Help us develop government solutions

We ask for applications from eligible entities to undertake a feasibility study that responds to one of the current key government challenges.

The maximum grant for each feasibility study is $70,000 with a maximum period of 3 months. There is $1.1 million available for feasibility studies in this program.

If your study shows that your idea is feasible, you can apply to develop a proof of concept. Only applicants who successfully complete feasibility studies can apply for proof of concept funding.

The maximum grant amount for each proof of concept project is $675,000 with a maximum period of 12 months. There is $5.4 million available for proof of concept projects in this program.

Challenge summary

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is seeking innovative solutions to improve information matching and exchange between jurisdictions for the Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupational Registrations (AMR) scheme.

Specifically, we are seeking solutions that address broader information sharing challenges for occupational registrations and licences subject to AMR e.g. teacher, mining and driving occupational registrations.

While different sectors face similar information sharing challenges, in some cases there are sector-specific challenges. Solutions could focus on certain components of this challenge or specific sectors.

Potential themes

Advanced technology, advanced hardware and software, data automation, e-systems, legal, regulatory assurance, certification.

Overview of challenge

AMR came into effect on 1 July 2021 in New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, and will progressively commence in other states.

AMR applies to a limited number of occupations initially and will include more occupations as Australia  transitions to the scheme.

AMR makes it easier for workers who need to be licenced or registered for their job to work elsewhere in Australia.

AMR removes the need for a worker to pay and apply for a new licence or registration when working in another state or territory, saving them time and money.

AMR also enables state and territory regulators to continue compliance activity in an efficient and effective manner. This results in a greater need for real-time exchange of regulatory information between jurisdictions.

The goal of this challenge is to address the following AMR information matching and exchange issues.

How we might reduce the time and resources required to:

• verify information about a worker’s occupational registration or licence from another jurisdiction
• access the information reasonably required from another state regulator
• notify all other regulators of relevant disciplinary action, and
• notify all other regulators of the renewal, expiry, suspension and/or cancellation of a licence.

How can we ensure consistency in information shared across jurisdictions?

Current information sharing between jurisdictions can be manual and email-based due to limitations on databases.

More secure, efficient provision of information between regulators would reduce the time and costs spent on manual processes, allowing regulators to direct resources to compliance, enforcement and managing risks to the community.

This challenge seeks to explore the potential to verify, access and/or provide information connectivity between jurisdictions with disparate systems.

Solution requirements

Functional requirements

Enable state and territory regulators to more efficiently verify, access and/or provide information about a worker’s occupational registration or licence to relevant interstate regulators.

• This information is potentially held in multiple systems within and across jurisdictions.

Be consistent with the information-sharing provisions in the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 and any relevant state or territory legislation.

Take account of current regulator systems and processes, any agreed data interoperability standards or models, and interim solutions being developed to administer AMR.

Be capable of adapting to evolving regulator systems and processes for occupational licencing as they progress in their maturity.

Address data governance issues, including source of truth and lifecycle management.

• The solution should not include a database or central repository that needs to be manually managed and maintained.

Be cost effective to build, maintain and further develop.

Provide the option for a regulator from within or external to the state to subscribe or opt in e.g. at the point of notification or during a compliance action, and include bulleted and flagged information on particular licensees or registrations.

Take into account end user considerations, such as those who will be required to check and verify industry credentials.

Technical requirements

• Provide a secure environment to verify, access and/or share certain information to other users of the system.
• Limit access to certain information based on occupational registrations and licences.
• Exchange and maintain information in accordance with the relevant privacy and information security laws and policies in different states and territories and across different occupational registrations and licences.
• Be technology agnostic and work with disparate systems within and across multiple jurisdictions.
• To work across multiple jurisdictions, the solution will need to meet universal standards and have minimal technology requirements.
• Automate where possible and minimise any manual effort.
• Be scalable and repeatable for diverse regulators.
• Provide consistency in the way data and information is shared.
• Only share data and information where necessary and reuse data and information already shared, where possible. Effectively manage information provided to jurisdictions, not immediately needed.

