The Morrison Government is making it easier for small and medium sized businesses in the defence sector to access defence industry grant programs.

From 12 November, changes to the co-contribution ratios in three existing defence industry grant programs will help small and medium businesses access support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The co-contributions have been reduced from the existing 50:50 ratio, as follows:

• New applicants for a Capability Improvement Grant or a Defence Global Competitiveness Grant will only be required to fund 20 per cent of the value of their eligible project; and
• New applicants for a Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grant will only be required to fund 30 per cent of the value of their eligible project.

In another move to support industry, maximum grant values will increase:

• Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grants will increase from $50,000-$1 million to $70,000-$1.4 million;
• Capability Improvement Grants will increase from $2,500-$150,000 to $4,000-$240,000; and
• Defence Global Competitiveness Grants will increase from $15,000-$150,000 to $24,000-$240,000.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said it was now more important than ever to back Australian industry.

“Small and medium sized business across Australia are doing it tough, which is why this Government is committed to making it easier for these companies to access funding support,” Minister Price said.

“These changes are part of the Morrison Government’s broader investment initiatives across the defence portfolio to support economic recovery.

“This builds on our announcement earlier this month that we are investing an extra $24 million in defence industry grants programs as part of our commitment to build a robust, resilient and internationally competitive defence industry.

“We’ve also fast-tracked a range of capability, infrastructure, skilling and workforce initiatives over the next two years as part of the Morrison Government’s $1 billion Defence economic stimulus initiative package.”

Minister Price said defence industry was critical not only to delivering capability outcomes for Defence, but also in assisting the nation’s economic recovery.

“In these uncertain times, the Morrison Government remains focused on the long-term and sustained endeavor of building a robust, resilient and internationally competitive defence industrial base,” Minister Price said.

“We are reinvigorating the Centre for Defence Industry Capability and have made significant improvements to the Australian Industry Capability program.

“Together with these changes to the defence industry grant programs, these are all part of the Government’s commitment to back small and medium sized businesses in the defence sector.”

Grant applications can be made at any time and submitted through the CDIC.