GREEN CAR INNOVATION FUND

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GREEN CAR INNOVATION FUND

• Information Sessions
• May 2009

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About this presentation

• Overview of GCIF
• Eligibility
• Application process
• If you are successful

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Program essentials

• Competitive merit-based grants program
• 1.3 billion over ten years from 2009
• Companies, individuals and other entities can
  apply
• Applications from consortia are encouraged
• Funding ratio of 13 (25 grants), unless
  otherwise agreed by Program Delegate on
  exceptions basis
• 3 year projects (with extensions to 4 years)
• Funding available under Stream A and Stream B
• Minimum grants available
• Stream A 5 million
• Stream B 100,000

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Program objective

• To enhance the research and development and
  commercialisation of Australian technologies that
  significantly reduce fuel consumption and/or
  greenhouse gas emissions of passenger motor
  vehicles.

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Applicant eligibility - Stream A

• To be eligible to apply under Stream A,
  applicants must
• be an MVP registered under ACIS or ATS
• be able to fund costs of project additional to
  grant amount
• have access to and sufficient rights in, all IP
  necessary to carry out and commercialise project
• apply for a grant of 5 million or more
• Cumulative total of grants must not exceed 300
  million

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Applicant eligibility - Stream B

• To be eligible to apply under Stream B,
  applicants must
• be a non-tax exempt company, or individual or
  other entity type (that warrants to form a
  company)
• not be an MVP, or (unless agreed otherwise by the
  program delegate) an entity related to an MVP
  registered under ACIS or ATS
• be able to fund costs of project additional to
  grant amount
• have access to and sufficient rights in, all IP
  necessary to carry out and commercialise project
• apply for a grant of 100,000 or more
• Cumulative total of grants must not exceed
  100 million

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Project requirements

• Must be undertaken in Australia and directly
  relate to the creation, acquisition, application
  or commercialisation of knowledge, technology,
  processes, materials or products which
• are new or additional to the grantee, and
• significantly reduce fuel consumption and/or
  greenhouse gas emissions of passenger motor
  vehicles
• and must involve eligible activities

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Eligible activities

• The program will support
• research and development (RD)
• proof-of-concept
• early-stage commercialisation
• pre-production development
• where these activities are carried out in
  Australia

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Eligible expenditure

• Labour (including salaries, overheads and
  employing recent graduates)
• Contractors
• Plant and equipment (50 cap)
• Acquisition and adaptation of new leading-edge
  technologies (10 cap)
• Prototype
• IP protection (10 cap)
• Collaborative costs
• Other

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Non-cash considerations

• Non-cash considerations are contributions to a
  project that have
• no impact on company cash flow and
• no record in the company's statement of financial
  performance
• Non-cash considerations are not eligible
  expenditure under the Green Car Innovation Fund

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Applications will require

• Detailed description of project
• Project plan setting out eligible expenditure
• Business Plan summary (focus on RD, IP
  management and commercialisation plans)
• Substantiated claims against merit criteria

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How to apply

• Applications can be lodged at any time
• Review the information on the AusIndustry website
  and submit an enquiry form
• A customer service manager (CSM) will contact you
  to discuss your project and provide an
  application form and budget calculator
• Completed application should be sent to
  AusIndustry State or Territory Office

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Role of CSMs

• Generally the first point of contact for
  applicants via enquiry form or hotline
• www.ausindustry.gov.au
• Provide advice on eligibility
• Provide application form
• Review draft applications (once per applicant)

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Role of CSMs continued..

• Receives the completed application
• Presents to Innovation Australia, including
  preliminary assessment against merit criteria
• If successful sends letter of offer
• Draws up grant agreement
• Monitors performance against grant agreement
  (including payments, variations, compliance
  visits)

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Merit criteria

• Extent of reduction in fuel consumption and/or
  greenhouse gas emissions
• Technical merit, extent and calibre of innovation
• Capacity and capability of applicant to undertake
  the project (including management capability and
  need for funding)
• Commercial potential
• Contribution to a competitive Australian
  automotive industry, and benefits to the
  Australian economy

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Decision making

• Committee of Innovation Australia makes technical
  assessment of eligible applications
• Rates and ranks applications according to merit
• Applications for more than 10m to be considered
  by Cabinet
• Program Delegate provides final approval
• Decision and reasons for decision provided to
  applicants by letter

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If you are successful

• You will receive a letter of offer
• If not a company you will be required to form one
• Have 30 days to execute a grant agreement
• Payments will be made quarterly
• Progress reports required quarterly
• Audited annual project report required during
  project period
• Post project reporting for 2 years after the
  project is complete

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Essential documents

• Customer information guide
• Customer enquiry form
• Eligible expenditure guidelines
• Application form
• Background information and copies/samples of
  documents including grant agreement available on
  the AusIndustry website

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Questions

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Contact details

• To find out more information, contact
• the AusIndustry hotline on 13 28 46 or
  hotline_at_ausindustry.gov.au
• www.ausindustry.gov.au