$12 million in grant funding is being made available through the latest round of the Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) which encourages small to medium sized enterprises to develop innovative solutions for government policy and service delivery challenges.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews called the latest funding a ‘great opportunity’ for Australian businesses to develop clever ideas that can help solve policy issues within Government.
“This round of BRII aims to find more effective ways of dealing with challenges that affect our oceans, water and soil quality as well as recycling technologies,” Minister Andrews said in a statement.
“Not only does this initiative help government agencies with tailored solutions that mean better value for taxpayers, it also gives startups and businesses the chance to develop new products and technologies for the global market.”
“Boosting opportunities for businesses to innovate, and doing things more efficiently within government will be crucial as we chart our COVID-19 economic recovery.”
The five challenges for this round are:
- Revolutionising agricultural spray application – The Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) is seeking innovative technology solutions to reduce spray drift — the off-target movement of agricultural chemicals such as pesticides.
- Turning farm crops into a renewable hydrogen source – The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is seeking an environmentally-friendly way to produce fertilisers will rely less on fossil fuels and the world’s most energy-intensive processes.
- Counting fish using advanced technologies – The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is seeking an innovative and flexible fish survey (video) data processing solution.
- Automating the detection of whales at sea – The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) is seeking the development of new and innovative technologies that could be deployed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of marine fauna detection.
- Turning office trash into energy treasure – The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is seeking a way to conduct an analysis of waste streams from an office building in order to design and build an energy recovery pilot facility.
Successful applicants will get up to $100,000 to conduct a feasibility study, and if successful, up to $1 million to develop a proof of concept. Relevant government agencies will have the option to purchase these solutions at the end of the proof of concept stage.
Applications close on 10 September 2020. To find out more information, including how to apply for a grant, visit www.business.gov.au/BRII
