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Improving business capability in the defence industry
The Government has announced on 15 October 2021 that the Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grant and Capability Improvement Grant programs have now closed for applications for the 2021-22 financial year. For more information read the media release.
Capability Improvement Grant
What do you get?
A grant of $4,000 to $240,000 to reimburse you for up to 80% of the cost of engaging a consultant or expert to implement recommended business capability improvements.
There is no limit to the number of grants your business can receive, but your total grant funding is capped at $240,000 in a 3-year period.
Who is this for?
Small to medium sized businesses that have, or are developing, products or services that can be applied to defence. Your business must have received a CDIC advisory or facilitation service.
Other eligibility requirements apply.
How it works
You need to contribute 20% of the eligible project value.
To apply for a Capability Improvement Grant your business must first receive a CDIC advisory or facilitation service. Your adviser will assess your business and may recommend business capability improvements. The recommended improvements are eligible for a grant if the adviser has identified a direct link with Defence industrial priorities.
Eligibility
What are the eligibility criteria?
To be eligible you must:
- be a small to medium enterprise (SME) with less than 200 employees
- be applying to implement recommendations identified by your CDIC business adviser in your advisory service report
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
and be one of the following entities:
- a company, incorporated in Australia
- a company limited by guarantee
- an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust.
We can only accept applications:
- where you apply within 12 months of receiving a CDIC advisory service report.
To be eligible your project must:
- sufficiently improve the capability, capacity or sustainability of your business to meet Defence’s need for a product or service
- have a clear link to a recommendation identified in your CDIC advisory service report
- engage a provider that is external to your business to provide a service
- not have commenced or had any costs incurred prior to notification that your application is successful
- have at least $5,000 in eligible expenditure.
Applying
Before you apply
You will need to obtain quotes from service providers to implement the improvements you wish to make.
Your service providers should prepare their quotes in line with the guidance for service providers.
How to apply
The Capability Improvement Grant is no longer accepting applications for the 2021-22 financial year.
We may not accept your application, or we may ask you to provide more information, if:
- your proposal is not in line with the recommendations made by your CDIC business adviser
- we are concerned about the quality of the proposed consultant or project
- there is a conflict of interest
- the improvements are ineligible
- the proposal does not represent value for money
We may partially support or reject your grant application if the above issues are not rectified.
If you're successful, you'll need to accept a grant agreement with the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
We will make an initial payment on execution of the grant agreement. We will make subsequent payments six monthly in arrears, based on your actual eligible expenditure. Payments are subject to satisfactory progress on the project.
We set aside 10 per cent of the total grant funding for the final payment. We will pay this when you submit a satisfactory end of project report demonstrating you have completed outstanding obligations for the project.
Need help?
Let us answer your question over the phone, email or live chat.
- Phone:
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Open Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm across Australia
- Website:
CDIC Redback Boots case study
Redback Boots accessed CDIC advisory services and a Capability Improvement Grant to improve how their business works with Defence