Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Backs Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to support practical collaboration across research and industry.

CSIRO is Australia's national science agency and the country's main public R&D partner for industry. It dates to 1916, is constituted under the Science and Industry Research Act 1949, and operates from 49 sites in Australia plus two overseas with a workforce of about 5,672. Its six research areas range from Energy and Minerals and Food and Fibre to One Health and Tech Economy.

For SMEs and start-ups, the visible route is SME Connect, which combines dollar-matched grants, free R&D training, and structured access to CSIRO and university researchers. The main programmes here are Kick-Start, Innovate to Grow, the Graphite Research and Development Grant, Regional University Industry Collaboration, and On Accelerate. Awards run from AUD 50,000 vouchers to a AUD 132,000 equity investment on On Accelerate, while Kick-Start, Graphite, and RUIC are capped at AUD 50,000. The sector footprint leans toward agritech, foodtech, materials, energy, and manufacturing.

That mix makes CSIRO a practical partner for early-stage Australian R&D, especially where a company needs technical validation before it can carry a project alone. The agency also co-delivers some programmes with federal or state bodies, which broadens the route beyond straight grant support. It is strongest for founders that can use a matched-funding model, a defined research question, and CSIRO's applied-science network to push work toward commercial or sector use.