AI Grants and Funding Opportunities for Australian Businesses¶

Purpose: Comprehensive directory of AI grants, funding programs and financial support for Australian organisations Audience: Business owners, CFOs, project managers and grant applicants | Time: 30-45 minutes

AI is reshaping industries across Australia. To support businesses in responsibly adopting and scaling AI, a mix of government grants, research programs and industry‑backed accelerators are available. This article provides a consolidated overview of the most relevant opportunities for Australian businesses today.

🏛️ Federal Government Programs¶

AI Adopt Program¶

• Provided $3–5 million over four years for up to 50% of project costs.
• Four AI Adopt Centres provide free specialist services to eligible SMEs in National Reconstruction Fund priority sectors, including AI readiness assessments, training and implementation support.
• The competitive grant round has concluded, but centre services are accessible to eligible businesses.
• ➡️ SME services | Program overview

AI and Digital Capability Centres¶

• The Australian Government allocated $44 million to establish four AI and Digital Capability Centres.
• Grants of up to $11 million each, designed to help SMEs access AI training, services and commercialisation pathways.
• Program concluded, but may return in future iterations.
• ➡️ Source (ministerial media release)

Catalysing the AI Opportunity in Our Regions¶

• Competitive grants between $250,000 and $500,000 for regional businesses to develop and demonstrate AI solutions.
• Program concluded and is no longer awarding grants. The original business.gov.au listing has been removed.
• ➡️ Program background (ministerial media release)

R&D Tax Incentive¶

• Provides tax offsets to encourage companies to conduct eligible R&D activities that might not otherwise happen.
  • Refundable offset of 18.5% above the company tax rate (e.g., 43.5% for companies paying 25% tax) for R&D entities with aggregated turnover under $20m (not controlled by exempt entities).
  • Non‑refundable R&D intensity‑based offset for larger companies (company tax rate plus a premium tied to R&D intensity).
• Program is active and ongoing; the business.gov.au page does not state a last updated date.
• ➡️ Program overview

Australian Research Council (ARC) Programs¶

• Competitive grants supporting research between universities and businesses.
• Discovery Projects: \(30k–\)500k annually for up to 5 years.
• Linkage Projects: Promote industry–academic partnerships; in 2024 Round 2, $46.6m was awarded to 75 projects. The 2026 Linkage Projects round closed 18 March 2026.
• Program is active and ongoing.
• ➡️ Discovery Projects | Linkage Projects

Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) – AI in Health¶

• Almost $30 million has already been awarded to AI-in-health research projects under the MRFF National Critical Research Infrastructure initiative.
• The 2026 National Critical Research Infrastructure round is closed. Its Stream 2 (digitisation of health care) covered projects that translate or implement AI technologies into health applications, with grants of up to $3 million.
• Check the MRFF grants calendar for future rounds.
• ➡️ MRFF 2026 National Critical Research Infrastructure | MRFF overview

CSIRO Next Generation Graduates Program¶

• Supports businesses partnering with universities to bring AI/emerging tech graduate students into their teams.
• Focus on building AI workforce capability through PhD, Masters and Honours students.
• Industry-driven program: each programme has an industry partner and students work on real-world problems.
• Check the CSIRO page for current rounds.
• ➡️ Program details

CSIRO-NSF (US) AI Research Collaboration¶

• Joint Australia-US program for Responsible and Equitable AI research.
• Combined AUD$9.6 million invested in six projects in 2023.
• Focus on transformative AI research with societal impact.
• The CSIRO page lists the 2023 projects and no open round. Contact CSIRO to confirm whether new funding is planned.
• ➡️ More information

Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) – Round 19 AI Stream¶

• Grants between $100,000 and $3 million for collaborative AI research projects, up to 3 years.
• Round 19 included a dedicated $20 million funding stream for projects that develop or enhance AI systems. Grants of \(100,000–\)3 million, up to 3 years, with 50% co-contribution required.
• Status: Round 19 closed 12 May 2026 at 5:00 PM AEST. Outcomes had not been announced as at 9 October 2026; business.gov.au says outcomes and the start of funding are expected slightly later than first indicated because of high application numbers.
• CRC-P rounds have recently run twice a year. The next AI-focused opportunity is CRC Round 28 (a CRC Grants round, not CRC-P), expected to open in 2027.
• ➡️ CRC-P details

Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program — Round 27¶

• Industry-led research collaboration grants for 3 to 10 years. Applicants must at least match the grant funding, and there is no specified funding limit for each CRC.
• Supports large-scale collaborative research partnerships between industry and research organisations.
• General research collaboration (not AI-specific) but AI components are eligible.
• Status: Stage 1 closed 29 April 2026. Stage 2 (invited applicants only) opened 31 July 2026 and closed 17 September 2026, with four applications progressing to that stage. Outcomes are expected in early 2027, with funding expected to start in July 2027.
• ➡️ CRC Program details

AI Accelerator CRC (Future) — CRC Round 28¶

• The Government announced on 5 March 2026 that approximately $50 million will support at least one new AI-focused Cooperative Research Centre under CRC Round 28.
• Targeting AI capability-building, with applications in healthcare, agriculture, resources and manufacturing, plus commercialisation.
• Part of the broader AI Accelerator initiative to drive industry-led AI research at scale.
• Applications are not expected to open until 2027 — not yet actionable, but worth monitoring.
• ➡️ AI Accelerator initiative

🗺️ State-Level Opportunities¶

South Australia: $28 Million AI Initiative (2025-2029)¶

• About $7 million a year over four years for proof-of-value AI trials in South Australian government agencies, run through the state's Office for AI.
• Healthcare and policing are the first priorities.
• This is public sector funding, not a grant program for businesses.
• Funding of $28 million from 2025–26 to 2028–29 was announced in the 2025–26 South Australian State Budget (June 2025). Subject to ongoing state budget appropriation.
• ➡️ Office for AI proof of value program

AIML (Australian Institute for Machine Learning) Programs¶

• Centre for Augmented Reasoning: $20m federal funding.
• Industrial AI SME Grant Program: gives South Australian SMEs (under 200 full-time equivalent staff) access to AIML machine learning engineers rather than cash funding. Contact AIML before applying. The wider Industrial AI program runs to December 2028.
• RAIR (Responsible AI Research Centre): AIML's responsible AI research centre.
• Industry partnerships, such as the CommBank Centre for Foundational AI Research.
• Only the Industrial AI SME Grant Program takes applications from businesses. The others are research investments.
• ➡️ Industrial AI SME Grant Program

NSW: Early Adopter Grant Program (closed)¶

• Part of the AI in NSW Planning project, a $5.6 million NSW Government investment in AI for the planning system.
• Open to NSW councils only. Applications ran from 30 April to 22 May 2024, and 16 councils received more than $2.7 million to trial AI in development assessment.
• Closed. A historical example, not open to businesses. No new round is listed.
• ➡️ Source

Queensland: Quantum and Advanced Technologies Programs¶

• $53 million awarded under the Queensland Quantum and Advanced Technologies Strategy.
• $28.1 million for Commercialisation Infrastructure Program.
• $10 million for Quantum Decarbonisation Mission.
• $3.8 million for the Talent Building Program.
• These grants have been awarded; no open round is listed.
• ➡️ Grant recipients

Queensland: Small and Family Business AI Support (Announced)¶

• The Queensland Government announced a new $10 million program on 23 June 2026 to support eligible small and family businesses across all sectors to adopt AI solutions.
• The announcement did not provide a program name, guidelines, application portal or opening date. Treat this as announced, not open for applications.
• ➡️ Queensland Government announcement