Benefits of the solution

This challenge encourages private sector innovation and commercialisation of successful products that boost connectivity, and reduce the time and costs applied to manual processes.

Successful applicants will be able to work directly with regulators to test the commercial viability of their solutions. This way of working is intended to facilitate a deep understanding of the requirement, which minimises the risk of developing a product that is not fit-for-purpose. It also supports the development of more cost-effective and sustainable solutions.

Other benefits

Ensure workers are appropriately skilled and authorised to work in another state or territory.

Reduce time and costs for regulating occupational licences in a second state.

Enable the efficient and effective administration of AMR across jurisdictions. This will allow registered and licensed workers to respond more quickly to changing labour market conditions and to address immediate impacts or assist with longer term recovery, such as natural disasters.

Download

• Challenge 1 – Improving information matching and exchange between jurisdictions [PDF]
• Challenge 1 – Improving information matching and exchange between jurisdictions [DOCX]

Challenge summary

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is seeking innovative solutions to improve information matching and exchange between jurisdictions for the Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupational Registrations (AMR) scheme.

Specifically, we are seeking solutions that address information sharing barriers for the building and construction industry. Occupations licensed and registered include builders, plumbers, electricians, surveyors, building inspectors and engineers.

While different sectors face similar information sharing challenges, in some cases there are sector-specific challenges. Solutions could focus on certain components of this challenge or specific sectors.

Potential themes

Advanced technology, advanced hardware and software, data automation, E-Systems, legal, regulatory, assurance, certification.

Overview of challenge

AMR came into effect on 1 July 2021 in New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory and will progressively commence in other states.

AMR applies to a limited number of occupations initially and will include more occupations as Australia transitions to the scheme.

AMR makes it easier for workers who need to be licenced or registered for their job to work elsewhere in Australia.

AMR removes the need for a worker to pay and apply for a new licence or registration when working in another state or territory, saving them time and money.

AMR also enables state and territory regulators to continue compliance activity in an efficient and effective manner. This results in a greater need for real-time exchange of regulatory information between jurisdictions.

The goal of this challenge is to address the following AMR information matching and exchange issues.

How we might reduce the time and resources required to:

• verify information about a worker’s occupational registration or licence from another jurisdiction
• access the information reasonably required from another state regulator
• notify all other regulators of relevant disciplinary action, and
• notify all other regulators of the renewal, expiry, suspension and/or cancellation of a licence.

How can we ensure consistency in information shared across jurisdictions?

Current information sharing between jurisdictions can be manual and email-based due to database limitations.

More secure, efficient provision of information between regulators would reduce the time and costs spent on manual processes, allowing regulators to direct resources to compliance, enforcement and managing risks to the community.

This challenge seeks to explore the potential to verify, access and/or provide information connectivity between jurisdictions with disparate systems.

Solution requirements

Enable state and territory regulators to more efficiently verify, access and/or provide information about a worker’s occupational registration or licence to relevant interstate regulators.

• This information is potentially held in multiple systems within and across jurisdictions.

Be consistent with the information-sharing provisions in the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 and any relevant state or territory legislation.

Take account of current regulator systems and processes, any agreed data interoperability standards or models, and interim solutions being developed to administer AMR.

Be capable of adapting to evolving regulator systems and processes for occupational licencing as they progress in their maturity.

Address data governance issues, including source of truth, and lifecycle management.

• The solution should not include a database or central repository that needs to be manually managed and maintained.

Be cost effective to build, maintain and further develop.

Provide the option for a regulator from within or external to the state to subscribe or opt in e.g. at the point of notification or during a compliance action, and include bulleted and flagged information on particular licensees or registrations.

Take into account end user considerations, such as those who will be required to check and verify industry credentials.

