Commercialisation grants now available for Australian hydrogen researchers and industry partners
The Australian Economic Accelerator (AEA) has launched with $180 million in grants to help researchers and industry partners commercialise projects in priority areas including renewable hydrogen and green metals.
Australian researchers and industry partners now have access to $180 million in grants aimed at commercialising research in priority sectors like critical minerals, renewable hydrogen, and green metals. The Australian Economic Accelerator (AEA) has commenced its first round of funding, designed to boost Australia's industrial capabilities and economic growth.
The AEA offers two types of grants: Ignite grants provide up to $500,000 for proof-of-concept projects, while Innovate grants offer up to $5 million for proof-of-scale initiatives.
"AEA seeks to enable a part of that research capability to be applied to priority areas identified in National Reconstruction Fund which is designed to transform Australia’s industry and fuel economic prosperity,” AEA Advisory Board Chair and Thales CEO Mr Jeff Connolly said.
“We target projects which seek to match existing research capability to Australia’s natural competitive strengths, in order to best address the most significant industry opportunities.”
Initial projects funded by AEA Seed grants include Sparc Hydrogen's collaboration with the University of Adelaide and Fortescue. This partnership supports the development of innovative hydrogen production technology that aims to be more flexible, scalable, and infrastructure-efficient.
The grant program supports areas identified by the Australian Government as crucial for economic development. The priority sectors for the first round of grants include processing of critical minerals, sustainable fuels, digital agriculture, quantum technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing.
The AEA, a $1.6 billion investment by the Australian Government, is designed to transform research translation and commercialisation across the country. The Annual Investment Plan for 2024-25 outlines the focus areas that contribute to national priorities, particularly in refining and processing of critical minerals, renewable hydrogen, and green metals.
Submissions for Ignite grant applications and Innovate Expressions of Interest are open until 5:00 pm AEST on Wednesday, 28 August 2024.
