Australia's National Science Agency India Australia Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion (RISE) Accelerator RISE Accelerator Program Guidelines (Australia): Round 4 Guidelines for Australian applicants only Opening Date: 23.02.2026 Closing Date and time: 22.03.2026 11:30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time Administering entity Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Enquiries: If you have any questions, contact us at RISEaccelerator@csiro.au Date guidelines released: Round 4, Version 1.0: 23.02.2026 Type of Grant opportunity: Targeted competitive Contents Contents 1 1 The RISE Accelerator: Round 4 process 3 2 Introduction 4 3 About the RISE Accelerator Program 4 3.1 Delivery of the RISE Accelerator program 5 3.2 Program Period 6 4 Program eligibility criteria 6 4.1 Who is eligible to apply for the Program? 6 4.2 Who is not eligible to apply for the Program? 7 5 About the RISE Accelerator Grant 7 5.1 Grant available 7 5.2 Grant period 7 5.3 Who will be paid the Grant? 7 5.4 How we pay the Grant 8 5.5 Grant payments and GST 8 5.6 What the Grant money can be used for 8 5.7 What the Grant money cannot be used for 9 6 How to apply to the Program 10 6.1 Timing of Program application and assessment processes 10 6.2 Questions during the application process 11 7 The Program assessment 11 7.1 Weighted Assessment Criteria 11 7.2 Merit assessment and interviews 12 7.3 Who will approve successful program applicants and Grants? 13 7.4 Grant amount selection process 13 7.5 Announcement of successful Program applicants and Grants 14 7.6 Notification of application outcomes 14 8 Further grant opportunities 14 9 Successful Grant applications 14 9.1 Participation Agreement 14 10 Documentation, Reporting and Evaluation 15 10.1 Commencement Survey 15 10.2 Final Program Survey 15 10.3 Post-Program reporting 16 10.4 Ad-hoc reports and communications 16 11 Other things you should know 16 11.1 Guideline updates 16 11.2 Enquiries and feedback 16 11.3 Conflicts of interest 16 11.4 Privacy 17 11.5 Confidential Information 17 11.6 Freedom of information 17 11.7 National security 18 12 Glossary 19 1 The RISE Accelerator: Round 4 process The RISE Accelerator is designed to achieve Australian Government objectives The RISE Accelerator program ("Program") contributes to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's (CSIRO) objective to support innovation and technology directed to our national challenges; and to the Australian Government's efforts to build and deepen Australia's and India's economic linkages in support of both countries' prosperity. ? The grant opportunity opens and you are invited to apply We publish the grant opportunity guidelines online at www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/international/rise- accelerator/Round-4. Organisations that meet the eligibility criteria are invited to apply. ? You complete and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) You complete the EOI application form. We assess eligible applications against the selection criteria and compare it to other eligible applications. We may invite you to interview to further explore your EOI application. We assess your responses against other applicants including an overall consideration of value with relevant money. ? We make grant recommendations We provide advice to the Program Delegate on the merits of each application. ? Grant decisions are made The Program Delegate decides which applications are successful. ? We notify you of the outcome We advise you of the outcome of your application. We may not notify unsuccessful applicants until all Participation Agreements have been executed with successful applicants. ? We enter into a grant agreement We will enter into a Participation Agreement with successful applicants. ? Delivery of grant You undertake the Program Activities and Milestones as set out in your Participation Agreement. We manage the Program Activities, and your Grant by working with you, monitoring your progress and making payments. ? Evaluation of the program We evaluate the impact of the Program including Grant activity as a whole. We base this information on information you provide to us and that we collect from various sources. 2 Introduction These guidelines ("Guidelines") contain information for Australian applicants regarding Round 4 of the India Australia Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion 'RISE' Accelerator program ("Program") including Grant ("Grant"). Previous and subsequent Rounds of the Program are/will be detailed in guidelines specific to each Round. You are advised to read these guidelines and sample Participation Agreement before submitting an application. This document sets out: * the purpose of the Program * the application process * eligibility and assessment criteria * how applications are assessed * how applicants are notified * Program Activities and Grant * responsibilities and expectations in relation to the Program and Grant These guidelines may be changed from time-to-time. The updated version will be published on www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/international/rise-accelerator/Round-4. The version available when successfully selected startups and SMEs ("Participant Organisations") enter into a binding agreement ("Participation Agreement"), will apply to that Participant Organisation. 