Share this article on:
Defence has issued $3.6 million in grants to 12 Australian firms, including six cyber security companies.
The federal government has awarded 12 grants under the Industry Competitive Evaluation Research Agreement (ICERA) initiative, launched in August 2020.
The ICERA grants aim to provide $36 million in funding over six years via the Defence’s Next Generation Technologies Fund (NGTF), with the first round of grants totalling $3.6 million.
Six of the first-round recipients are expected to leverage the grant to fund innovative cyber security capabilities, with the remaining recipients to invest in enhanced human performance, integrated ISR, quantum technologies and advanced sensors.
The following ICERA grant recipients have been awarded up to $300,000 each.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price congratulated the recipients and noted the benefits of the ICERA program.
“I am particularly pleased to announce that two of these initial ICERA partnerships are with businesses new to Defence,” Minister Price said.
“The ICERA program aims to support small-to-medium businesses that are critical to enhancing our tactical and strategic edge as Australia’s strategic context continues to evolve.”
News Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media
Prior to joining the defence and aerospace team in 2020, Charbel was news editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business, where he covered developments in the banking and financial services sector for three years. Charbel has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in politics and journalism. Charbel has also completed internships with The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts and public relations agency Fifty Acres