Technical requirements

• Provide a secure environment to verify, access and/or share certain information to other users of the system.
• Limit access to certain information based on occupational registrations and licences.
• Exchange and maintain information in accordance with the relevant privacy and information security laws and policies in different states and territories and across different occupational registrations and licences.
• Be technology agnostic and work with disparate systems within and across multiple jurisdictions.
• To work across multiple jurisdictions, the solution will need to meet universal standards and have minimal technology requirements.
• Automate where possible and minimise any manual effort.
• Be scalable and repeatable for diverse regulators.
• Provide consistency in the way data and information is shared.
• Only share data and information where necessary and reuse data and information already shared where possible. Effectively manage information provided to jurisdictions, not immediately needed.

Benefits of the solution

This challenge encourages private sector innovation and commercialisation of successful products that boost connectivity and reduce the time and costs applied to manual processes.

Successful applicants will be able to work directly with regulators to test the commercial viability of their solutions. This way of working is intended to facilitate a deep understanding of the requirement, which minimises the risk of developing a product that is not fit-for-purpose. It also supports the development of more cost-effective and sustainable solutions.

Other benefits

Ensure workers are appropriately skilled and authorised to work in another state or territory.

Reduce time and costs for regulating occupational licences in a second state.

Enable the efficient and effective administration of AMR across jurisdictions. This will allow registered and licensed workers to respond more quickly to changing labour market conditions and to address immediate impacts or assist with longer term recovery, such as natural disasters.

Download

• Challenge 2 – Improving information matching and exchange for building and construction [PDF]
• Challenge 2 – Improving information matching and exchange for building and construction [DOCX]

Challenge summary

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is seeking innovative solutions to improve information matching and exchange between jurisdictions for the Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupational Registrations (AMR) scheme.

Specifically, we are seeking solutions that address information sharing barriers for the security, property, transport and liquor and gaming industries.

While different sectors face similar information sharing challenges, in some cases there are sector-specific challenges. Solutions could focus on certain components of this challenge or specific sectors.

Potential themes

Advanced technology, advanced hardware and software, data automation, E-Systems, legal, regulatory, assurance, certification.

Overview of challenge

AMR came into effect on 1 July 2021 in New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, and will progressively commence in other states.

AMR applies to a limited number of occupations initially and will include more occupations as Australia transitions to the scheme.

AMR makes it easier for workers who need to be licenced or registered for their job to work elsewhere in Australia.

AMR removes the need for a worker to pay and apply for a new licence or registration when working in another state or territory, saving them time and money.

AMR also enables state and territory regulators to continue compliance activity in an efficient and effective manner. This results in a greater need for real-time exchange of regulatory information between jurisdictions.

The goal of this challenge is to address the following AMR information matching and exchange issues.

How we might reduce the time and resources required to:

• verify information about a worker’s occupational registration or licence from another jurisdiction
• access the information reasonably required from another state regulator
• notify all other regulators of relevant disciplinary action, and
• notify all other regulators of the renewal, expiry, suspension and/or cancellation of a licence.

How can we ensure consistency in information shared across jurisdictions?

Current information sharing between jurisdictions can be manual and email-based due to database limitations.

More secure, efficient provision of information between regulators would reduce the time and costs spent on manual processes, allowing regulators to direct resources to compliance, enforcement and managing risks to the community.

This challenge seeks to explore the potential to verify, access and/or provide information connectivity between jurisdictions with disparate systems.

Solution requirements

Functional requirements

Enable state and territory regulators to more efficiently verify, access and/or provide information about a worker’s occupational registration or licence to relevant interstate regulators.

• This information is potentially held in multiple systems within and across jurisdictions.

Be consistent with the information-sharing provisions in the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 and any relevant state or territory legislation.

Take account of current regulator systems and processes, any agreed data interoperability standards or models, and interim solutions being developed to administer AMR.

Be capable of adapting to evolving regulator systems and processes for occupational licencing as they progress in their maturity.

Address data governance issues, including source of truth, and lifecycle management.

• The solution should not include a database or central repository that needs to be manually managed and maintained.

Be cost effective to build, maintain and further develop.

Provide the option for a regulator from within or external to the state to subscribe or opt in e.g. at the point of notification or during a compliance action, and include bulleted and flagged information on particular licensees or registrations.

Take into account end user considerations, such as those who will be required to check and verify industry credentials.

