About this programme
The Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) is a two-stage federal grant program, delivered by AusIndustry within the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, that pays startups and SMEs to develop innovative solutions to specific public-policy or service-delivery problems nominated by Australian Government agencies. Rather than funding a business's own R&D agenda, BRII works the other way around: an agency identifies a 'challenge' it cannot solve with anything already on the market, and eligible businesses compete for grant funding to build a solution to that named challenge.
BRII runs in themed rounds, each built around a small set of challenges proposed by government agencies, recommended by Innovation and Science Australia, and approved by the Minister. Past rounds have covered themes such as renewables and low emissions, workplace relations usability, automatic mutual recognition of occupational registrations, and (in the original pilot) digital identity verification, tourism data, digital government services, biosecurity risk on shipping containers, and government records automation.
The program is explicitly designed to let businesses keep ownership of what they build: grantees retain their intellectual property and the right to commercialise the resulting product or service in Australia or overseas. If a feasibility or proof-of-concept project succeeds, the agency that proposed the challenge has the option to negotiate a purchase of the solution afterwards, but it is under no obligation to do so — any purchase is a separate, later negotiation.
As of this record's verification date there is no themed round open for application; the business.gov.au overview page for BRII lists prior rounds as no longer accepting applications. Businesses interested in a future round should check business.gov.au/BRII directly for newly opened challenges and their published opening/closing dates.
How it works
BRII funds two sequential stages against a named challenge. Stage one is a feasibility grant of up to $100,000 to test the scientific, technical and commercial feasibility of a proposed solution; the project must be completed within three months (no minimum project length).
Businesses that successfully complete a feasibility project may be invited to apply for a stage-two proof-of-concept grant of up to $1,000,000 to build a working prototype or demonstration of the solution; this project must be completed within 18 months. A business cannot apply directly for proof-of-concept funding — completing a successful feasibility project under the same round is the entry requirement.
Applications are assessed in two steps: AusIndustry first checks the application against the BRII eligibility criteria, then eligible applications are assessed against the published merit criteria — first by the government agency that proposed the challenge, then by Innovation and Science Australia, which recommends which projects to fund to the Program Delegate.
A business may only apply for, and receive funding for, one challenge per round. Joint or collaborative applications are allowed provided there is a single eligible lead applicant who is the main driver of the project; collaboration partners (including universities or overseas organisations) do not themselves need to meet the eligibility criteria.
Who can apply
To apply you need an Australian Business Number (ABN) and must be one of: a company incorporated in Australia, an incorporated trustee acting on behalf of a trust, or an individual/partnership that agrees to incorporate an eligible Australian company before signing a grant agreement.
Combined annual turnover (including any related bodies corporate) must be under $20 million for each of the three financial years before lodging the application. If the applicant is controlled by an Australian university or public-sector research organisation, the same under-$20-million turnover test applies to the applicant in isolation. Newly established companies, including those with no revenue, are welcome to apply.
You are not eligible if you are an income tax-exempt corporation, an individual or partnership that has not committed to incorporate before signing a grant agreement, a trust (unless applying through a corporate trustee), or a Commonwealth, state or local government agency or body (including government business enterprises). Universities cannot apply as a lead applicant but can be a project partner.
Government agencies cannot draw funding from the BRII grant pool for their own costs — the funding is for the SME/startup side of the challenge, not the sponsoring agency.
How to apply
- Check business.gov.au/BRII for a currently open round and its published challenges, opening date and closing date — applications can only be submitted while a round is open.
- Read the BRII grant opportunity guidelines, the online application form and the grant agreement template for the specific round before starting.
- Complete the online BRII application form for the round, addressing every eligibility and merit criterion set out in the guidelines.
- Attach all mandatory supporting documents in line with the instructions in the application form — only requested attachments are considered.
- If successful at feasibility stage, complete the project within three months and submit the required final report before being invited to apply for a proof-of-concept grant for the same challenge.
Documents you’ll typically need
- Project plan
- Budget plan
- Financial turnover declaration
- Letters of support (where collaborating with other organisations)
- Trust deed (where applying via a corporate trustee)
Frequently asked
Is a BRII round currently open?
Not as of this record's verification date — business.gov.au lists prior BRII rounds as no longer open to new applications. Rounds open periodically around specific government-nominated challenges, so check business.gov.au/BRII for the current status and any newly published opening/closing dates.
How much can a BRII grant provide?
Feasibility-stage grants go up to $100,000 and must be completed within three months. Proof-of-concept grants go up to $1,000,000, must be completed within 18 months, and are only available by invitation after a successful feasibility project in the same round.
Can I apply directly for a proof-of-concept grant?
No. Proof-of-concept funding is only open to businesses that have completed a successful feasibility project under the same BRII round — it is not a separate application anyone can lodge.
Who owns the intellectual property created under BRII?
Grantees retain intellectual property rights in what they develop and keep the right to sell it in domestic and international markets. A purchase by the sponsoring agency is a separate, optional negotiation after the project, not a condition of the grant.
Can a startup with no revenue apply?
Yes. Newly established companies, including those with no revenue, are explicitly eligible, provided they meet the entity-type and turnover tests. Individuals and partnerships can also apply if they commit to incorporating an eligible company before signing a grant agreement.
Can I apply for more than one challenge in a round?
No. A business can only apply for, and receive grant funding for, one challenge within a given BRII round.
Does the sponsoring government agency have to buy my solution afterwards?
No. At the end of a proof-of-concept project the agency that proposed the challenge has the option to negotiate a purchase of the solution, but is under no obligation to, and any purchase is negotiated separately between the agency and the business.
Reviewed 2026-08-16. Programmes change — confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government authority.