This instrument is the Other Grants Guidelines (Research) Amendment (Australia’s Economic Accelerator Launch Program) 2022.

(1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provisions	Commencement	Date/Details
The whole of this instrument	The day after this instrument is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

4 Schedules

The instrument that is specified in the Schedule to this instrument is amended as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Other Grants Guidelines (Research) 2017

1 After section 2.25

Insert:

CHAPTER 3—AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMIC ACCELERATOR LAUNCH PROGRAM

3.1 Program

The Australia’s Economic Accelerator Launch Program (AEA Launch Program) is specified for the purposes of:

(a) supporting research by, and the research capability of, higher education providers; and

(b) encouraging higher education providers to engage with industry.

3.5 Program objectives

The objectives of the AEA Launch Program are to:

(a) Support higher education providers to bridge the divide between basic research activities and commercialisation outcomes, through closer engagement with industry partners;

(b) support research activities aligned to national priority areas, undertaken by higher education providers;

(c) boost the research capability of higher education providers to conduct research with high commercialisation potential;

(d) foster a culture of collaboration between universities and industry; and

(e) encourage industry engagement with university research, boosting research capability in areas with the greatest potential for economic impact.

3.10 Extra conditions of eligibility

(1) Grants under the AEA Launch Program may only be provided to support projects that align with one of the priority areas as set by the Minister in program guidelines.

(2) Grants under the AEA Launch Program may be provided across two stages:

(a) The first stage will operate as follows—eligible higher education providers seeking a grant at this stage must demonstrate industry engagement with the proposed project, and be able to demonstrate that the project activities are designed to provide:

(i) an experimental proof of concept;

(ii) that the technology will be validated in a laboratory (or equivalent setting); or

(iii) that the technology will be validated in an industrially relevant environment.

(b) The second stage will operate as follows—eligible higher education providers seeking a grant at this stage must provide a project plan that demonstrates a plan, developed in association with an industry partner, in respect of the technology proposed in their project:

(i) that the technology will be validated in an industrially relevant environment;

(ii) that the technology will be demonstrated in an industrially relevant environment; or

(ii) the system prototype will be demonstrated in an operational environment.

3.15 Approval of grants

Grants under the AEA Launch Program will be:

(a) approved by the Minister in writing;

(b) made in respect of projects; and