Technical requirements

• Provide a secure environment to verify, access and/or share certain information to other users of the system.
• Limit access to certain information based on occupational registrations and licences.
• Exchange and maintain information in accordance with the relevant privacy and information security laws and policies in different states and territories and across different occupational registrations and licences.
• Be technology agnostic and work with disparate systems within and across multiple jurisdictions.
• To work across multiple jurisdictions, the solution will need to meet universal standards and have minimal technology requirements.
• Automate where possible and minimise any manual effort.
• Be scalable and repeatable for diverse regulators.
• Provide consistency in the way data and information is shared.
• Only share data and information where necessary and reuse data and information already shared where possible. Effectively manage information provided to jurisdictions, not immediately needed.

Benefits of the solution

This challenge encourages private sector innovation and commercialisation of successful products that boost connectivity and reduce the time and costs applied to manual processes.

Successful applicants will be able to work directly with regulators to test the commercial viability of their solutions. This way of working is intended to facilitate a deep understanding of the requirement, which minimises the risk of developing a product that is not fit-for-purpose. It also supports the development of more cost-effective and sustainable solutions.

Other benefits

Ensure workers are appropriately skilled and authorised to work in another state or territory.

Reduce time and costs for regulating occupational licences in a second state.

Enable the efficient and effective administration of AMR across jurisdictions. This will allow registered and licensed workers to respond more quickly to changing labour market conditions and to address immediate impacts or assist with longer term recovery, such as natural disasters.

Download

• Challenge 3 – Improving information matching and exchange for security, property, transport and liquor and gaming industries [PDF]
• Challenge 3 – Improving information matching and exchange for security, property, transport and liquor and gaming industries [DOCX]

Challenge summary

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is seeking innovative solutions to make it easier for individuals and businesses to understand the opportunities available through the Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupational Registration (AMR) scheme.

This challenge is seeking applications to improve the uptake of opportunities available through the AMR scheme which could include address information sharing challenges for occupational registrations and licences subject to AMR.

Solutions could focus on certain components of this challenge or sectors.

Potential themes

This challenge could be addressed by solutions including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced data analytics, unstructured data processing, image recognition, optical character recognition (OCR), and interoperable systems.

Overview of challenge

AMR came into effect on 1 July 2021 in New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory and will progressively commence in other states. AMR applies to a limited number of occupations initially and will include more occupations as Australia transitions to the scheme.

AMR makes it easier for workers who need to be licenced or registered for their job to work elsewhere in Australia.

AMR removes the need for a worker to pay and apply for a new licence or registration when working in another state or territory, saving them time and money.

AMR also enables state and territory regulators to continue compliance activity in an efficient and effective manner. This results in a greater need for real-time exchange of regulatory information between jurisdictions.

There are over 600 different state and territory occupational registrations and licences authorising similar activities across Australia.

This is then compounded by many different sources of information outlining the requirements to obtain an occupational registration or licence, and the rules for carrying out activities authorised under each occupational registration and licence.

This makes it difficult for individuals thinking about a career in these occupations or registered workers seeking to apply their trade in another state.

While information is available to understand the registration and licensing requirements in each state and territory and the associated rules to carry out the activities – it is not easy to find and takes time.

The requirements in each state and territory are different despite the activities being carried out being substantially the same.

These differences have built up over time to address local conditions and to respond to different incidences that have occurred.

While many individuals and businesses are able to find the information required and comply with the requirements, many find this a barrier to taking up work interstate. The opportunities available through AMR should also be an incentive to enter these professions.

Such barriers can affect employment opportunities, business sustainability and growth, compound skills shortages and impact the resilience of the Australian economy.

Difficulty in being able to easily and quickly access the different requirements can also impact compliance against the matters these rules are designed to protect, such as the health and safety of workers, consumers, the environment and animal welfare.

Where appropriate, governments and industry are working towards harmonising requirements. In the meantime, it is important to ensure that workers can easily work interstate and when carrying out activities are able to easily access the necessary information.

AMR has a range of safeguards to protect workers, consumers, the environment, animal welfare and the broader community.

