Funding is available to progress new and innovative devices and systems towards commercialisation within NSW across the branches of the biological sciences, including biomanufacturing, genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and agrifood.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: From $200,000 to $2,000,000
- Application opened: 18 January 2023
- Application closed: 20 March 2023, 10:00 am
Program objective
The objective of the Biosciences Fund (BioSF) is to progress new and innovative devices and systems towards commercialisation within NSW across the branches of the biological sciences (biotechnology and life sciences), including biomanufacturing, genetic engineering, synthetic biology and agrifood.
The BioSF targets innovative devices/systems within Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3 – 7 and aims to help them move along the TRL scale, to commercialise their idea and attract large-scale private investment.
This program is funded and administered by Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for the BioSF, applicants must be:
- based and headquartered in NSW and be 1 of the following:
- a company incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (including a company limited by guarantee) that has an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
- an individual or partnership who agrees to form a company under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) so that DEIT can enter into a legally binding Deed of Agreement, or
- a NSW public research organisation applying through its appropriate technology transfer office or the Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent) of the research organisation that will become a separate entity before entering into a legally binding Deed of Agreement with DEIT.
Applicants must hold the intellectual property or the rights to commercialise the device, system or innovation.
Who can’t apply
Ineligible applicants include:
- Australian or NSW Government agencies, local government, State Owned Corporations or statutory authorities, Australian subsidiaries of international companies
- businesses with a revenue (excluding grant funding) of more than $2.5 million in FY2021/22
- businesses that are insolvent
- an individual, unincorporated association or partnership that will not form a company under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).
Eligible projects
The project must:
- have a maximum project period of 2 years (unless there are exceptional circumstances). Projects will require clear and achievable milestones (such as moving from TRL 3 to TRL 4) to support appropriate staging and monitoring.
- seek to progress an innovation along the commercialisation pathway.
- have an existing prototype/proof-of-concept.
- be TRL 3-7 on the TRL Scale (Figure 1).
- demonstrate why sufficient funding for the entire project cannot be accessed from alternative sources and that the project would not proceed at the proposed scale in NSW without government support.
Projects must align with:
- 1 of 3 priority industries listed in the framework: Agriculture and agrifood, Medical and life sciences, Clean energy and waste, and
- 1 of the technology applications identified in the roadmap and listed below.
R&D Roadmap technology applications | Industry Development Framework Priority Industries |
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Ineligible projects
- activities that are deemed to be in the very early stages of project development, where only basic principles have been observed and reported (TRL 1-2)
- activities where the basic performance of the invention hasn’t yet been demonstrated in a laboratory setting or equivalent testing.
The BioSF program is targeted towards biosciences and does not cover all themes, industries and technologies listed in the NSW 20-Year R&D Roadmap and NSW Industry Development Framework.
Other technologies in the physical sciences domain, including quantum, space, energy, communications, and robotics, will be supported through the PSF. Medical devices are funded under the Medical Devices Fund (MDF).
Example projects
- prototyping and development of product
- manufacturing and/or scaling
- conducting market research, testing and trials
- regulatory approvals and other relevant certifications
- salaries and access to external expertise that is directly related to delivery of the project
- commercialisation strategies and commercial feasibility studies
- project consumables directly related to delivery of project outcomes
- specialist equipment and/or infrastructure necessary to progress the project
- intellectual property protection or advice.
What your application needs to include
To see all the sections that need to be addressed in the SmartyGrants applications portal, download a copy of the application form.
You can also download the complete guidelines for applicants.
Stage 1: Preliminary application
Preliminary applications must include:
- a brief overview of the proposal and how it meets the eligibility criteria
- details of the applicant/partners involved (including any existing collaborative partnerships with industry organisations) and the impact/rationale for the grant sought
- schedule of the estimated costs of commercialisation of the product
- why sufficient funding for the entire project cannot be accessed from alternative sources
- project/product development stage, the value and type of support requested, estimated total cost of the project
- a short description of the project’s expected benefits, including how it will facilitate commercialisation
- the intended location of the project in NSW and any alternative locations being considered in other jurisdictions
- a 2-minute video clearly explaining the scientific and technological basis for the device/system (including imagery of the device/system), how it works, the intended outcome/benefit to the community, and how the funding would be used to drive commercialisation
- how the project aligns to the roadmap and framework.
Important information when submitting
Applicants need to:
- submit the online application form through SmartyGrants, ensuring all questions are answered or indicated not applicable.
- clearly identify in their application (including attachments) any information that the applicant requests be treated as confidential.
- authorise their application. The application must be authorised by at least 1 of the core participants (that is, by the head of the organisation or their authorised delegate). If applying as a consortium, the lead applicant must authorise the application.
Where an application is not lodged through the SmartyGrants form, DEIT reserves the right to deem the application as non-conforming and can consider it at its absolute discretion.
Late proposals will not be considered except where DEIT is satisfied that the integrity and competitiveness of the program has not been compromised.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: the Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology or delegate.
The applications will be assessed and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
Assessment will be merit-based against the assessment criteria and competitive, and the NSW Government may choose not to award or recommend funding under this program.
The expert panel will provide its recommendations to the Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology. The expert panel recommendations will include what proposals to fund, the amount and type of funding, and any specific funding conditions.
The Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology or their delegate, being the DEIT Secretary or a Deputy Secretary-level senior executive in DEIT, makes final decisions on whether to fund projects.
The final decision by the minister or delegate will be recorded in writing and any departure from the Infrastructure Assessment Panel's recommendation will be documented with reasons for the variation and published. Records relating to the decision will be managed in accordance with the requirements of the State Records Act 1998.
Support and contact
Email: grants@chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 02 9228 5769