Defence Industry Development Grants Program
Funding for business to strengthen Australia's defence industry
Defence Industry Development Grants of up to $1 million across 4 streams.
Who can apply
Australian small to medium businesses building defence capability, skills or exports. Defence industry associations can apply for the skilling stream only.
- Program
- Defence Industry Development Grants Program
- Provider
- Australian Government
- Level
- Australian Government
- Type
- Grant or funding
- Amount
- Grants up to: Sovereign Industrial Priorities stream – $1,000,000 Skilling stream – $250,000 Exports stream – $250,000 Security stream – $100,000. Grants will cover up to 50% of eligible expenditure.
- Closing date
- Closing date not stated
- Region
- Australia-wide
- Industries
- Manufacturing, Technology & innovation
- Last checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read the official page Apply (official portal)
We can apply for this for you
Tell us about your business and we'll check it against every criterion for Defence Industry Development Grants Program. If it's a fit, we write the application, build the budget, prepare the attachments and lodge it with your written authority where the funder allows. You approve it and sign the declarations. Nothing to pay unless you win.
Eligibility quick-check
- Business structure: not clear from the summary. Check the guidelines for ABN, ACN or GST requirements.
- Co-contribution: you put in your own cash too (often $1 for every $1, or half the project cost). Check you can fund it before you apply.
- Location: open Australia-wide, including Victoria.
- Industry: aimed at defence.
A quick guide from our reading of the official criteria, not a decision. The funder's guidelines are what count.
Check if I qualifyHow to apply for Defence Industry Development Grants Program
- Check every eligibility criterion in the official guidelines, not just the summary. One missed criterion usually means rejection.
- Confirm your ABN details (legal name, entity type, GST status) match the ABN Register exactly. Mismatches are a common reason applications fail.
- Gather evidence: quotes for the project, recent financials, and proof of any co-contribution or lease, depending on what the guidelines ask for.
- Write the answers to each assessment criterion with specific numbers (costs, jobs, sales, timelines), and build the budget in the funder's format.
- Lodge it through the official portal while the round is open. Keep a copy of the submitted application and the receipt.
- If you're successful, read the funding agreement before signing, keep every receipt, and diarise the report and acquittal dates.
Defence Industry Development Grants Program: common questions
Who can apply for Defence Industry Development Grants Program?
Australian small to medium businesses building defence capability, skills or exports. Defence industry associations can apply for the skilling stream only.
How much is Defence Industry Development Grants Program worth?
Grants up to: Sovereign Industrial Priorities stream – $1,000,000 Skilling stream – $250,000 Exports stream – $250,000 Security stream – $100,000. Grants will cover up to 50% of eligible expenditure.
When does Defence Industry Development Grants Program close?
Closing date not stated. Check the official page for the current round.
Can sole traders apply for Defence Industry Development Grants Program?
The summary doesn't say. Check the guidelines for the entity types that can apply.
Do I need to put in my own money?
Yes. This program needs a co-contribution from your business, so you'll need cash available for your share of the project, and often to pay costs before you claim.
Can someone apply for Defence Industry Development Grants Program on my behalf?
Often, yes. Many funders let an authorised contact or adviser prepare and lodge an application for a business, but the business is the applicant and must sign the declarations. We prepare the whole application and lodge it with your written authority where the funder allows. Where it doesn't, you submit the finished application yourself.
How much does it cost to get help applying?
Freelance grant writers in Australia typically charge by the hour or a fixed fee per application, whether you win or not. With Vic Grants Weekly, there's nothing to pay unless you win: a success fee as a percentage of the grant, or a flat win-only fee (founding price from A$99) where the grant's rules don't allow percentage fees.
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