Apply to become a registered Research Service Provider (RSP)

You may want to register as an RSP for one of the following reasons:

• Be visible to companies that want to collaborate or don’t have the in-house expertise they need.
• Build valuable contacts and networks.
• Develop your reputation and your researchers’ career opportunities.
• Increase your research to have a direct, commercial impact.
• Boost your research income through more clients.

You can register as an RSP if you have the capacity and capability to provide R&D services. You must have the appropriate staff, facilities and pricing structure. There are 3 types of RSPs:

Publicly controlled organisation

• Entities owned and controlled by a tertiary education institution or a government research organisation. The controlling institution must itself be a registered service provider.
• Entities must have access in Australia to the research and development facilities and research personnel of the controlling institution.

Levy collecting bodies

• Bodies that collect R&D levies from industry under a contract with the Australian Government or a State or Territory government.

Other R&D organisations

• Private, university or government research bodies. Spin-offs of those organisations may also register as an RSP.

We register you for the fields of research that you have shown you are capable of undertaking.

You may apply for registration if you meet the criteria set out in the regulations to the R&D Tax Incentive.

The criteria covers:

• Staff numbers and qualifications.
• Suitability of Australian facilities.
• Your capability and capacity to provide R&D services in the specified research field/s.
• Your pricing structure based on ordinary commercial terms.

You must show both the following:

• That you can manage and conduct R&D services.
• That you give control of your contracted R&D services to your client and provide them with the right to use the results.

There are criteria and conditions for each of the 3 RSP categories.

Complete the approved application to apply to become an RSP. You can apply at any time.

Registration as an RSP is valid until the end of the financial year in which we approve your application. If we accept you as an RSP in May or June of one financial year, your registration will be valid until the end of the next financial year.

Two months before the end of the financial year, we'll contact registered RSPs, to let them know that registrations are due for renewal.

Approved RSPs may seek to change the research fields for which they register.

You can learn more about the criteria and other useful information in the 'Application notes for RSP form' document.