The Australian Government is providing $1.6 billion to amplify Australia’s best asset: people whose skills, ideas and world-class research will benefit and shape Australia now, and into the future.
In 2023 the AEA Seed pilot program was run ahead of the full implementation of the AEA to test and refine the processes underpinning the program.
AEA currently offers funding for AEA Ignite (proof-of-concept) and AEA Innovate (proof-of-scale) grants.
Eligibility
- Only the following organisations are eligible to submit an AEA grant application:
- an Australian public (‘Table A’) university, or
- an Australian private (‘Table B’) university, or
- an Australian organisation in the ‘University College’ category.
- Show us how your project fits into one of the Australian Government identified priority areas of the economy, outlined in the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (Priority Areas) Declaration 2023.
- Individual rounds of AEA grants will prioritise projects that align with particular focus areas.
Within these priorities, the first round of grants will prioritise projects that align with one or more of the following focus areas:
As outlined in the AEA Advisory Board’s Annual Investment Plan 2024-25, the focus areas directly contribute towards areas of national priority and will capitalise on important opportunities in areas of Australian economic advantage, such as refining and processing of critical minerals, renewable hydrogen, and green metals.