About this programme
ON Accelerate is CSIRO's flagship commercialisation program for entrepreneurial researchers who want to turn publicly funded research into a market-ready venture. It runs as a three-month acceleration cohort and is free to participate in — CSIRO does not take equity or an IP interest in any team that goes through it.
The program is built for teams anchored in Australian universities or publicly funded research organisations (PFROs), not for CSIRO staff exclusively. A team can include university researchers, PhD students or recent graduates, industry partners, and founders spinning IP out of a research institution, as long as the university/PFRO connection is present.
Delivery is structured in stages — a selection bootcamp, an immersion week, and then the three-month program itself — with coaching from domain experts across performance, IP, finance, investor relations, media and team-building, plus direct exposure to Australia's deep-tech venture capital community.
CSIRO frames it as translation support rather than a grant program: the goal is a validated business model, clearer market evidence and a stronger capital-raising story, with funding attached to help teams get there without diluting ownership.
How it works
Phase 1 — Selection Bootcamp: a two-day, in-person event where up to 20 shortlisted teams present product-market fit, customer interest and team strength, with networking access to deep-tech investors.
Phase 2 — Immersion Week: teams that perform well at bootcamp progress to a week-long intensive program. CSIRO provides $20,000 per team to the team's Tech Transfer Office at the conclusion of Immersion.
Phase 3 — Three-Month Program: regular cohort sessions plus one-on-one time with domain experts, investors and mentors, culminating in a Showcase event presented to the wider innovation ecosystem.
Funding: the program itself is valued at over $150,000 per team in coaching, events and support (provided free). Separately, up to $400,000 in total is distributed across high-performing teams at the end of the program, capped at $80,000 per team. All funding is non-dilutive — no equity or IP is taken.
Who can apply
Teams of 3–6 members with complementary skills — research, commercial, technical — drawn from colleagues, other university/PFRO researchers, industry partners, community representatives, students or support staff.
At least one team member must be a researcher at an Australian university or PFRO, or a PhD student/recent graduate (within 24 months) of an Australian institution.
All team members must be based in Australia for the duration of the program, and at least three core members must attend every in-person workshop and coaching session. The team collectively commits the equivalent of one full-time person's time outside sessions.
Startups or SMEs are eligible where they have licensed or acquired IP from an Australian university/PFRO and include a member from the originating institution. Teams further along (venture-capital-ready) must be registered companies with authority to transact on the IP.
How to apply
- Register and submit an in-depth application through the ON Accelerate application portal (onaccelerate.awardsplatform.com); a preparation guide (PDF) is available to work from before applying.
- Attend one of the applicant briefing sessions CSIRO runs online during the application window to understand what evaluators are looking for.
- The team's lead organisation (university/PFRO) is asked to confirm institutional support for the application.
- Applications are assessed by CSIRO's expert network against the program's evaluation criteria; the highest-rated applications are invited to the Selection Bootcamp.
- Teams that perform strongly at bootcamp progress to Immersion Week, and from there into the three-month cohort.
Documents you’ll typically need
- Completed online application via the ON Accelerate awards portal
- Institutional support confirmation from the team's university/PFRO
Frequently asked
Does ON Accelerate take equity or IP from participating teams?
No. CSIRO states the program is non-dilutive and takes no equity or IP interest — all IP remains with the team or the sponsoring institution, and participants sign non-disclosure agreements as part of the program.
Who can apply — does every member need to be a CSIRO or university researcher?
No, but the team needs a university/PFRO anchor: at least one member must be a researcher at an Australian university or publicly funded research organisation, or a PhD student/recent graduate (within 24 months) of one. The rest of the team can include industry partners, community representatives, students or support staff.
How much funding is actually available through the program?
The program itself (coaching, events, mentoring) is valued at over $150,000 per team and is provided free. On top of that, CSIRO gives $20,000 per team to the team’s Tech Transfer Office after Immersion Week, and up to $400,000 total (max $80,000 per team) is distributed to high-performing teams by the end of the three-month program.
What does the application and selection process involve?
You submit an in-depth application through the ON Accelerate portal, ideally after attending a briefing session. Applications are reviewed by CSIRO’s expert network, and the highest-rated go on to a two-day Selection Bootcamp, from which top teams progress to Immersion Week and then the full three-month program.
Do all team members need to be based in Australia?
Yes. CSIRO requires the whole team to be Australia-based for the duration of the program, with at least three core members attending every in-person workshop and coaching session.
Can a startup that has already spun IP out of a university apply?
Yes, provided the startup or SME has licensed or acquired IP from an Australian university/PFRO and includes a member from that originating institution. Teams that are already venture-capital-ready need to be a registered company with authority to transact on the IP.
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.