AEA Grants to Accelerate Research Commercialisation – Round 2 Applications Opening Soon

Australia’s innovation ecosystem is set to receive a significant injection of funding, with the Federal Government announcing that applications for Round 2 of Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite and Innovate grants will open late July. This round will make available an additional $150 million in funding to fast-track the commercialisation of university-led research aligned with national priorities.

The AEA program forms a central pillar of the Government’s broader $1.6 billion commitment to support research translation, driving economic outcomes through proof-of-concept and proof-of-scale projects. Administered by the Department of Education, AEA Ignite and Innovate grants support projects progressing through Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3–7, enabling researchers to bridge the critical funding gap between early-stage discovery and investible commercial ventures.

AEA Round 2 Applications Open: late July 2025

Two Pathways for Impact 

AEA Ignite provides up to $500,000 over 12 months for projects at TRL 3–5, supporting early-stage, proof-of-concept development.

AEA Innovate offers up to $5 million over 24 months for projects at TRL 5–7, advancing proof-of-scale research towards commercial readiness.

The program is open to applications from eligible Australian universities (Table A and B) and University Colleges. All projects must demonstrate alignment with one or more of the seven priority areas outlined in the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (Priority Areas)

Strong Results from the Last Round

Coinciding with the announcement of the new funding round, the Government revealed the 39 successful recipients of the recent Innovate grant round, which included:

• $4.1M to RMIT University for NexusCharge: Intelligent Charging and Fleet Management

• for Electric Vehicles

• $4.99M to UNSW for Facile water-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling for

• innovative packaging

• $2.16M to Swinburne University for scaling sovereign powder manufacturing of critical materials;

• $3.8M to The University of Adelaide for Commercialisation of novel AI-assisted functional imaging technologies for understanding lung disease

More than $178 million has now been awarded to Australian innovators through AEA Seed, Ignite and Innovate rounds as part of the $1.6 billion AEA program. These projects exemplify the potential for research institutions to create real-world, commercial impact across strategic sectors.

For the full list AEA Innovate round 1 projects: AEA Innovate round 1 projects

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Haines Consulting Group is Australia’s leading specialist in securing major non-dilutive funding for Australia’s most ambitious and high-growth ventures. We work with some of the country’s most innovative companies and universities to navigate and win competitive government grants. If you need any assistance with a grant submission, please contact us now for a confidential conversation.

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Source: AEA Website