3 About the RISE Accelerator Program Announced as part of the Australian Government's updated India Economic Strategy to 2035 (2022), the RISE Accelerator is one of CSIRO's commitments with India to draw on complementary capabilities and resources to solve shared national challenges. The Program contributes to the delivery of the India Economic Strategy by: * fast-tracking cutting edge research and technology impact, by supporting startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who have mature and innovative technology and are considering overseas expansion between India and Australia * creating sustainable environmental, economic, and social impact in areas of shared national challenges and priorities * driving increased bilateral economic activity and better integrating the science and technology startup and SME ecosystem between the two countries. With a focus on meaningful social and environmental impact, the Program encourages innovation to address challenges and adaptation in a changing world. Specific environmental challenge/s will be publicised online at www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/international/rise-accelerator and in these Guidelines per Round. The Program will seek competitive applications from startups and SMEs with solutions that address this challenge, and who must meet all nominated eligibility criteria. The objectives of the Program are: * greater levels of collaboration between India and Australia and increased bilateral economic activity and investment levels in startups and SMEs across the two countries * fast-tracked new market explorations for Australian and Indian startups and SMEs * amplify the chances of sustainable, cross-border commercial success. This will be demonstrated through eligible startups and SMEs being able to access increased cross-border and export opportunities across India and Australia. The intended outcomes of the Program are: * improved capability for Australian startups and SMEs to trade in the Indian market, and vice versa * effective cross-border business, research, and commercialisation networks * improved business and commercialisation performance. The Program is delivered through a collaboration between: * CSIRO - Australia's national science agency * Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog - the Government of India's flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. 3.1 Delivery of the RISE Accelerator program The RISE Accelerator will consist of up to five rounds of cross-border capacity building activities ("Round"). In Round 4, an opportunity may present for up to ten competitively selected Australian RISE Accelerator alumni - the Participant Organisations - to participate in further Program Activities, furthering RISE Accelerator Round 4 The grant opportunity described in these Guidelines is an Expression of Interest (EOI) application process for participation in Round 4 of the Program. The commencement of Round 4 is contingent upon budget allocation and approval. Submitting an EOI does not guarantee that the Round will be delivered or that you will secure grant funding. The purpose of the EOI application is to evaluate the interest and potential activities of Australian RISE Accelerator alumni organisations in relation to the Program's objectives. This initial stage enables both applicants and CSIRO to assess alignment and mutual suitability before progressing to a full grant application. To participate in the Program, successfully selected Australian applicants will be asked to enter into a Participation Agreement with CSIRO and will not be eligible to receive grant or other funding from AIM for this Program. Australian Participant Organisations will receive a grant of up to $100,000 to support their participation in the Program, subject to satisfactory participation in, and completion of, program activities. Date (from) 23.02.26 - 29.03.26 09.03.26 - 08.04.26 09.04.26 - 17.04.26 20.04.26 - 27.11.26 Stage Expression of Interest Assessment and Interviews Selection and outcome Program Activities Table 1: Proposed schedule of Program delivery, Round 4 Participant Organisations will appoint at least two Nominated Participant/s such as co-founders, owners, or executives who will participate in the Program. The Program consists of (the "Program Activities"): * access to a dedicated Expert-In-Residence (EIR) and or a Program Facilitator to provide additional guidance and expertise * facilitated online sessions * demonstrated activity by You and or Your nominated participants that contribute toward achieving the Program objectives set as part of your acceptance into the round * RISE Accelerator grant (the "Grant") subject to satisfactory participation in, and completion of, Program Activities, Milestones and reporting. 3.2 Program Period Round 4 of the Program for successfully selected Participant Organisations will run from 20.4.26 - 27.11.26, or as advised by the Program Delegate. Following this period, an evaluation period of 9 months will commence. Successful Participating Organisations must complete all Program Activities and Milestones related to payment of the grant by 30.07.26, and all activities associated with the overall Program Round by 27.11.26. 4 Program eligibility criteria 4.1 Who is eligible to apply for the Program? We cannot consider your Program application if you do not satisfy all the eligibility criteria. To be considered, you must meet all the following: * a company incorporated in Australia with ABN and ACN or an incorporated trustee applying on behalf of a trust * be headquartered or domiciled in Australia * registered for GST * has not had revenue of more than $20 million in any of the last 3 financial years * have a technology or solution at TRL 7 or higher. We may consider solutions at TRL 5-6 that have a clear potential to rapidly advance through expansion into India * have previously participated in a RISE Accelerator Round 1-3 under a Participation Agreement with CSIRO. In addition, you must meet the following conditions: * can demonstrate readiness for commercial scale-up in India, with a focus on tangible execution - revenue growth, contracted sales, and or establishment of manufacturing or assembly capability in India. * have fulfilled all reporting obligations, to date, under your Program Round Participation Agreement * continuing to develop a technology or solution that aligns with circular economy, climate smart agriculture or renewable energy. If you require more information before commencing an EOI application, please contact the RISE Accelerator team (RISEaccelerator@csiro.au). 