Innovation Booster Grant: 2023-24 application information

Guidance
This page provides guidance on how to apply for an Innovation Booster Grant
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About 

Applications for the 2023/24 Innovation Booster Grant have now opened and will remain open all year round on the Good Grants platform.

Various ‘cut off dates’ will be announced during the year, when the latest submissions will be downloaded, and assessed.

The Innovation Booster Grant (IBG) is a competitive Western Australian government grant, funded through the $25.8 million New Industries Fund which sits under the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI). Prior to 2022, it was known as the ‘Innovation Vouchers Program’.

From 2023-24, the IBG has been further redesigned to specifically target early-stage founder(s) of innovation-driven small enterprises and startups, to assist them complete an impactful, innovative project, and expand to create jobs.

Funding

A maximum of $40,000 grant per application is available. Recipients are required to provide a net cash co-contribution of at least 20:80 applicant to WA government funding.

For example, a project of $50,000 (total cost excluding GST) would involve the recipient providing at least $10,000 themselves to supplement the (maximum) $40,000 grant.

Applications can be made online at any time during the year through the publicised links. A panel of evaluators will meet at various times during the financial year, with the latest recipients being announced in due course.

For eligible, chosen recipients, funds will be made available for up to 12 months after the awarding of the grant, with 75% of the funding available immediately.

The remaining (25%) funds can be claimed at the end of the project, once all project work has been completed and a final acquittal report has been provided to, and approved by, JTSI.

Categories of funding

Innovation Booster Grants are awarded in any of the following four categories:

  • Research and Development
  • Product Development
  • Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property (see below)
  • Commercialisation Support Service (see below).

Please Note: expenditure under Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property, and Commercialisation Support Services MUST involve the use of an external consultant (for example, an IP attorney).

Cut-off dates

Although the IBG program is open all year round, there are various ‘cut-off dates’ when the latest submissions will be downloaded, and then assessed.

Submitted applications cannot be changed after this date. If your application is not ready for assessment, simply continue working on it, without pressing ‘submit’.

The upcoming ‘cut-off dates’ for the 2023/24 financial year submissions are:

  • 11am (AWST), Thursday, 25 January 2024
  • 11am (AWST), Thursday, 4 April 2024

The ‘cut-off dates’ for the 2024-25 financial year submissions are:

  • 11am (AWST), Thursday, 4 July 2024
  • 11am (AWST), Thursday, 4 October 2024