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FACTSHEET Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program

Factsheet - CRC Program March 2020 1 of 1

“This program supports industry-led collaborations between industry, researchers and the community”

What does it offer?

The Australian Government’s CRC Program

supports industry-led collaborations between

industry, researchers and the community.

The CRC Program aims to:

• Improve the competitiveness, productivity

and sustainability of Australian industries,

especially where Australia has a

competitive strength, and is in line with

Government priorities.

• Foster high quality research to solve

industry-identified problems through

industry-led and outcome-focused

collaborative research partnerships

between industry entities and research

organisations.

• Encourage and facilitate small and

medium enterprise (SME) participation in

collaborative research.

The CRC Program has two elements:

• Cooperative Research Centres Grants

(CRCs) to support medium to long term,

industry-led collaborations; and

• Cooperative Research Centres Projects

(CRC-Ps), to support short term, industry-

led collaborative research.

Since its inception in 1990, the CRC Program

has committed $5.1 billion in funding to

support the establishment of 230 CRC Grants

and 135 CRC-P Grants, making a total of 365

collaborations funded over the program’s

lifetime. Partners have further committed

$15.7 billion in cash and in-kind contributions.

What activities are eligible?

Eligible CRC activities include medium to

long term industry-led high quality

collaborative research to solve industry

identified problems and deliver outcomes

consistent with Government Priorities,

improving the competitiveness, productivity

and sustainability of Australian industries.

Further details are available in the CRC

Grant Opportunity Guidelines.

Eligible CRC-P activities include a short term,

industry-identified and industry-led

collaborative research project to develop a

product, service or process that will solve

problems for industry and deliver tangible

outcomes.

Further details are available in the CRC

Projects Grant Opportunity Guidelines.

Who can apply for CRC Program funding?

The CRC Program is open to all industry

sectors and research disciplines.

CRCs: Applications for CRCs are submitted

on behalf of a group who agree to

collaborate.

A CRC application must have among its

partners at least:

a. one Australian industry entity; and

b. one Australian research organisation.

CRC-P: Applications for CRC-Ps are

submitted by a lead applicant, which must be

an industry entity.

A CRC-P application must have among its

partners at least:

a. two Australian industry entities;

(including at least one SME); and

b. one Australian research organisation.

CRCs cannot directly apply for CRC-P

funding but may be involved in a CRC-P

collaboration.

How can I apply for funding?

CRC Program funds are awarded through

open competitive merit based funding

rounds.

CRC: Applications for CRC funding are

generally called for once a year.

CRC-P: Applications for CRC-P funding are

generally called for twice a year.

The anticipated schedule for future CRC

and CRC-P funding rounds, including

information about the application process

and forms are available on

business.gov.au.

How do CRCs work with Industry Growth Centres?

The CRC Program complements Industry

Growth Centres, a government initiative that

drives industry-led innovation, productivity and

competitiveness by focusing on sectors of

competitive strength and strategic priority. This

will help Australia transition to smart, high

value and export focused industries.

Growth Centres will set national long-term

strategies for their sectors. Industry and

researchers are able to draw on this

information to leverage funding through

sources such as the CRCs.

Where can I find more information?

For more information on the CRC Program,

visit business.gov.au or call 13 28 46.