How to Access Australian Grants and Funding: A Practical Guide for Business
Overview
This session is designed for business owners, entrepreneurs, and innovation leaders who want to understand how to access government funding in Australia. Whether you're running a startup, scaling an established SME, or managing an R&D initiative, this practical guide will walk you through the process of finding the right grants and applying with confidence.
Australia offers a wide range of funding programs to support business growth, innovation, and research. From federal and state grants to industry-specific opportunities and R&D tax incentives, there’s funding out there for projects of all sizes. But navigating the system can be confusing, especially if you’ve never applied for a grant before.
This course simplifies the process. You’ll learn how to identify relevant grant opportunities, understand what makes a strong application, and avoid common mistakes that lead to rejections. We’ll also show you how to build a solid project plan and realistic budget—two of the most critical components of any successful application.
You’ll explore case studies, access templates, and get insider tips from funding experts. Whether you're looking to develop a new product, expand your team, or invest in research, this course gives you the tools to take the next step.
By the end of the course, you'll have a clear roadmap for applying for grants and a deeper understanding of how funding works in the Australian business landscape.
Instructors
Dr Mohammad Riyadh is a leading research strategist and innovation specialist, currently serving as the Director of Global Research Partnerships at both the Australian Graduate Industry Research School (AGIRS) and ExpertGate. He’s heading up the development of what aims to become the world’s largest AI-powered research lab, designed to reshape how research is delivered, funded, and shared across sectors. At the heart of his work is a simple mission: to connect researchers, businesses, and institutions—locally and globally—to fast-track real-world, impact-driven innovation. With more than 15 years of experience in research development, academic–industry collaboration, and grant strategy, Dr Riyadh knows the ins and outs of navigating Australia’s funding landscape. During his PhD, he secured competitive funding from the Australian Government, and has since led or contributed to numerous fu... Read More
Outcomes
By the end of this session, participants will have the clarity, confidence, and tools needed to successfully navigate the Australian grants system and apply for funding to support their business goals—whether it's launching a new idea, investing in R&D, hiring talent, or expanding into new markets.
Through practical examples and guided instruction, you’ll learn how to identify the different types of funding available at the federal, state, and industry levels. You’ll explore what each program is designed to support, and how to assess whether your business is eligible.
The course will walk you through how to write compelling grant applications that funders actually want to read—without jargon or fluff. You’ll learn how to communicate your business case clearly, outline your project goals and impact, and develop a timeline with realistic deliverables.
We’ll also cover how to build a solid, funder-friendly budget, and how to enhance your application with supporting materials, such as past project outcomes, strategic partnerships, and capability statements.
You’ll receive access to downloadable templates and tools to help you organise your applications and improve efficiency. We’ll also explore what happens after you receive funding, including how to meet compliance and reporting requirements.
By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with a practical, repeatable framework for finding and applying for grants—so you can spend less time worrying about funding and more time focusing on growing your business.
Structure
This course is structured into four focused and practical sessions. Each session builds on the last to help participants gain a clear understanding of Australia’s funding landscape, identify suitable grants, and prepare strong, competitive applications.
Session 1: Understanding Grants and Funding in Australia
Session 1: Understanding Grants and Funding in Australia
Participants will be introduced to the various types of government funding available in Australia—federal, state, and industry-based. This session explains how these programs work, what they are designed to support, and the typical eligibility requirements. Real-world examples and common misconceptions will be discussed to help participants start with clarity and confidence.
Session 2: Finding the Right Grant for Your Business
Session 2: Finding the Right Grant for Your Business
This session focuses on the practical process of identifying and filtering relevant grant opportunities. Participants will learn how to navigate official portals such as GrantConnect and business.gov.au, read guidelines effectively, and assess program fit. A guided activity will help participants begin building a personalised shortlist of viable grant opportunities.
Session 3: Writing a Strong Grant Application
Session 3: Writing a Strong Grant Application
In this hands-on session, participants will learn how to write clearly and persuasively, with a focus on outcomes, value for money, and funder expectations. Topics include writing a compelling project summary, outlining deliverables, structuring timelines and budgets, and attaching the right supporting documents.
Assessment
This course is designed to be hands-on and practical, with informal assessments built into each session to help you apply what you’re learning as you go. There are no tests and no pressure—just simple, useful exercises that give you a chance to practice real-world skills and build confidence in your ability to find and apply for grants.
Instead of formal exams, you’ll work through guided activities such as exploring live grant portals, drafting key parts of an application, and outlining a basic project plan and budget. These activities are designed to help you take immediate steps toward your own funding goals, with support from the facilitator and optional peer feedback along the way.
By the end of the course, you’ll leave with a personalised outline and a repeatable process you can use any time you want to apply for a grant.
Target Audience
This course is ideal for business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals who are interested in accessing government grants and funding in Australia, but aren’t sure where to start or how the process works. It’s designed for people who want a clear, practical guide to finding the right funding opportunities and applying with confidence, without needing previous grant writing experience.
This course is for you if you are:
A startup founder or small business owner looking to fund growth or innovation
An R&D or operations manager interested in government-supported projects
A sole trader or consultant exploring grant options for expansion or product development
A representative from an SME aiming to access federal or state business support
A business advisor, mentor, or support officer helping others navigate grants
Curious about how to partner with universities or research institutions to unlock collaborative funding opportunities
Recommended Resources
To help you apply what you’ve learned and continue exploring funding opportunities beyond this course, we’ve compiled a list of helpful resources, tools, and platforms you can refer to anytime.
You can find a central list of Australian government grants, including federal, state, and startup funding programs, at: expertgate.org/grants
This page is regularly updated and designed to help businesses, researchers, and innovators easily explore available funding opportunities across Australia.
Certificates
Upon successful completion of the course requirements, participants will receive a
certificate of completion from ExpertGate.