4.2 Who is not eligible to apply for the Program? You are not eligible to apply if you are: * an individual * a partnership * an unincorporated association * a trust (however, an incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust) * a Commonwealth, state, territory or local government agency or body (including government business enterprises) * a non-corporate Commonwealth entity * an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012) * an organisation included on the National Redress Scheme's website list of 'Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme' * any organisation that does not satisfy the eligibility criteria or cannot meet the conditions specified in section 4.1. 5 About the RISE Accelerator Grant Sections 3-4 above outlines details of the Program, this section details the Grant awarded as part of the Program. The Grant seeks to support Participating Organisations as they continue to build on pilot activities in the Indian market with a focus on scale-up and next level manufacturing and or commercial activities to drive revenue. 5.1 Grant available The Grant for each Australian Participant Organisation is up to $100,000 paid in accordance with the Participation Agreement schedule, subject to satisfactory participation in, and completion of, Program Activities, and achievement of Milestones. Participant Organisations are responsible for any remaining costs associated with their participation in the Program. The Grant is intended to support Participant Organisation completion of Program Activities. 5.2 Grant period The maximum Grant period is 7 months, aligned with the Program Round period from 20.04.26 - 27.11.26, or as advised by the Program Delegate. 5.3 Who will be paid the Grant? The Grant is paid subject to a Participant Organisation satisfying each of the following (the "Milestones"): * submission of (see section 10, Documentation, Reporting and Evaluation): - Commencement Survey - budget that demonstrates incurred and or forecast expenditure of at least the equal amount of Grant in the template provided at the commencement of the program - actions by You and/or Your designated participants that showcase progress toward your expansion efforts in India - Final Program Survey - you may be required to provide an updated Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), Letter of Intent (LOI), Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Partnership Agreement or similar, or other reasonable documentation as requested by CSIRO, that evidences your planned scale-up activities with an Indian partner - Post-Program Survey issued 9-months following the conclusion of the Round. 5.4 How we pay the Grant The Participation Agreement will state the how we pay the Grant and: * maximum Grant amount we will pay * anticipated schedule of payment/s * any program contributions you will make. We will not exceed the maximum Grant amount under any circumstances. If you incur extra costs, you must meet them yourself. You must be able to fund the total cost of the activities before being reimbursed, without using in-kind contributions. Payments will be made according to an agreed schedule set out in the Participation Agreement and these may be reliant upon provision of an agreed tax invoice. Payments are subject to demonstration of satisfactory achievement of Program Activities and Milestones. 5.5 Grant payments and GST Participant Organisations must supply Australian bank account details, which will be verified by CSIRO, and ensure the business's Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration status is provided. If you are registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST), where applicable GST will be added to your Grant payment/s. Grants are assessable income for taxation purposes, unless exempted by a taxation law. We recommend you seek independent professional advice on your taxation obligations or seek assistance from the Australian Taxation Office, https://www.ato.gov.au. We do not provide advice on your particular taxation circumstances. 5.6 What the Grant money can be used for The Grant is intended to support expenditure that directly relates to your participation in the Program Activities. The Grant is to support costs directly incurred by you, and only after the Commencement Date. We may ask you to verify your budget and costs incurred against budget submitted as a Milestone in the Program. You may need to provide evidence such as written quotations or invoices for major costs. An indicative budget is to be provided when submitting your EOI application and must demonstrate incurred and or forecast expenditure of at least an amount equal to the Grant. The Program Delegate makes the final decision as to whether the budget sufficiently and satisfactorily demonstrates costs directly related to your participation in the Program Activities, your cross-border and activities. Example costs associated with Program Activities (non-exhaustive): * direct labour costs of employees directly contributing to Program Activities, including up to 25 per cent on-costs such as employer paid superannuation, payroll tax and works compensation insurance * up to 30% maximum of the grant may support reasonable costs of accommodation and transportation including international travel to India, required to conduct activities; and or to enable collaboration amongst staff, contractors or subcontractors where