Grants That Can Help Fund Your AI Upgrade

Many Australian SMEs don’t realise they can access government funding to reduce the cost of their AI, automation, and digital transformation projects.
Here are the key programs that match the type of work we deliver.

1. R&D Tax Incentive (Federal)

What you can receive:
👉 Up to 43.5% cash refund on eligible R&D work

Best for:
Businesses improving systems, experimenting with AI, or developing new automated processes.

2. Business Growth Fund – Victoria

What you can receive:
👉 $50,000 – $250,000 in matched funding

Best for:
SMEs investing in automation, AI tools, workflow upgrades, or digital systems that boost capacity.

3. Made in Victoria – Manufacturing Growth Program

What you can receive:
👉 $50,000 – $250,000

Best for:
Manufacturers upgrading production with AI, automation, robotics, scheduling tools or digital quality control systems.

4. Digital Jobs for Business (Victoria)

What you can receive:
👉 Wage subsidies and support to hire or train digital and AI-skilled staff

Best for:
Businesses adopting new digital tools and needing the capability to use them.

5. Local Council Innovation & Business Support Grants

What you can receive:
👉 Typically $5,000 – $25,000 depending on your council

Best for:
Digital upgrades, automation, CRM improvements, AI-enabled service delivery, and process improvements.

6. Export Market Development Grant (Federal)

What you can receive:
👉 $15,000 – $150,000

Best for:
Businesses using AI to attract international customers, automate marketing, or expand into global markets.

7. Small Business Energy Incentive (Federal)

What you can receive:
👉 20% bonus tax deduction on eligible energy-saving assets and systems

Best for:
AI tools that optimise scheduling, reduce equipment run-time, or improve operational efficiency.

8. CSIRO Innovation Connections (SME Connect)

What you can receive:
👉 Up to $50,000 in matched support

Best for:
SMEs wanting to improve processes or develop smarter ways of working using applied AI and digital technology.

How We Help You Use These Grants

Your AI project must be clearly defined before you can apply for most grants.
That’s where our AI Audit for Grants comes in.

We help you build:

• a clear problem statement

• a practical AI and automation roadmap

• costings and timelines

• productivity and ROI modelling

• a structured project plan your advisor can use in the application

You walk away with a grant-ready plan that gives your business the best chance of securing funding.

Get Your AI + Automation Upgrade Partially Funded

A clear, grant-ready plan that shows exactly where AI will save you time, reduce costs, and increase capacity — written in the way assessors and advisors expect.

Most SMEs miss out on grants because their project isn’t defined well enough.
The AI Audit for Grants fixes this by giving you a structured, costed, staged plan that proves your investment is worth funding.

Who This Is For

This audit is designed for Australian SMEs who:

• Turn over $1m–$50m+

• Have 5–200 staff

• Are overloaded with manual work, admin bottlenecks and double-handling

• Want to adopt AI, automation or digital systems

• Want access to grants, rebates or incentives to reduce their out-of-pocket costs

Perfect for:
Manufacturing • Trades • Professional Services • Healthcare • Logistics • Education • Memberships • Multi-site service businesses.

If you’re serious about improving capacity without adding more staff — this is for you.

What You Get With the AI Audit for Grants

This audit turns your ideas into a grant-ready AI project plan, including:

• Full review of your workflows, systems and bottlenecks

• 10–40 automation & AI opportunities (depending on scope)

• Productivity and ROI modelling

• A staged implementation timeline

• Project scope, budget and milestones

• Clear business case written in assessor-friendly language

• “Before and after” model showing real efficiency and capacity gains

Whether you apply for a grant or not, you walk away with a high-value, practical AI roadmap that pays for itself through time savings.

How It Works

1. Eligibility & Direction Call (30–45 mins)

We confirm whether your business is suitable for grant opportunities and which ones may apply.

Outcome: Yes/no clarity and the right direction.

2. Deep-Dive Leadership Workshop

We map your core workflows, where time is lost, and where AI and automation can remove manual work.

Outcome: A clear understanding of “what to fix first”.

3. Systems & Workflow Review

We analyse your current tools, processes, handovers, capacity gaps and data.

Outcome: A list of practical, high-impact automation opportunities.

4. Productivity & ROI Modelling

We calculate time saved, cost reduction, and capacity uplift — the numbers grant assessors look for.

Outcome: Real financial justification for your AI project.

5. Grant-Ready AI Project Plan

You receive a clear, written plan with:

• Scope

• Milestones

• Budget

• Timeline

• ROI

• Risks

• Implementation stages

Outcome: A full, grant-friendly document your accountant or grant writer can use straight away.

Pricing

We offer three fixed-fee options depending on the size and complexity of your business.

⭐ Core Grant-Ready Audit

$11,500 + GST

Most popular – ideal for SMEs with 15–60 staff.

Includes:

• Full systems & workflow review

• 12–20 automation opportunities

• ROI & productivity modelling

• 3–6 month staged project plan

• Budget ranges & tool recommendations

• Grant-ready documentation

Essential AI Audit for Small Business

$6,500 + GST

For SMEs with 5–15 staff or applying for smaller local council grants.

Includes:

• 1–2 departments assessed

• 6–12 automation opportunities

• Simple, grant-friendly project outline

• Clear, actionable roadmap

Enterprise Grant-Ready Audit

$25,000 + GST

For larger or more complex businesses with 60–200 staff or multi-site operations.

Includes:

• Multi-department workflow analysis

• 20–40 automation opportunities

• Detailed ROI & capacity modelling

• 6–24 month implementation roadmap

• Governance, risk & change documentation

• Technical feasibility where needed

Optional Add-Ons

Grant Writer Collaboration Pack — $1,950

We liaise directly with your grant writer and prepare tailored documentation.

AI Technical Feasibility Addendum — $1,400

Additional depth for grants requiring technical detail.

Data Readiness Assessment — $2,500–$4,500

Ideal for manufacturers, logistics, and multi-site businesses.

Why SMEs Choose This Audit

• Clear, practical and written in plain English

• Focused on productivity, not tech jargon

• Designed specifically for grant assessors and advisors

• Delivered quickly so you don’t miss deadlines

• Valuable even if you don’t apply for funding

• Supports real growth — not just “AI hype”

Ready to Make Your AI Upgrade Grant-Ready?

Your next step is simple:

👉 Start with the AI Audit for Grants:

Core Grant Ready Audit Click Here

Essential AI Audit for Small Business

Enterprise Grant-Ready Audit

Or set up a time for a chat

CLICK HERE

We’ll confirm your eligibility, outline what’s possible, and build your grant-ready AI upgrade plan.