Grants

Did you know it takes just one piece of plastic to kill a turtle? That’s why we’re working to transform our plastic waste problem and pivot towards circular economy options.

Our grants allow innovators to scale up their market-ready solutions.   

2023 Seed Funding Grant

The Seed Funding Grant is aimed at accelerating innovative real-world solutions for reducing plastic waste entering the environment. 

The Indo-Pacific Plastics Innovation Network (IPPIN): 2023 Seed Funding Grant Opportunity is an initiative under CSIRO’s Ending Plastic Waste Mission and supports a broader partnership with the Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai governments. The Ending Plastic Waste Mission is aiming to achieve an 80 percent reduction in plastic waste entering the environment by 2030, which aligns with Australia’s and the Indo-Pacific governments’ commitment to reducing marine plastic debris. 

Key documents

IPPIN 2023 Seed Funding Program Guidelines

IPPIN 2023 Seed Funding Fact Sheet

2023 Round 2 IPPIN Application Form

How does it work?

Organisations that have previously participated in an Indo-Pacific Plastics Innovation Network (IPPIN) program, are invited to partner with CSIRO or an eligible Australian university to apply for a grant. 

The program will provide financial support to accelerate real-world solutions that aim to:  

  • reduce plastic leakage into the marine environment  
  • enable a collaborative innovation ecosystem linking Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, and building connectivity with partners globally by harnessing diversity of ideas and expertise to activate disruptive thinking  
  • build innovation outcomes relevant to the Australian, Indonesian Vietnamese and Thai governments’ priorities  
  • create and improve on the design and delivery of deep-tech solutions in emerging or under-resourced domains. 

If you are successful, you will be awarded a grant of up to $100,000. 

The grant amount will be up to 100 per cent of eligible project costs (grant percentage). 

If you are successful, you must enter into a grant agreement or arrangement with CSIRO in order to receive the grant funding. 

Who can apply?

To be eligible the lead applicant must either be:  

  • CSIRO  
  • an Australian university 

You or a project partner must have previously participated in a program or activity of one of the Hubs under the Indo-Pacific Plastics Innovation Network, and have a project aimed at the objectives of the program.*

Joint applications are encouraged, provided you have a lead applicant who is eligible to apply. 

   *Please note the guidelines were updated on 10/11/23 to clarify that either the applicant or a project partner must have previously participated in an IPPIN Hub as an additional eligibility requirement.

What activities are eligible?

Eligible activities must directly relate to the project and can include: 

  • employment of personnel  
  • proof of concept activities (including field trials)  
  • pre-commercialisation of research outcomes  
  • other direct research costs  
  • exchanges and secondments of personnel between Australia and respective Hubs (Thailand, Indonesia or Vietnam) for purposes related towards proof of concept or pre-commercialisation activities  
  • new research–related information sharing, and communication initiatives related to testing of the project activities  
  • conferences, workshops, symposia related to the research.  

What are the assessment criteria?

You must address the following assessment criteria in your application: 

  1. The extent to which your project will create or apply innovative approaches to translate research and scale real-world solutions to address plastic waste. 
  2. Your capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project. 
  3. The broader national and international benefits of your project – this could include the economic and national benefit/s to be gained from your project for the priority area/s of focus during the project and beyond.

How do I apply?

You should read the Indo-Pacific Plastics Innovation Network: 2023 Seed Funding Grant Opportunity Guidelines before applying. 

To apply you must: 

  • provide all the information requested 
  • address the eligibility criteria 
  • include all the necessary attachments: 
  • a project plan  
  • a detailed project budget 
  • evidence of support from your board or chief executive officer or equivalent (if a university is applying) 
  • endorsement by the relevant Business Unit leader (if CSIRO is applying) 
  • letters of support from your project partners 

Email your application to: IPPIN@CSIRO.au 

Please ensure to observe page/word limits. 

Please note the following timelines:

  • Applications open 6 November 2023
  • Applications close 6 December 2023
  • Funding offers are expected to be made in early 2024  

How will my application be assessed?

We will assess applications for completeness and against all the eligibility criteria before an assessment committee makes recommendations against the assessment criteria. Only eligible applications will be reviewed by the committee. 

What will I need to do if successful?

Successful applicants must enter into a grant agreement or arrangement with CSIRO. 

Where can I find more information?

Contact IPPIN@CSIRO.au