that travel is material to the conduct of the project in India * contract expenditure to engage external professionals * IP strategy and protection * costs to establish licensing, distribution or manufacturing agreements * salesperson or a business development manager cost where that role and costs are material to the conduct of the activities or sales in India * costs to complete testing and validation studies of the technology or solution in Indian conditions, and which may include leasing or hire of plant and equipment. This should build on activities already achieved and contribute to scaling-up efforts and must not involve initial pilot testing or validation * prototype expenditure where the construction and use of the prototype builds on the commercial viability and suitability of the technology/solution to an existing established stakeholder * costs to obtain planning, environmental or other regulatory approvals that is material to the conduct of project activities or achieving sales in India. Any associated fees paid to the Commonwealth, state, territory and local governments in Australia and India are not eligible. 5.7 What the Grant money cannot be used for The Grant should not be used to support the costs of anything that does not directly support your cross- border activities, nor should it be used to support the costs of any activity that would be reasonably anticipated to bring the Program into disrepute. The Grant must not be used to obtain any financial assistance for the same activities from another source including any scheme administered by the Commonwealth or a State or Territory, or an authority of the Commonwealth or State or Territory of Australia, or the Indian government, and related union states and territories of India. The Grant must not be used to make any donations, sponsorships, or gifts, or payments, costs or associated fees paid to the Commonwealth, state, territory and local governments or their officials, in Australia and India. 6 How to apply to the Program Before submitting an EOI application, you must read and understand these Guidelines, paying close attention to all Eligibility Criteria and Assessment Criteria, and the sample Participation Agreement published on www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/international/rise-accelerator/Round-4. You can only submit an EOI between the Opening and Closing Dates of the Round. We will publish Opening and Closing dates for Round 4 on www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/international/rise-accelerator/Round-4. You will need to set up an account via the Good Grants platform to apply for the Program. The portal allows you to apply and manage your application in a secure online environment. To apply you must: * complete and submit your EOI application using the online form in the Good Grants platform * provide all the information requested * address all eligibility criteria and assessment criteria * review privacy and other application consents specific to the Program * submit your EOI application by the notified closing date/time. Your EOI application must contain all the information necessary for assessment without the need for further written or oral explanation, or reference to additional documentation, unless requested by the Program Delegate. Personal Information is collected, including sensitive information of Nominated Participants for the purposes of delivering the Program, see section 11.4, Privacy. Applicants should not disclose sensitive Participant Organisation Confidential Information in the application. Participant Organisation's should take all reasonable steps to ensure they do not disclose material which would undermine their ability to secure patent or other protection for Participant Organisation Confidential Information, or which would jeopardise or hinder their commercial activities. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete and accurate. If we consider that you have provided false or misleading information, we may not progress your application. If you find any false or misleading information after submitting it, you should contact us immediately at RISEaccelerator@csiro.au. You cannot change your EOI application after the closing date and time. If we find an error or information that is missing, we may ask for clarification or additional information from you that will not change the nature of your application. However, we can refuse to accept any additional information from you that would change your submission after the application closing time. You should keep a copy of your application and any supporting documents. 6.1 Timing of Program application and assessment processes You must submit your EOI application between the Opening and Closing Dates stipulated at the start of this document. Late application acceptance is at the discretion of the Program Delegate. Activity Timeframe Applications open 22.02.2026 - 29.03.2026 Assessment of applications 09.03.2026 - 08.04.2026 Outcome of applications 09.04.2026 - 17.04.2026 Issue and acceptance of Participation Agreement 09.04.2026 - 17.04.2026 Onboarding and Program Activities 20.04.2026 - 27.11.2026 Table 2: Expected timing for the Program Round 6.2 Questions during the application process If you have any questions during the application period, contact RISEaccelerator@csiro.au. We will respond to emailed questions within three working days. 7 The Program assessment Program applicants are required to demonstrate scale-up activities that address the assessment criteria in listed in section 7.1. Assessment criteria weighting will apply as listed in section 7.1, with questions asked relating to these criteria. You must address all the assessment criteria in the EOI application. The amount of detail and supporting evidence you provide in your application should be relative to the assessment criteria weighting. You should justify your answers. The application form displays word limits for each response. 