Small Business Innovation Research for Defence (SBIRD) will support Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to work on research projects aligned with defence priorities through the Next Generation Technologies Fund (NGTF). SBIRD projects may relate to specific challenges identified by Defence, or have a broader scope across an emerging technology field with potential for disruptive innovation. SBIRD projects will be research intensive and address future focused challenges aligned with DST strategic direction and work programs.
SME’s are a critical part of Australia’s defence industry and provide agility and risk tolerance for innovation. The SBIRD scheme will bring a focus on supporting SMEs in undertaking research to find innovative solutions to specific defence challenges.
The two-stage program will provide an initial funding round of $100,000 to research potential Defence technology over a six to nine month period. The second stage of the technology will be tested against the Defence application, with funding of up to $750,000 over one to two years.