CRC-P Program Analysis: Outcomes and Insights
Author: Shaun van Dijk
The Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) program has emerged as one of Australia’s most important industry-led research and innovation funding mechanisms. Established following the 2015 independent review of Australia's Cooperative Research Centres Program (the ‘Miles Review’) the program has been designed to support short-term, high-impact collaborative projects between Australian industry and research organisations, with a strong focus on commercialisation outcomes.
Since its inception in 2016, the CRC-P program has committed over $560 million in Commonwealth funding, demonstrating its growing importance within Australia’s innovation landscape. Across the 18 funding rounds to date, the program has supported a diverse portfolio of projects spanning advanced manufacturing, energy, agribusiness, life sciences, mining, defence and digital technologies. The program’s design, requiring SME participation and industry leadership, has ensured a strong emphasis on real-world application, scale-up and deployment of new technologies.
A consistent theme across the program is its role in bridging the gap between early-stage research and full commercialisation. Most projects involve pilot-scale validation, process development, or near-market product development, rather than fundamental research. This positions the CRC-P as a critical “translation” mechanism within Australia’s innovation ecosystem.
Over time, the operation and sectoral focus of the CRC-P program has evolved. For example:
Early rounds were dominated by materials science and manufacturing process innovation, while more recently the Australian government has sought to align the program with the sovereign capability sectors aligned with National Reconstruction Fund priorities (e.g. medical science, value-add in resources, value-add in agriculture, defence, enabling capabilities).
Whilst the program requires a collaboration between two industry partners (including one SME) and a research organisation, the lead partner requirement has been restricted to SMEs only since 2024 (Round 16).
Some of the recent funding rounds have sought to support projects that align with specific Government priorities, including Circular Economy (Round 15), Robotics (Round 18) and AI (Round 19).
Geographically, successfully funded projects have been concentrated in major innovation hubs across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, with strong contributions from South Australia and Western Australia in defence and resources-related projects.
Importantly, the program has demonstrated strong economic impact, with early evaluations indicating a return of approximately $7.73 for every $1 of government funding. This highlights its effectiveness as a co-investment model that leverages significant industry contributions.
Key Insights
Provided below are some further insights on the program outcomes to date and identified trends in funding allocations.
The program has scaled significantly over time, with early rounds allocating around $20 million, increasing to over $50 million in recent rounds (and amounting to $560 million in total across the 18 rounds to date).
Advanced manufacturing remains the dominant sector that has benefited most significantly to date, accounting for up to 40% of funded projects.
Recently, there has been a clear shift toward AI, robotics, circular economy and sovereign capability projects reflecting the more targeted sectoral approach and funding prioritisation strategies adopted since Round 15.
Whilst the program provides grants of up to $3mill, most successful projects secured funding of $1.5mill-$2.5mill, reinforcing the CRC-P program’s role in commercialisation and scale-up rather than early-stage research.
Confirmed success rates for the three most recent CRC-P rounds are as follows:
Round 18: 12% (27 out of 233 applications)
Round 17: 11% (21 out of 199 applications)
Round 16: 15% (23 out of 158 applications)
Whilst successful projects require a minimum of three partners (two industry and one research partner), it is common for successful projects to have four or five partners indicating the benefits a broader consortia can provide in securing support.
The program acts as a strong co-investment mechanism, often leveraging 2–3 times the government contribution in total project value.
Final Thoughts
As the Round 19 application deadline approaches, the CRC-P program continues to stand out as one of the most effective funding mechanisms available to innovative Australian SMEs seeking to translate their ideas into commercial outcomes via collaboration.
However, with success rates of recent Rounds between 10–15%, the program is increasingly competitive requiring a compelling vision to secure funding. The shift of recent rounds to more specific focus areas (including circular economy, sovereign capabilities, robotics and most recently AI) is also noteworthy and demonstrates an evolution of where the Government’s innovation priorities lie.
For those considering pursuing the CRC-P program, understanding these trends can materially improve your positioning and competitiveness. Strong ideas alone are no longer enough to secure support. Successful projects need the right combination of partners, a concise articulation of the future commercial pathways, and clear alignment to national priorities.
Our team has extensive experience advising on successful CRC-P applications and projects. Please reach out if you need help with some last minute advice for Round 19, or to help plan a future application.