7.1 Weighted Assessment Criteria The following weighted criteria apply to Round 4. Assessment criterion 1 Pilot outcome and strategic justification (35%) You should demonstrate this through identifying: * outcomes to date from your RISE Accelerator pilot and beyond, including evidence * strategic justification for continuing in the Indian market Assessment criterion 2 Project plan (45%) You should demonstrate this through identifying: * project activities, milestones and timeframes, showing clear alignment with Program's objectives * details on your Indian project partner/key stakeholder challenges and risks * manufacturing/assembly readiness (if applicable) Assessment criterion 3 Project budget and financial positioning (20%) You should demonstrate this through identifying: * resourcing and indicative budget for project activities, key personnel, equipment and other costs over the specified period * revenue or other funding for the next 12-24 months, including those allocated for international expansion 7.2 Merit assessment and interviews We first review your EOI application against the eligibility criteria. Only eligible applications will proceed to the assessment stage. If you find any false or misleading information in your application after submitting it, you should contact us immediately at RISEaccelerator@csiro.au. If we find an error or information that is missing, we may ask for clarification or additional information from you that will not change the nature of your application. However, we can refuse to accept any additional information from you that would change your submission after the application closing time. EOIs that meet eligibility criteria are competitively assessed against the assessment criteria and against other applications in the Round, and are then ranked by merit. We consider your application on its merits, based on: * how well it meets the weighted Assessment Criteria * how it compares to other EOI applications * your understanding of the Program Round objectives and the evidence provided to demonstrate how your technology/solution and cross-border aspirations contributes to meeting those objectives * any national interest, financial, legal/regulatory, governance or other issue or risk that we identify during any due diligence process that we conduct in respect of the applicant and or any perceived or existing conflicts of interests declared by you. This includes the applicant's directors, officers, senior managers, key personnel, its related bodies corporate (as defined in the Corporations Act) or its application that could bring CSIRO or the Australian Government into disrepute if it were to fund the applicant. Such issues and risks include where we consider that funding the application under this grant opportunity is likely to directly conflict with Australian Government policy. Where possible and subject to national security and other considerations, we will provide you with an opportunity to comment on any material risks identified during this due diligence process prior to our determining the extent (if any) to which those issues or risks affect our assessment of the application and, if so, whether they are sufficient to warrant the exclusion of your application from the assessment process. Highest merit ranked applications are then invited to participate in an online interview, with a panel of up to four assessors (interview panel). The information provided in the EOI application and the interview responses are assessed using the weighted Assessment Criteria (section 7.1), and by comparison to other interviewed applicants. Following all interviews, the interview panel will rank all interviewed applicants. At the conclusion of the interviews, the interview panel recommends successful applicants to the Program Delegate for approval. Assessors are CSIRO employees and or external technical and commercial professionals approved by the Program Delegate as having knowledge and experience aligned to the Program objectives. Assessors includes those who sit on the interview panel, and assess each application on its merit and compare and rank it against other eligible applications. All Assessors are required to declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from any applications affected. Assessors may seek additional information about an application. They may do this directly from you, or from within CSIRO, even if the sources are not nominated by you as referees. Assessors may also consider information about an application that is available through the normal course of business. 7.3 Who will approve successful program applicants and Grants? The Program Delegate approves successful program applications considering the recommendations of the interview panel, availability of grant funds, and Program objectives. The Program Delegate's decision is final in all matters, including: * the selection of Program applicants * the approval of the Grants * the Grant amount to be awarded * the terms and conditions of the Grant. We cannot review decisions about the merits of your application or Grant. There is no appeal mechanism for application decisions, or decisions to approve or not approve a Grant. 