Queensland: Manufacturing AI Uplift Trial ($750,000)¶

• The Queensland Government is investing $750,000 in the Queensland Manufacturing AI Uplift Trial Program, announced on 30 September 2026 and delivered by the ARM Hub.
• It helps eligible Queensland manufacturers, including regional businesses, identify and implement practical AI solutions. Eligible participants can receive services worth up to $250,000, including a private workspace on an AI platform hosted on sovereign Australian cloud infrastructure, AI engineering support and ongoing operational support.
• Expressions of interest close 30 October 2026. Check the program guidelines for eligibility before applying.
• ➡️ Queensland Manufacturing AI Uplift Trial Program (Business Queensland, accessed 8 October 2026)

Queensland: CSIRO Innovate to Grow — Digital Technologies and AI (closed)¶

• A free, eight-week online program run by CSIRO with the Queensland Government to help SMEs turn early-stage AI and digital-technology ideas into research and development plans.
• Applications for the 2026 Queensland intake closed on 27 September 2026. Watch for future intakes.
• ➡️ CSIRO Innovate to Grow (Queensland)

Victoria: AI and Deeptech Pre-Accelerators (LaunchVic, $3.5M)¶

• The Victorian Government announced $3.5 million to fund nine AI and deeptech pre-accelerator programs on 17 June 2026.
• The announced funding is for program operators rather than direct startup grants. The announcement says each provider may receive up to $400,000. Providers include Boab AI, Boson Ventures, Cicada Innovations, CoLabs Australia, HEX, Illume Ventures, Jumpstart Studio, MedTech Actuator and RMIT DiscoveryHUB.
• A featured program is VICTOR:AI — an eight-week cohort for AI-native startups offering AI tools, co-working space and milestone-based grants.
• Provider intake arrangements and timing vary. The Victorian Government announcement did not specify which programs were accepting applications or confirm that funding had been disbursed. RMIT's DiscoveryHUB program, for example, is expected to start in early 2027.
• LaunchVic and Breakthrough Victoria have since merged to form Innovation Victoria. LaunchVic pages still work.
• ➡️ Victorian Government announcement | LaunchVic programs

🏢 Industry and Private Sector Programs¶

National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC)¶

• A $15 billion government-owned fund that invests through equity, debt and guarantees in priority sectors, including AI-enabled technologies.
• Invested $32 million in Harrison.ai (January 2025), an Australian AI company working in radiology and pathology.
• Program is active.
• ➡️ National Reconstruction Fund Corporation

AWS Generative AI Accelerator¶

• A competitive global program for generative AI startups, run as an annual cohort.
• Offers up to US$1m in AWS credits per startup, plus mentorship.
• Intake dates change each year. Check AWS for the next application window and eligibility.
• ➡️ AWS Startups programs (the program-specific page was unavailable on 9 October 2026)

FoundHer Grant Program (formerly Fearless Innovator, South Australia)¶

• South Australian Government grants for women-led businesses. Rounds ran in 2024 and 2025 under the Fearless Innovator name.
• The 2026 round, renamed FoundHer, offers $110,000 in grants. Applications closed 14 August 2026.
• Not AI-specific.
• ➡️ FoundHer Grant Program

H2 Ventures Accelerator (Sydney)¶

• Sydney venture firm that invests in cohorts of early-stage startups, with a focus on fintech, data and AI.
• No intake dates are published. Check the H2 Ventures site for the next cohort.
• ➡️ H2 Ventures

Innovation & Collaboration Centre (ICC, Adelaide)¶

• Startup incubator, now part of Adelaide University (previously UniSA), supporting early-stage startups with workspace, mentoring and funding since 2015.
• Program is active.
• ➡️ About ICC

Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (Aus3C, Adelaide)¶

• Independent not-for-profit in Adelaide, opened at Lot Fourteen in 2020 with South Australian Government investment.
• Delivers cybersecurity training, a cyber range and industry collaboration.
• Program is active.
• ➡️ Aus3C

Summary Table¶