Overview
The Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) is a challenge-based innovation program. It provides funding for startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to undertake research and development (R&D) on new-to-market technologies.
Each round seeks solutions to different public policy or service delivery challenges. Australian Government agencies support the program to develop new-to-market technologies that they can negotiate to buy.
Agencies participating in BRII value the unique capabilities, speed, agility and open-mindedness the SMEs bring to the program.
BRII offers Australian Government agencies:
the opportunity to work with SMEs to identify innovative solutions to a challenge
funding to test multiple innovative solutions
the opportunity to increase the innovative capability of the agency
external management of the grant process
the opportunity to purchase a solution specific to the agencies’ challenges.
Renewables and Low Emissions Round
The BRII Renewables and Low Emissions Round is now open. This BRII round focuses on building Australia’s Renewables and Low Emissions practices in government public policy or service delivery. This lends itself to challenges centred on climate change and sustainability.
Australian Government agencies can submit proposed challenges for this round through the expression of interest (EOI) form.
It is expected there will be multiple challenges approved. Australian Government agencies will work together with the SMEs on the approved challenges through the feasibility study phase and the proof-of-concept stage.
Submitting a challenge
Australian Government agencies are invited to submit a challenge for this round through the EOI form.
Commonwealth entities (“Australian Government agencies”) as defined in section 10 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 are invited to submit a challenge under BRII via an EOI application form.
Agencies may submit more than one challenge. Each proposed challenge must be on a separate EOI application form.
For detailed information about the process of submitting an EOI go to the BRII challenge application process page.
Agency collaborations
Where agencies wish to collaborate on a challenge, one agency will be required to be the lead agency for submission of the challenge application. Details of other collaborating agencies will be required in the challenge application. Where a challenge application is successful, the lead agency will become the “participating agency” for that challenge.
Collaborations with other levels of government are also welcome, especially when there is a split between policy and service delivery responsibilities.
Final submission round
Following this EOI process, there will be another application round for final submissions. The BRII team will provide guidance to agencies to work up a full application, including suggestions for possible improvements.
Each full application will then be assessed against the merit criteria by Industry Innovation and Science Australia (IISA).