Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $350,000
- Application opened: 3 September 2025
- Application closed: 8 October 2025, 5:00 pm
Program objective
Phase 2 of the NHDS Program aims to support:
- Collaboration between stakeholders to refine problem understanding: Engage with key government stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the natural hazard detection challenges.
- Deployment of technical solutions: Install technical solutions in targeted LGA locations to understand site specific challenges and installation and maintenance costs
- Real world testing of technology: Test the adapted technology in a field deployment for a year to validate the solutions ability to detect and monitor natural hazards
- Adaption of technology to address identified challenges: Modify and enhance proposed technologies to ensure they meet the effectively target the challenges posed by floods and bushfires.
- Validation of the NHDS data API: Testing a centralised database for natural hazards detection, evaluating the ability of sensors to contribute data to the API, and the ability of agencies to draw meaningful information from that data.
This round supports the larger objectives of the NHDS Program aims to improve natural hazard detection and strengthen NSW’s preparedness and response capabilities by:
- Testing and trialling innovative detection technologies: The program aims to evaluate new technologies in high-risk or frequently impacted areas, ensuring they meet the specific needs of stakeholders before potential procurement.
- Enhancing early identification and warning of natural hazards: By improving flood and bushfire detection, the program seeks to provide residents with more time to evacuate and enable emergency services to prioritise high-risk areas.
- Evaluating whether technology is fit for purpose and offers value for money: The program allows suppliers to demonstrate the suitability and cost-effectiveness of their solutions for emergency management agencies.
- Collaborating to develop solutions: The program encourages innovative proposals for solving specific fire and flood detection challenges, fostering innovation and adaptation of technology to meet real-world needs.
- Facilitating procurement considerations: While participation in the program does not guarantee procurement, the ultimate goal is to help NSW Government agencies evaluate and potentially acquire effective solutions for large-scale deployment.
This program is administered by Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for the NHDS Phase 2 Pilot grant an applicant must:
- Have received a NHDS Phase 1 Proof-of-Concept grant.
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Be non-tax exempt.
- Have an account with an Australian financial institution.
- Confirm the technology can be trialled in NSW during the testing periods.
- Hold the intellectual property (IP) rights or possess the rights to commercialise the technology.
- Demonstrate that any funding received from other NSW, state, or federal government grant programs does not duplicate activities proposed under this Program: NHDS Phases 1 and 2.
- Be one of the following entity types:
- A company incorporated under the Corporations Act (including a company limited by guarantee)
- An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
- Agree to the following:
- All data generated throughout the Program will be owned by the NSW Government and may be used for future projects or data analysis
- Data must be provided in the format specified in the Challenge Statement document.
It is noted that Ineligible applicants are permitted to be a partner to an application provided the lead applicant satisfies the above eligibility criteria.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Those projects funded in the NHDS Phase 1 Proof-of-Concept grants are eligible for consideration for the 12-month Phase 2 piloit.
For an activity to be eligible it must directly relate to the project. Eligible activities can include:
- Building and testing units of the technology
- Deployment and operation of the technology to designated locations within NSW
- Facilitating NSW Government requirements and input into the technology
- Specific professional expertise (for example, a drone pilot, technical specialists)
- Training of NSW Government personnel as part of the trial/pilot
- Costs to integrate technology with NSW Government ICT platforms
- Data analysis and/or management costs.
Activities already funded through another grant are not eligible under this program. NHDS Phase 2 grants must be directed toward new activities and cannot be used to retrospectively claim costs for work already delivered, such as the purchase and installation of units funded through Phase 1 grants.
However, units already deployed in the field may be included in an applicant’s Phase 2 project plan, with grant funding allocated to new activities on pre-installed units (e.g. maintenance or upgrades).
What costs you can apply for
To be eligible, costs must:
- Be directly related to the eligible grant activities
- Be incurred within the project period
- Reflect competitive market rates
- Be a true and accurate reflection of costs required to deliver the activity.
Eligible costs include, but not be limited to:
- Capital costs
- Labour expenditure for temporary employment for the project
- Licence fees incurred as part of the project
- Data analysis and/or management costs
Who can’t apply
You are not eligible if you are:
- Insolvent
- An individual
- An unincorporated association, or
- A Commonwealth, state, territory or local government agency or body excluding government corporate entities.
