Innovation Connections is a free one-on-one facilitated service to assist SMEs in establishing research priorities, locating researchers and providing access to funding to fast-track R&D projects.
Innovation Connections is a component of the Entrepreneurs' Programme, where projects are for 2-12 months in duration, and businesses are required to make a cash contribution that matches the value of the grant. Grants can be accessed at any time and are based on eligibility.
Each SME can access up to two Researcher Placements or Business Researcher placement grants, as well as one Graduate Placement grant.
- Researcher Placement: placement of a Researcher in your business to work collaboratively on a project to develop and implement a new idea with commercial potential (up to a maximum of $50,000).
- Business Researcher Placement: placement of a business' own research employee into a publicly funded research organisation, including CSIRO and Australian universities, to work collaboratively on a project and/or access specialised equipment and research infrastructure (up to a maximum of $50,000).
- Graduate Placement: employment of a graduate or postgraduate into your business to undertake a research project for 6-12 months (up to a maximum of $30,000).
To learn more and for full eligibility criteria, visit Innovation Connections.