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Looking for a program for your SME?

Every day, we work to connect small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) to world-class research and development, whether within CSIRO or the Australian research ecosystem. Our SME Connect team help Australian start-ups, small and medium businesses uncover what’s possible through research and development; taking an idea from concept through to execution to drive business growth. We can connect you to the right research expertise for your business, as well as access to funding support, world-class facilities, training, and links to other CSIRO opportunities, networks and the Australian research sector.

Innovation Connections

Innovation Connections is a free one-on-one facilitated service to assist small and medium-sized-businesses in establishing research priorities, locating researchers and providing access to funding to fast-track R&D projects.

About Kick-Start

Designed specifically for start-ups and established small businesses, CSIRO Kick-Start offers dollar-matched funding of $10,000 to $50,000 for collaborative research projects.

Innovate to Grow

Innovate to Grow is a training and mentorship program for SMEs looking to explore research and development for their business.

STEM+ Business

The SIEF Ross Metcalf STEM+ Business Fellowship program builds deeper connections between researchers and SMEs, accelerates the adoption of new ideas and technology, and helps SMEs grow into larger and more profitable organisations.

Lindfield Collaboration Hub

Lindfield Collaboration Hub is an innovation incubator. A dedicated space for start-ups and SME’s to develop unique, high-tech products and devices.

Generation STEM Links

Generation STEM Links provides high‑quality internships to help tertiary students gain relevant workplace skills, and transition into STEM jobs after graduation. The program also aims to strengthen connections between industry and tertiary education institutions.

Funding finder

SME Connect Funding Finder for businesses to have a starting point for programs and funding that might help them grow.

How we can assist your business?

Through the Australian Government's Innovation Connections program, CSIRO Kick-Start vouchers and the Science and Industry Endowment Fund's Ross Metcalf SIEF STEM+ Business Fellowship program, we are able to offer three levels of matched-funding grants for research projects and researcher placements that cater to SME businesses of all sizes. We focus on streamlining the engagement process between SMEs and research organisations, and provide assistance at all stages of the collaboration process from start to finish.

We help SMEs by:

  • defining the business problem to be solved, and/or identifying the research opportunity
  • locating the right research capability to meet those needs
  • facilitating the project scoping and design
  • accessing and applying for grant funding
  • assisting with project agreements and contracting.

SME enablers and barriers to research


We wanted to find out what the enablers and barriers were for Australian SMEs so we commissioned RMIT University researchers to undertake one of Australia’s largest ever surveys of SME leaders.

Take a look at the report

Meet the team

SME connect team

We work with SMEs to find the very best capabilities suited to their business, both locally and across Australia.

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Generation STEM Links

Generation STEM Links provides high‑quality internships to help tertiary students gain relevant workplace skills, and transition into STEM jobs after graduation. The program also aims to strengthen connections between industry and tertiary education institutions.

Looking for a program for your SME?

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