business.gov.au Grants - All Australian Business Funding

Overview

business.gov.au is the Australian Government's official website for business information, tools, and support. Its grants and programs finder is the most comprehensive public database of Australian government financial assistance for businesses, aggregating programs from the federal government (including AusIndustry, Austrade, ARENA, CSIRO, and others) and from all state and territory governments. The grants finder allows businesses to search by industry, location, business activity, and business stage to identify relevant programs from across the entire Australian government grants landscape.

What You Can Find Here

R&D Tax Incentive - Australia's primary R&D support program offering 43.5% tax offset for eligible R&D expenditure
Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) via Austrade
ARENA renewable energy grants and CSIRO Kick-Start
State-specific business grants from all 6 states and 2 territories
Industry Growth Program grants for growing manufacturers and innovators
Small Business Advisory Service and free business planning resources
Grants for specific sectors: agriculture, health, tourism, defence, technology
AusIndustry programs for manufacturing, supply chains, and critical technologies

Who Should Use This

Any Australian business (from startup to established company) beginning their grant search
Business owners who do not know where to start - business.gov.au is the best starting point
Grant advisors and accountants seeking comprehensive coverage of available programs
Businesses wanting to compare R&D Tax Incentive vs grant programs for their innovation activities
Companies looking to access both Commonwealth and state programs in one search

How to Get Started

Step 1: Visit business.gov.au/grants-and-programs to access the grants and programs finder
Step 2: Use filters to narrow down by industry, stage, location, program type, and eligibility
Step 3: Click on program listings for full descriptions, eligibility, and application information
Step 4: Use the business.gov.au helpline (13 28 46) for advice on suitable programs
Step 5: Register on business.gov.au for personalised program alerts and business account management

Things to Check Before Applying

business.gov.au is a discovery and information service - most applications are made through individual program portals
R&D Tax Incentive is often more accessible than competitive grants - consider it alongside pure grant programs
State grants require separate state registration and application - business.gov.au links to state portals
Grant information may lag slightly behind actual program status - verify current round availability with the administering agency

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the R&D Tax Incentive?

The R&D Tax Incentive is Australia's flagship R&D support program offering a 43.5% refundable tax offset for companies with turnover under $20 million, or 38.5% non-refundable for larger companies. Eligible R&D expenditure must be registered with AusIndustry.

Is business.gov.au the same as grants.gov.au?

They are different sites. business.gov.au is the main Australian business portal with the grants finder for commercial businesses. grants.gov.au is the US federal grants portal - not Australian.

How comprehensive is the business.gov.au grants finder?

It is the most comprehensive single source for Australian government business grants, covering Commonwealth and state/territory programs. However, some programs may not be listed - also check individual agency websites.