execution of the grant agreement. Subsequent payments will be made as you achieve milestones in arears and submit satisfactory progress reports based on your actual eligible expenditure.
You will be required to submit a satisfactory end of project report demonstrating you have completed outstanding obligations for the project.
The maximum grant period is eighteen months.
How do I apply?
You should read the grant opportunity guidelines and the sample grant agreement before you apply.
This Grant is now Open for applications. Ongoing.
To apply, you must:
- set up an account to access our online portal;
- complete and submit your application through the portal;
- provide all the information requested;
- address all eligibility and merit criteria; and
- include all necessary attachments.