The OCSE, at its absolute discretion, may decide that an applicant is ineligible for funding. For example, where an applicant could cause reputational and/or other risks to the NSW Government.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
- Eligibility Check - did you recieve a NHDS Phase 1 grant and meet the outlined eligibility criteria
- Phase 1 Proof of Concept (PoC) Report – demonstrating how contractual obligations and challenge requirements from Phase 1 were met, provided as an attachment to your SmartyGrants Application Part 1.
- Project Proposal – a plan for deploying the technology in the designated LGAs, answered via questions in the SmartyGrants Application Part 1.
- Project Budget and Competitive Advantage – outlining requested funding, income dedicated to the project, costs and the commercial and competitive advantage of the solution in comparison to the broader market. Answered via questions and tables in the SmartyGrants Application Part 1.
- Company Financials - complete Application Part 2, the company financial application, in SmartyGrants this is a short application made available only to the NHDS Phase 2 independent financial advisor to support their assessment of applicant's financial capacity and viability.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Address the assessment criteria
All eligible applications will be assessed against the below Assessment Criteria.
1. Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Report – 30%
The PoC Final Report must demonstrate the project’s outcomes, scalability, and relevance to the NHDS Challenge(s). Assessment will focus on:
- Description of PoC – clarity of the PoC trial design, data collected, and outcomes achieved.
- Challenge Alignment – how effectively the solution addressed the mandatory and optional requirements of the nominated Challenge(s).
- Data Connectivity – ability of the solution to connect to and transmit data (including limitations, dependencies, or workarounds).
- Outcomes & Metrics – validity, reliability, and robustness of the metrics used to assess results, including detection performance and hazard management benefits.
- Feasibility – evidence that the solution could be scaled to LGA-level deployment, considering technical, commercial, regulatory, and financial aspects.
- Lessons Learned & Scalability – insights gained during the PoC and the potential for successful implementation in a Phase 2 Pilot.
2. Project Proposal – 50%
Applicants must present a clear, deliverable proposal for Phase 2 Pilots. Assessment will focus on:
- Challenges to be Addressed – clarity and relevance of the challenges targeted, including the type and quality of data attributes proposed.
- Technology Proposal (30%) – detail and suitability of the proposed technology, including:
- the approach to deployment, installation, and maintenance (with clear timelines and milestones) and the ability to deliver within the pilot period
- consideration of the designated LGAs in the project plan note LGA resources and engagement in Section 1.3 of these guidelines
- evidence supporting the number of units/locations proposed resilience of connectivity and data delivery during natural hazards
- expected outcomes in terms of coverage, performance, and alignment with challenge objectives.
- Outcomes and Impact (20%) – extent to which the proposal maximises technology deployment within the budget and delivers meaningful coverage and benefits across the designated LGA(s).
3. Project Budget and Financials – 20%
Applications must demonstrate value for money and organisational capacity that is consistent with the project proposal responses. Assessment will focus on:
- Project budget (10%)
- Budget Detail – completeness, accuracy, and appropriateness of the budget, including full costs of supply, installation, operation, and maintenance.
- Per-Unit Costing – transparency and justification of per-unit costs, enabling comparison across proposals and potential scaling of units if budget permits.
- Value for Money – evidence that the proposal maximises impact within available funds and allocates resources responsibly.
- Company Financial Capacity & Viability(10%) – adequacy of company financials to demonstrate capacity to deliver the project and sustain operations through the trial.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer
The OCSE will administer the assessment process. Your application will be considered based on a two-stage process.
- Stage 1: Eligibility Assessment
- The OCSE will assess applications according to the Eligibility Criteria
- Applications which meet all Eligibility Criteria will proceed to Merit Assessment
- Stage 2: Merit Assessment
- All applications will be assessed by the Assessment Panel members against the Assessment Criteria
- The Assessment Panel may request additional information from applicants. These requests will be managed by the OCSE, which will communicate with the relevant applicants directly in writing to seek their response
- The Assessment Panel will meet to discuss the eligible applications and agree on consensus recommendations for applications to receive grant funding
- The Assessment Panel’s recommendations will be provided to the Decision Maker who will approve the grants
- A separate Financial Assessment will be conducted by an independent advisor and will be provided confidentially to the Assessment Panel for consideration. This assessment is supported by a separate SmartyGrants application as outlined in the program Guidelines.
Support and contact
For more information regarding the Natural Hazards Detection System program please email the program team at nhds@chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au