7.4 Grant amount selection process Your EOI application and supporting documentation, along with any additional supporting materials reasonably requested by the CSIRO delivery team following acceptance into the Program, will be reviewed from the commencement of the Round up until 29 May 2026. This review will determine the Grant amount awarded. The review process will consider: * Your budget demonstrating incurred and/or forecast expenditure of at least the same amount as the Grant * evidence of partner collaboration in India through a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), Letter of Intent (LOI), Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Partnership Agreement or similar * potential for commercialisation and success in India * alignment with the Program's objectives. Following the review, a grant decision will be made regarding the amount to be awarded. The Program Delegate will approve successful Participant Organisations to receive the Grant, based on the recommendations of the Program team, the availability of grant funds, and overall program objectives. 7.5 Announcement of successful Program applicants and Grants In accordance with the Participation Agreement, we may publish non-sensitive details of Participant Organisations on csiro.au and https://www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/international/rise-accelerator and or riseaccelerator.org. This is information may include: * name of Participant Organisation * high-level description of activities * amount of Grant awarded. 7.6 Notification of application outcomes We will advise you of the outcome of your application in writing. If you are successful, we will advise you of any specific conditions attached to the Program and associated Grant, which will be set out in the Participation Agreement. 8 Further grant opportunities If there are not enough suitable applications to meet the Program objectives in any given Round, we will select only those applications that meet the assessment criteria and align with Program objectives. 9 Successful Grant applications 9.1 Participation Agreement You must enter into a legally binding Participation Agreement to participate in the Program Activities and to receive Grant payments. You will be required to elect and list in the Participation Agreement two (or more) Nominated Participants who will actively participate in the Program Activities. These Nominated Participants, such as co-founders, executives or similar, must be over 18 years of age. The provision of Program Activities and your Grant may have specific conditions determined by the assessment process or other considerations made by the Program Delegate. We will identify these in the offer of your selection into the Program, within the Participation Agreement. We will manage the arrangement directly with you and will provide specific contact details for this purpose. This includes issuing and executing of documents. Execute means both you and the Program Delegate have signed the Participation Agreement. We are not responsible for any expenditure you incur. We will not make any Grant payments, until a Participation Agreement is executed, and only then we will make Grant payments after Milestones have been met. You will have no more than 7 days from the date of a written offer to have an appropriate delegate execute the Participation Agreement. The offer may lapse if you do not sign the Participation Agreement within the 7 days. Under certain circumstances, we may extend this period. We base the approval of your acceptance into the Program and associated Grant on the information you provide in your EOI. We will review any requested or required changes to these details to ensure they do not impact your participation in the Program and your Grant as approved by the Program Delegate. You may not request changes to the terms of the Participation Agreement. You should let us know if anything is likely to affect your participation in the Program Activities. 10 Documentation, Reporting and Evaluation Successful applicants will be required to submit documentation and reports in accordance with the Participation Agreement. The amount of detail you provide should be relative to the complexity of Program Activities, your activities, their size and cost. Submission of any requested the Documentation and Reporting are key Milestones and to which the Grant payments are tied. We will also evaluate the Program to measure how well program objectives have been achieved. We may use information from successful applications for reporting and evaluation purposes. We may also interview you or ask you for more information to help us understand how the Program and Grant impacted the Participant Organisation, and the Nominated Participants. We may contact you up to 9 months after completion date of Program Activities for more information to assist with this evaluation. Please refer to the Participation Agreement for further details. 10.1 Commencement Survey At the commencement of Program Activities, you must submit a Commencement Survey. This must: * outline if and how your activities will be achieved * be submitted by the Schedule 1 (Participation Agreement) due date or earlier. You must discuss any potential delays in submission with us as soon as you become aware of them. 10.2 Final Program Survey At the conclusion of the Program Activities, you must submit a Final Program Report. This must: * outline if and how your scale-up activities have been achieved * be submitted by the Schedule 1 (Participation Agreement) due date or earlier. We will only make the Grant payment when we receive satisfactory Final Program Report, determined to be satisfactory by the Program Delegate. You must discuss any potential delays in submission with us as soon as you become aware of them. 10.3 Post-Program reporting Post-program reporting will be required for a period of 9 months post-program. Survey responses will be required to assist us to reasonably track how you and your cross-border activities have generally progressed since completion of the Program. Survey responses must be returned within four weeks of receiving the online survey request. 