The Australian Space Agency has announced a new round of funding under the government’s Australia’s Economic Accelerator program, offering up to $150 million in grants aimed at fostering collaboration between universities and industry partners.
The space sector is one of eight national research priorities identified for this support, which is designed to help fast-track the commercialization of cutting-edge research and innovations.
Innovate and Ignite
In this funding round, two key grant streams are available:
- AEA Innovate: Grants of up to $5 million are available for projects that already have laboratory proof of concept and are ready to scale over two years. Applications close on Aug. 29.
- AEA Ignite: This stream offers up to $500,000 per grant for early-stage proof-of-concept work over one year, with application closing on Sept. 3.
Canberra has emphasized that this funding will support projects focusing on developing and testing prototypes, pilots, or software in industry-relevant settings, thus raising the technological and commercial readiness of Australian tech solutions.
In the earlier funding rounds, a significant $93 million was awarded to 39 projects under AEA Innovate, while more than $59 million supported 155 projects under AEA Ignite. These projects have spanned critical fields such as renewables, agriculture, medical technology, defense and critical minerals.
Australia’s Growing Space Sector
In a related development, on the same day the grants were announced, Australia and New Zealand entered into a $162.1 million contract with Viasat to expand the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network. The satellite-based augmentation system, jointly developed by the two countries, enhances precise positioning and navigation capabilities for sectors such as aviation, agriculture, maritime, surveying and emergency response.
The agreement, led by Geoscience Australia and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand, builds on a previous contract award to Inmarsat, now part of Viasat, and includes additional satellite payload services.
This expansion is expected to further solidify the importance of advanced satellite technology in supporting Australia’s growing space sector and related industries.
The Potomac Officers Club invites you to the 2026 Defense R&D Summit, where the nation’s top defense leaders, researchers and innovators will converge to examine the technologies revolutionizing the future of warfare. Registration is now open for this Jan. 29 event.