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Funding – Government & Private Sector Opportunities

Government Grants & Incentives

Government, across local, state and federal levels, offers countless opportunities for your business to access support. Whether it be to kick-start growth through creation of new product offerings, seeking access to new markets, innovation, R&D, improving energy or business efficiencies, there is often a program that will suit your needs.

Ranging from short, non-competitive applications, through to multi-stage, complex and extremely competitive programs, no single grant program is the same. That is where an experienced grants and incentives consultant comes into their own.

Ironclad Advisory has experience completing submissions for a wide range of programs, but primarily focuses on provision of services to access funds of up to $1 million. A selection of commonly targeted programs that Ironclad Advisory specialises in are as follows:

Export Market Development Grants (EMDG):
Grants of up to $160,000 paid over 2 years, with application windows offered on a first-come, first-served basis from Round 4 (last opened November 2024).

The EMDG is administered by Austrade (Federal Government), aiming to bring benefits to Australia by encouraging the creation, development, expansion and diversification of foreign markets for Australian products. It provides targeted financial assistance for marketing and promotional activities to Australian small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and their representative bodies.

The program has evolved significantly over the last 5 years, although has been in existence since 1974. Because of this continued change, it is important that you seek the services of a consultant who both thoroughly understands how the program operates in its current form, and how best to deliver a successful application in an efficient and effective manner.

Having previously led promotion and delivery of the EMDG nationally at PwC, Ironclad Advisory is well equipped to provide professional and affordable EMDG services to you.

Industry Growth Program (IGP)
2-stage program for startups, small & medium enterprises (SMEs), open on an ongoing basis.
Stage 1: Access specialist Industry Growth Advisory Service through a short Expression of Interest (EOI) application process.
Stage 2: Matched funding grants of $50K – $250K on offer for early-stage commercialisation projects or $100K – $5M for commercialisation & growth projects, accessed through a detailed submission process.

The IGP, administered by AusIndustry (Federal Government) intends to support SMEs undertaking innovative commercialisation and/or growth projects that are within the priority areas of the Australian Government’s National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) & help build Australia’s manufacturing capability for the future.

Stage 1 IGP Advisors are business experts who have walked in your shoes. They provide independent & objective business advice, working with you to develop recommendations & a plan for commercialisation &/or growth. This may include:

  • commercialisation & growth strategies, including business model validation
  • funding avenues, potential investors & capital raising
  • building networks & establishing collaborative partnerships
  • commercialisation intellectual property
  • market testing
  • development of compelling value propositions.

Your Adviser will provide you with a report with priorities & recommended actions for the commercialisation & growth opportunities for your business.

Not all businesses who engage with an Adviser will be eligible for a Stage 2 grant opportunity.

Stage 2 grants are awarded on merit, generally against a very competitive national pool of candidates.

  • Early-Stage Commercialisation grants are for projects at the feasibility study, proof-of-concept & prototyping stages. Projects are intended broadly to include the journey through TRL3 to TRL6. Funds are used for projects & business activities that help your business establish the commercial viability of innovative products, processes or services.
  • Commercialisation & Growth grants are in prototyping through to market-readiness stages (TRL4 to TRL9). Activities may include:
    • developing strategies for entering the market
    • accelerating growth
    • scaling up into national & international markets.

Ironclad Advisory has supported the application process for numerous IGP clients (in previous form of the Accelerating Commercialisation Program). Services are primarily offered as either:

  • Comprehensive project scoping, authoring & submission services, guiding & developing developing content on your behalf.
  • Review support, providing suggestions & advice to refine & polish client authored content.
Examples of other grant programs Ironclad Advisory can support:

Private & Industry Funding

Ironclad Advisory has expertise accessing additional pools of funding, which are often offered by private entities or sector/industry groups. These funds are generally fit for purpose, targeting applicants who either operate in a specific domain/area or use a certain application base. Examples of funding that can be accessed include: