Sowing Ideas, Harvesting Grants: Funding Opportunities for Future‑Ready Agriculture
A good grant strategy is a long term one. Government funding can provide critical non-dilutive cash for Australian companies pursuing research, innovation and commercialisation, or to drive business growth.
The challenge for companies seeking to access grant funding and other government support is the unpredictability of program availability, the short application windows, and the shear volume of opportunities each with unique requirements and conditions. As a result, it is important to;
Embed grant and non-dilutive funding strategies into your long-term plans,
Actively assess what opportunities are available and understand how these might align with your business and your upcoming projects in the next 6-12 months, and
Be prepared and plan ahead so that you are ready to take advantage of opportunities as soon as they arise.
The agricultural sector remains a key target of Federal and State government funding programs. In the early stages of 2026, there are numerous funding opportunities available to Australian ag operators via a number of avenues, including to support new tech adoption (agtech, cleantech, foodtech), renewable energy and sustainability investment, research collaboration, commercialisation, export opportunities and more.
We’ve prepared the following funding program overview to help ag operators navigate the opportunities available in 2026. These opportunities include a mix of National and State focused grants and incentives, as well as some programs specific to the ag, food and fibre sectors and others that are more broadly applicable.
| Business/Product Phase | Program | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Stage | AEA Ignite | National | Support early-stage research collaborations and proof of concept projects with competitive grants of up to $500k. Note, these are University led applications requiring industry collaboration. Round 3 now open, closes 4 March 2026. |
| Research & development | CSIRO Kick-Start | National | Matched funding of $10k to $50k to access CSIRO’s research expertise to progress R&D and refine an innovative concept. Open on an ongoing basis. |
| Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) | National | Matched funding of $100k to $3mill for short term, industry led collaborations between SMEs and research organisations to develop and commercialise new products, services or processes that solve industry identified problems. Round 19 expected to open soon. | |
| R&D Tax Incentive | National | An annual tax incentive offering ta rebates of 8.5c to 48.5c per $1 spent on eligible R&D activities. R&D undertaken in the YE 30 June 2025 need to be registered by 30 April 2026 to access this incentive. | |
| Trailblazer Recycling and Clean Energy (TRACE) | National | Co-investment of up to $200k for concept to pilot funding, with >$200k for major projects. Strong alignment with circular food and ag. Open on an ongoing basis. | |
| Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) | National | Co-investment in projects with a minimum total spend of $2mill. Strong alignment with circular food and ag. Open on an ongoing basis. | |
| Food and Beverage Accelarator (FaBA) Kickstarter | National | Funding of up to $50k available to support R&D to advance the food and beverage sector. Open on an ongoing basis (applications close on the last Friday each month with funding period recently extended to mid-2028). | |
| CSIRO Regional University Industry Collaboration (RUIC) | QLD | Matched funding of up to $50k to conduct R&D with a partner regional QLD university. Open on an ongoing basis. | |
| Commercialisation | Industry Growth Program | National | Grants of $50k - $5mill to support commercialisation of innovative ideas or technologies. While a recent announcement has reduced funding, applicants with strong projects in target sectors (including value-add in ag) should apply. Open on an ongoing basis. |
| AEA Innovate | National | Grants of up to $5mill to support mid-stage research commercialisation. Note, these are University led applications requiring industry collaboration. Round 3 will open to EOIs in Q2 2026. | |
| MVP Ventures Program | NSW | Startup focused boosting commercialisation readiness. $20k - $75k. Round 3 opens 9 March 2026, closes 5 April 2026. | |
| Innovation Connect Grant | ACT | Funding of $10k - $30k to help Canberra-based businesses develop and commercialise an innovative product or service. Now open, closes 10 April 2026. | |
| Seed-Start Grants | SA | Funding of $50k - $500k to help early-stage startups to commercialise an innovative product or service. Opening 1 March 2026 (and likely to remain open for several months). | |
| Export | TIQ Market Accelerator Program | QLD | Up to $30k to export companies to respond to new opportunities. Now open, closes 4 March 2026. |
| Sustainability/Net-Zero Transition | Clean Energy Future Fund | WA | Support innovative clean energy projects in Western Australia with $100k - $4mill. Wide decarbonisation scope (i.e. algae, on farm hydrogen, green fertiliser, circular economy). Now open, closes 20 April 2026. |
| Environment | Algal Bloom Resilience Grant | SA | Support aquaculture and fisheries business impacted by algal bloom with $25k - $150k. Must have payroll <$10mill. Now open, closes 31 March 2026. |
If you need other forms of support in your ideation and commercialisation journey, Incubators and Accelerators can connect you with expert mentors to refine your business, progress your innovation and set you up to be grant-ready. For example:
| Sparklabs Cultiv8 | Agri‑food tech accelerator helping startups rapidly commercialise and scale through a global mentor network and specialist agricultural expertise. Open on an ongoing basis. |
| Farmers2Founders & Agrifood Futures: Global Growth Studio | Agri-food tech accelerator seeking globally focused founders from seed-series A. Open to enquiries & consultations. |
| CSIRO Innovate to Grow | Complimentary structured R&D support initiative to help Australian SMEs develop, refine and progress innovative ideas toward commercialisation. Each month the program targets one sector-specific intake - the current round (closing 22 March) is focused on Advanced Manufacturing. |
These are just examples of funding and support available to Australian ag operators. Numerous additional opportunities exist for discipline and region-specific activities.
If you need help navigating these programs, please contact our team of experts at Intellect Labs. We have extensive experience in the ag sector and can help you identify funding that aligns with your projects and develop a comprehensive strategy for accessing government funding across your business lifecycle.