These include the ability for a state and territory minister to require a worker to notify and satisfy certain requirements prior to carrying out the activity and, where there are significant risks, excluding certain occupational registrations from AMR.

While these safeguards are important, they provide an extra level of complexity for a worker to understand where the opportunities in AMR are available and therefore impact the take up of it.

A solution to this challenge could address the following:

• How can we ensure relevant information is efficiently maintained?
• How might we efficiently bring together the different opportunities and rules?
• What is the best way to communicate the different types of related information on an ongoing basis?

Solution requirements

• Dynamically adapt to evolving state and territory requirements for occupational licencing.
• Take into account opportunities and requirements available through the Mutual Recognition Act 1992.
• Gather and organise information on occupational licencing requirements held in disparate formats and potentially held in multiple systems within and across multiple jurisdictions.
• Be a source of truth to inform individuals, businesses, consumers and governments.

Benefits of the solution

To make information quick and easy to access and in doing so:

• save time and money for jobseekers, workers, businesses, consumers and governments
• create a more mobile workforce, enabling individuals and businesses to take up opportunities available through AMR
• make it easier for individuals and workers to comply with the requirements to obtain authorisation to carrying on an activity and the rules associated with the activity
• reduce the risks of particular occupational registrations being in AMR
• support recovery following natural disasters (including restoring critical infrastructure)
• support labour mobility, reduced local, regional and national skills shortages and improve employment outcomes
• improve protections for workers, business, consumers, the environment, animal welfare and the broader community
• contribute to Australia's economic recovery and resilience.

The market potential for the solution could be applicable to all areas of society where disparate and dynamic requirements between states and territories need to be communicated and complied with.

This challenge gives successful private sector applicants the opportunity to test the commercial viability of their solution with project partners.

Download

• Challenge 4 – Improving uptake of the opportunities available through the Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupation Registration scheme [PDF]
• Challenge 4 – Improving uptake of the opportunities available through the Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupation Registration scheme [DOCX]

You're not eligible to apply if you're:

• a Commonwealth, state or local government agency or body (including government business enterprises)
• an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’
• an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012).

Once you submit your application, we'll confirm your eligibility. If eligible we'll give your submission to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. They will review applications and rank them against assessment criteria.

Industry Innovation and Science Australia will then assess the applications, taking into account the assessment of the agency, and recommend which projects to fund.

The Program Delegate will take the recommendations into account and decide which applications to fund, and we'll notify successful applicants.

Successful applicants then conduct their feasibility studies. If successful, grantees may then be invited to apply for a proof of concept grant.

To be competitive you must score highly against all of the assessment criteria.

1: Extent that your proposed solution meets the challenge (30 points)

You should demonstrate this by identifying:

• how your proposed solution solves the challenge for one or more sectors in whole or in part
• the uniqueness of your proposed solution relative to what is already in the market.

2: Market opportunity of your proposed solution (30 points)

You should demonstrate this by identifying:

• the clear commercial potential to create a marketable product, process or service for customers beyond the challenge agency, including a plan to deliver the solution and the route to local and/or global markets, including a market analysis. 

Note: a more detailed commercialisation plan will be requested if you progress to the second funding stage (proof of concept grant).

3: Capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project (40 points)

You should demonstrate this by identifying:

• your track record managing similar projects and access to personnel with the right skills and experience, including commercialisation
• your access, or future access, to any infrastructure, capital equipment, technology and intellectual property
• a sound project plan to manage and monitor the project, including a risk analysis
• your project budget.

You must attach a project plan, budget and risk analysis to your application.

If your application is successful, you’ll receive a written offer. If you are unsuccessful, we’ll notify you in writing and give you the chance to discuss the outcome with us.

Successful applicants must enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth. The grant agreement will specify the reporting requirements, payment schedule and milestones necessary to receive payments.

We’ll pay 100 per cent of the grant on execution of the grant agreement. You’ll be required to report how you spent the grant funds at the completion of the project.

Payments will be made by direct credit into a nominated bank account.