What is Seed-Start?
The Seed-Start program is a grant opportunity, operates through the Government of South Australia’s Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund (RCSF), which aims to provide financial support for early-stage, high-growth potential businesses.
Background
Seed-Start grants assist innovative early-stage South Australian businesses with high-growth potential to commercialise products or services that are unique or have a sustainable competitive advantage in national and international markets.
Grant funding is provided to co-fund the costs of delivering a clearly defined project (i.e. a scope of work that has a defined start and end date) that delivers a turning point in the growth of the business and in doing so, generates significant benefits such as revenue growth, export income, local employment or other social benefits to South Australia.
Objective
Seed-Start grants aim to benefit South Australia by:
- encouraging the establishment and growth of innovative young businesses in South Australia that build South Australian capability and capacity
- creating more jobs in South Australia, especially in skilled occupations
- increasing the number of young South Australian businesses raising private investment
- delivering economic, and/or public benefits for South Australia.
Funding
Seed-Start grants offer two funding options:
- Seed Grant: Businesses can apply for grants from $50,000 to $100,000 on a competitive 2:1 matched funding basis. The project must be achievable within a two-year time frame and result in a product or service that is unique or has a sustainable competitive advantage.
- Start Grant: Grants over $100,000 to $500,000 are available on a competitive 1:1 matched funding basis. Start Grants are designed to support businesses that have passed the earlyseed stage with a product or service ready for commercialisation. The project must be achievable within a three-year time frame and result in a sustainable competitive advantage. Grant funds are provided to an early stage business to deliver a defined project.
Eligible Projects
Eligible expenditure for grant funding and matched funding includes the following activities and/or items that are critical for the delivery of the proposed project:
- salaries and consumables directly attributed or critical to the delivery of the project
- accessing specialist professional services
- access to and acquisition of specialist equipment, hardware, software, and service provider fees
- accessing or protecting intellectual property rights
- prototyping and development of a Minimum Viable Product
- scholarships, study tours, undertaking market research/testing and engaging with major customers and investors
- travel expenses for testing, market development of the product/service, capital raising and other partnership or investment opportunities
- data procurement and efforts to obtain regulatory approval.
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible an applicant must:
- be a company incorporated in Australia with an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be a non-tax-exempt business
- be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST)
- have an annual turnover of less than $1 million for each of the three financial years prior to the lodgement of the application – this includes the annual turnover for any Related Bodies Corporate
- be based or willing to be based in South Australia prior to commencing the project.
If based outside of South Australia, there may be special circumstances which merit consideration of an applicant however the State Government may impose a contractual obligation on the applicant (if successful) to relocate and maintain the relevant enterprise (in whole or part) in South Australia.
An applicant must consider the Assessment Criteria outlined in the section below before applying, including the requirement to provide a strong case for the need for grant funding.
If an applicant has previously received a grant from the South Australian Government for the same project, or a stage of the project, then the applicant is not entitled to further funding from this program. An applicant is permitted to apply for a different or subsequent stage of the project having demonstrated progress and acquittal of previous funding from the South Australian Government.
Timing
Applications open on an ongoing basis.