10.4 Ad-hoc reports and communications We may ask you for ad-hoc reports and information about your Program Activities and your participation in the Program. This may be for input into marketing and promotion communications materials, or for an update on progress, or any significant delays or difficulties in completing the Program Activities. 11 Other things you should know 11.1 Guideline updates These guidelines may be changed from time-to-time. The updated version will be available on the website www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/international/rise-accelerator/Round-4. The version in place when Participant Organisations enter into a Participation Agreement will apply to that Organisation. 11.2 Enquiries and feedback All feedback, any complaints or questions about the RISE Accelerator program, Grant and process must be provided in writing to RISEaccelerator@csiro.au. 11.3 Conflicts of interest Any conflicts of interest could affect the performance of the grant opportunity or program. There may be a conflict of interest, or perceived conflict of interest if you or any of your personnel: * has a professional, commercial or personal relationship with a party who is able to influence the application selection process, such as a CSIRO RISE Accelerator Program employee, or an Assessor * has a relationship with or interest in, an organisation, which is likely to interfere with or restrict the CSIRO or Participant Organisations from carrying out proposed Program Activities fairly and independently. As part of your application, you will be required to declare any perceived or existing conflicts of interests or confirm that, to the best of your knowledge, there is no conflict of interest. If you later identify an actual, apparent, or perceived conflict of interest, you must inform us in writing immediately. CSIRO is committed to conducting the affairs of the organisation with integrity and in the national interest consistent with the functions of CSIRO as set out in the Science and Industry Research Act 1949 (SIR Act), the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) and other relevant legislation. We publish our conflict of interest process via the CSIRO Code of Conduct on the CSIRO website. All Program employees, Assessors or officials including the Program Delegate must also declare any conflicts of interest and manage such conflicts of interest in accordance with CSIRO's policies and procedures. 11.4 Privacy We are bound to protect personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. Personal Information is collected, including sensitive information of Nominated Participants for the purposes of delivering the Program. This personal information may include Nominated Participants' name, business address, email address and phone number. By submitting an application the Participant Organisation agrees that we will collect, use and disclose the Nominated Participants' personal information in accordance with the CSIRO Privacy Policy and RISE Accelerator privacy statement (https://www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/International/RISE-Accelerator/Privacy-Statement) for the purposes of facilitating the Program. We may disclose personal information to third parties including international program collaborator Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), relevant Australian Government entities (including AusTrade, DFAT), suppliers, mentors, experts, corporates, sponsors, industry partners and research institutes for the purposes of assessing eligibility to participate in the Program and for the purposes of delivering the Program. By virtue of participation, Nominated Participants' personal information may be disclosed to other participants during attendance at Program Activities. As part of your application, you acknowledge that the Nominated Participants have been informed of CSIRO's privacy statement and CSIRO Privacy Policy and have provided their consent to the handling of their personal and sensitive information in the ways described in the CSIRO privacy statement and the CSIRO Privacy Policy for the purpose of the Program. Participants in the Program must comply with any directions given by CSIRO in relation to your use of personal information and must assist CSIRO to meet its obligations in relation to personal information collected, used or disclosed in connection with the Program. Participants must not use or disclose any personal information that you acquire, other than for the purposes of your role as a Participant. You also agree that you will take all reasonable steps to secure that personal information to ensure that it is not capable of being accessed by third parties. You must delete or return any personal information disclosed to you by CSIRO at the conclusion of your participation in the Program. 11.5 Confidential Information You should not disclose sensitive Confidential Information to CSIRO, AIM, Expert-in-Residence, subject matter mentors or other Participants. You should take all reasonable steps to ensure you do not disclose material which would undermine your ability to secure patent or other protection for Confidential Information, or which would jeopardise or hinder your commercial activities. You should ensure information contained in your application will not compromise your requirements for confidentiality (such as protection of Intellectual Property). 