Australian Centre for Quantum Growth Grant

The Centre will build awareness and promote quantum technologies and their applications to end users. It will also ensure ethics and security are a foundation of the Australian quantum ecosystem by promoting ethical technology adoption and awareness.

Objectives

The objectives of the program are to establish a Centre that:

• grows the Australian quantum industry and promotes collaboration in quantum technologies so as to foster interstate and international trade and commerce
• facilitates improved coordination of research and development with a focus on industry-led solutions
• educates industry and end users on the opportunities presented by quantum technologies and their numerous applications
• promotes the ethical and secure adoption and development of the quantum industry
• deepens Australia’s relationships with key international partners, enabling the transfer of knowledge and capital, whilst retaining ownership of the sovereign Intellectual Property
• fosters gender equality and First Nations Peoples’ participation in the industry.

Grants Available

• The Australian Government has announced a total of $18.5 million over 4 years from 2023-24 to 2026-27 for the Australian Centre for Quantum Growth program.
• Project Period
  • The maximum project period is 34 months. You must complete your project by 31 March 2027.

Eligible Grant Activities

• Contributing to the growth of the Australian Quantum industry by supporting:
  • the adoption, development and commercialisation of quantum technology so as to foster interstate and international trade and/or build relationships with key international counterparts, and
  • collaborative research and development that drives innovation
    • This is expected to include activities such as:
      • Connecting industry and end users of quantum technology to Australian researchers, innovators and start-ups to promote commercialisation of quantum technologies and facilitate collaborative R&D projects that drive innovation.
      • Fostering opportunities for interstate and/or international trade and commerce to grow the Australian quantum sector.
• Building connections and driving collaborations across industry, research and government stakeholders in the quantum ecosystem
  • This is expected to include activities such as:
    • Providing advice, connections, referral services and forming partnerships across industry, research, start-ups and businesses to encourage growth of the industry and de-risk quantum technology adoption
    • Mapping the quantum technology ecosystem and its stakeholders (both locally and internationally) and providing this information to industry participants.
• Increasing awareness and educating industries across the broader economy and society on the implications and opportunities of emerging quantum technologies
  • This is expected to include activities such as:
    • Providing advice on quantum use cases or commercialisation of quantum technology
    • Educating industries on the benefits of adopting quantum technologies, including through digital resources, engagement with peak bodies, C-suite briefings, and technology demonstrator events.
• Supporting an ethical and security focus across all activities undertaken by the Centre.
  • This is expected to include activities such as:
    • Embedding ethical practices into activities and outputs of the Centre and encouraging this in the industry as a whole.

Eligibility Criteria

• Your application must be a joint (consortia) application with a lead applicant that is eligible to apply. To be eligible to be a lead applicant you must be one of the following entities:
  • an entity incorporated in Australia and a trading corporation, where your trading activities:
    • form a sufficiently significant proportion of the corporation’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading corporation; or
    • are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the corporation
  • an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
  • a company limited by guarantee
  • an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust where your trading activities:
    • form a sufficiently significant proportion of the corporation’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading corporation; or
    • are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the corporation
  • an incorporated association
  • a co-operative
  • a university
  • an unincorporated association, provided that if your application is successful you agree to form a company incorporated in Australia, or one of the other eligible entity types listed herein, prior to entering into a grant agreement.
  • Only joint (consortia) applications are eligible to apply for this grant opportunity.
• Entities that are eligible to be a lead applicant are also eligible to be consortia partners.
• Entities that are eligible to participate as consortia partners, but not as the lead applicant, include, but are not limited to:
  • Commonwealth, state and territory government departments or agencies which undertake publicly funded research
  • corporate Commonwealth entities
  • Commonwealth, state, territory or local government bodies (including government business enterprises and portfolio agencies)
  • partnerships
  • unincorporated associations that do not intend to establish a new eligible incorporated entity for the purposes of managing the consortia.

For more information, visit Australian Government.