Deadline: October 24, 2025
The Commercialisation Bridge Grant 2025, administered by the Western Australian Department of Energy and Economic Diversification under the New Industries and Innovation Fund, supports startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Western Australia by providing financial assistance to bridge the funding gap between early-stage commercialisation and breakthrough growth, aiming to accelerate innovation, create jobs, and diversify the State’s economy.
The objectives of the Commercialisation Bridge Grant are to support eligible businesses throughout the commercialisation pathway of their innovative products in Western Australia and to attract and retain commercialisation activities in the State. The program aligns with the goals of the Western Australia Innovation Strategy to make the State a world leader in research and inventiveness, a location of choice for product and technology development, translation and testing, and a home to globally-focused organisations that scale and create new jobs. The strategy further focuses on seven priority areas: skills, people and culture; research and tech transfer; networks, precincts and shared facilities; access to capital; procurement and supply chains; diversity and inclusion; and promotion and adoption.
The Commercialisation Bridge Grant (CBG) is part of the $40 million New Industries and Innovation Fund (NIIF) invested over four years from 2025 to 2029 to strengthen innovation-led industries in Western Australia. It targets innovation-driven SMEs and startups to help them transform their commercialised products or services into sustainable, profitable, and scalable ventures that contribute to job creation and industry diversification.
Applicants can apply for grants between $50,000 and $250,000, with matched funding requirements varying from 25% for regional, First Nations, and female-founded businesses to 35% for other applicants. Eligible expenditure includes costs directly related to project delivery, such as research and development, team readiness, technology transfer and intellectual property protection, and commercialisation support services.
To qualify, applicants must be Western Australia-based businesses with an Australian Business Number, a trading history of at least six months, and a scalable, innovative project at the post-revenue stage. The business must employ between one and fifty people and demonstrate financial capacity to co-contribute. Projects must be implemented and completed within 24 months from the funding award date.
Applications are assessed competitively by an independent evaluation panel based on seven criteria: innovation, need for funding, competitive advantage, capacity and resources, scalability, planning, and alignment with government priorities. The process involves eligibility checks, evaluation, ministerial decision-making, and outcome notification.
Successful applicants will enter a Financial Assistance Agreement outlining reporting, performance, and publicity conditions. Grant payments are made in instalments tied to project milestones, and all recipients are required to provide financial acquittals and completion reports.
The program is designed to ensure transparency and accountability, with compliance to laws, confidentiality provisions, and the State’s code of conduct. The Department manages all media and communications related to funded projects.
For more information, visit Australian Government.
