About this programme
The Ignite Ideas Fund is a Queensland Government grant run by Advance Queensland for Queensland small to medium businesses with high-growth potential to undertake commercialisation projects. It funds the commercialisation of a highly innovative, new product or service that has already reached minimum viable product (MVP) stage or beyond — not earlier-stage R&D, and not a product that is already selling in the market.
It sits inside the wider Ignite suite: the Ignite Spark Program funds projects from functional prototype through to market-ready, and the Ignite Ideas Fund picks up from there to take a market-ready product to its first paying customers. Successful Ignite Ideas Fund recipients are also offered a place in the Ignite+ support program, which adds non-cash help with sales and marketing, customer acquisition, competitor analysis, IP/legal support, financial structure, and introductions to mentors and investors.
The fund runs in tiers rather than a single grant size, and it deliberately does not fund the next iteration of a product already in market, clinical trials, or general business-as-usual costs — the scope is narrowly commercialisation of a genuinely new offering.
The program guidelines referenced here (April 2025 edition, Round 13) governed the most recent round, whose Expression of Interest window closed at 10.00am on 3 June 2025. As of this record, the official page states applications for the fund are currently closed; a future round would republish updated guidelines and dates on the same official page.
How it works
Two funding tiers. Tier 1: up to $100,000 (excluding GST) for projects of up to 12 months, requiring a cash contribution from the applicant of at least 20% of the grant amount sought. Tier 2: more than $100,000 up to $200,000 (excluding GST) for projects of up to 24 months, requiring a cash contribution at least equal (1:1) to the grant amount sought.
Matched funding must be cash — it can come from the applicant organisation, investors, customers or business partners, but not from any other state, federal or local government grant.
An applicant that previously received a Tier 1 grant for a different project can apply for Tier 2, but only after that Tier 1 project has been completed successfully. A Tier 2 applicant cannot be seeking funding for a product or service that already received Ignite Ideas funding. An organisation and its related parties are limited to one application per funding round.
Who can apply
To be eligible at the time of application and for the duration of the funded project, the applicant organisation must: be headquartered in Queensland; have no more than 50 full-time-equivalent employees; not be a subsidiary of a group of companies with more than 50 FTE employees; not have received funding for the proposed project activity from the state, federal or local government; and be registered for GST (at the time of Full Application submission).
The project itself must involve commercialising an innovative product or service that is at, or beyond, minimum viable product stage — per the programme's published materials, this broadly means it has moved past proof-of-concept/prototype, has core features developed and tested with real customers (including pilot trials), and has reached the point where customers will pay for it. The product or service must not already be established in the market.
Per the programme's published materials, ineligible cost categories include regulatory approval costs (e.g. FDA/TGA), capital works or physical infrastructure, individual equipment items over $10,000, production costs for commercial sale, non-economy air travel, conference fees, and costs of preparing the grant application itself (e.g. grant writing services).
How to apply
- Stage 1 — Expression of Interest (EOI): submitted online within the round's open dates. EOIs are assessed for eligibility and merit.
- Stage 2 — Full Application: by invitation only, offered to shortlisted EOI applicants. It is a more detailed, evidenced application.
- Applications are checked against the eligibility criteria first; only eligible applications proceed to merit assessment.
Documents you’ll typically need
- Ignite Ideas Fund Round 13 Guidelines (the primary rules document for the round)
- Ignite Ideas Fund Round 13 Frequently Asked Questions
- Ignite Program Fit Guide (helps decide between the Ignite Spark Program and the Ignite Ideas Fund)
- Ignite Ideas Fund Round 13 Funding Agreement template
Frequently asked
Is the Ignite Ideas Fund currently open?
No. The official Advance Queensland page states applications for this fund are currently closed. The most recent round (Round 13, April 2025 guidelines) had its Expression of Interest window close at 10.00am on 3 June 2025. Check the official page for the next round's dates.
What is the difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2?
Tier 1 offers up to $100,000 (excluding GST) for a project of up to 12 months, with a required cash contribution of at least 20% of the grant sought. Tier 2 offers more than $100,000 up to $200,000 (excluding GST) for a project of up to 24 months, with a required 1:1 cash contribution — you must match the grant amount dollar for dollar.
Can I use in-kind contributions to meet the matched funding requirement?
No. In-kind costs and non-cash contributions are not eligible as matched funding. The applicant's contribution must be actual, evidenced cash expenditure on direct project costs, sourced internally, from investors, customers or business partners — but not from another government grant.
What counts as my product being at minimum viable product (MVP) stage?
Per the programme's published materials, MVP is described as beyond initial proof-of-concept/prototype, with core features developed and tested with real customers (including pilot trials), and at the point where customers will pay for it. A product still in prototype or pilot testing, without paying customers, has not reached MVP.
Can I apply if my product is already selling in the market?
No. Ignite Ideas funding is only available to commercialise a product or service into the market for the first time. It does not support taking a new version or iteration of an already-in-market product to market, or expanding an in-market product into a new market.
What is the application process?
A two-stage competitive process. Stage 1 is an online Expression of Interest, assessed for eligibility and merit. Stage 2, Full Application, is by invitation only for shortlisted EOI applicants, and requires a more detailed, evidenced submission. Both stages are checked against the eligibility criteria first, then assessed on merit.
What costs can the grant actually cover?
Per the programme's published materials, eligible costs are project-specific commercialisation activities: salaries for new staff working on the project, capped salary costs for founders/existing staff (up to 20% of the total grant), external service providers, equipment under $10,000 per item (capped at 10% of the grant), consumables, and travel/accommodation. It does not cover regulatory approval costs, capital works, large equipment purchases, commercial-scale production, general business overheads, or the cost of preparing the grant application itself.
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.