11.6 Freedom of information All documents in the possession of the Australian Government, including those about this grant opportunity, are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). The purpose of the FOI Act is to give members of the public rights of access to information held by the Australian Government and its entities. Under the FOI Act, members of the public can seek access to documents held by the Australian Government. This right of access is limited only by the exceptions and exemptions necessary to protect essential public interests and private and business affairs of persons in respect of whom the information relates. All Freedom of Information requests must be referred to the Freedom of Information Officer in writing. This can be: * by email: FOI@csiro.au * by post: FOI Officer, CSIRO PO Box 225 Dickson ACT 2602 Australia 11.7 National security It is your responsibility to consider any national security implications of your proposed activities and to identify and manage any risks, particularly relating to export controls, potential for foreign interference and technology transfer. You should also ensure there are appropriate controls around any sensitive research data including securing intellectual property. Collaboration with foreign entities must be transparent, undertaken with full knowledge and consent, and in a manner, that avoids harm to Australia's national interests. It is your responsibility to consider the national security implications of your activities. Know your partner You should ensure that you know about who you are collaborating with by undertaking appropriate due diligence, proportionate to the risk and subject to available information, on all domestic and global partners and personnel participating in the Program Activities. This should take into account any potential security, ethical, legal and reputational risks, and where necessary, you should be prepared to demonstrate how you will manage and mitigate any identified risks. Export controls As this Program involves collaboration with foreign entities, some provisions of Australia's export controls regime may apply to your Program Activities. It is your responsibility to consider the implications, if any, of the relevant legislation on the proposed activities and to comply with any applicable requirements. Further information is available on the Department of Defence website. 12 Glossary Term Definition Administering Entity The entity that is responsible for the administration of the Grant administration processes. Assessment Criteria Are the specified principles or standards, against which applications will be judged. These criteria are used to assess the merits of applications and, in the case of a competitive grant opportunity, to determine application rankings. Closing Date The last date applications for the Program will be accepted Commencement Date The expected start date for the Program and Grant Activities Commonwealth Entity A Department of State, or a Parliamentary Department, or a listed entity or a body corporate established by a law of the Commonwealth. See subsections 10(1) and (2) of the PGPA Act Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is the Australian Government's national science agency. CSIRO is constituted and operates under the Science and Industry Research Act 1949 (SIR Act) and is responsible and accountable to the Commonwealth. Completion Date The expected date that Program activity must be completed by. Confidential Information All information disclosed in any form or media, which is by its nature confidential or which the discloser identifies as confidential. Eligibility Criteria The mandatory criteria which must be met to qualify for the Program. Assessment criteria may apply in addition to eligibility criteria. Expression of Interest A non-binding indication of interest from an organisation to participate in the Program. Grant Financial assistance delivered by CSIRO and which is intended to help address one or more of the Australian Government's policy outcomes while assisting the grantee achieve its objectives. Grantee The Organisation which has been selected to participate in the Program, and to receive a Grant. Guidelines (This) Document containing relevant information for potential applicants to understand the purpose, outcome and objectives of the Program; the application and selection process; governance of the Program and Grant. These guidelines may be updated from time-to-time and will be published on www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/international/rise-accelerator. The version in place when a Participant Organisation enter into a Participation Agreement will apply to that Organisation. Milestones Grant is paid subject to a Participant Organisations satisfying each of the Milestones, specified performance and participation criteria. Nominated Participant/s Appointed personnel from the business, such as co-founder or executive, who will take part in the Program Activities. Online Application Online platform hosting the application form that applicants use to apply for funding under the Program. Opening Date The first date applications for the Program will be accepted Participation Agreement Binding agreement issued to successfully selected applicants, setting out the relationship between parties to the agreement, specifies the Program Activities and Grant Details. Term Definition Personal Information Has the same meaning as in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) which is: * information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable: * whether the information or opinion is true or not; and * whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not. Program Delegate An Australian Government official within CSIRO with financial delegation responsibility for administering the Program. As Australia's national science agency and innovation catalyst, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. CSIRO. Unlocking a better future for everyone. Contact us 1300 363 400 +61 3 9545 2176 csiro.au/contact csiro.au For further information RISE Accelerator Program Team www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/international/rise-accelerator CSIRO: RISEaccelerator@csiro.au