WA Innovation Booster Grants Reopen With $50,000 Available Per Applicant

Western Australian startups and small-to-medium enterprises have a three-week window to apply for grants of up to $50,000 through the state government’s Innovation Booster Grant, which reopened for applications today.

The Innovation Booster Grant is delivered through the New Industries and Innovation Fund and targets early-stage founders working on innovations aligned with the state’s priority sectors under the Diversify WA strategy. Since launching in 2021, the program has awarded more than $6.6 million to nearly 200 WA businesses.

Science and Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson said, “Western Australia is home to some of the nation’s most exciting innovators, and the Innovation Booster Grant continues to give early-stage founders the support they need to turn great ideas into commercial outcomes.”

What the grants cover

Funding can be used to develop or refine products and services toward commercial readiness, test or certify a minimum viable product, engage specialist consultants in areas such as intellectual property, marketing, and commercialisation, or resolve technical challenges that require external expertise.

The program is designed to address a common bottleneck for early-stage founders — the gap between a validated concept and a market-ready product — by connecting them with the services and capital needed to move faster.

Reduced requirements for underrepresented founders

The round includes reduced matched funding requirements for businesses headquartered in regional WA, as well as for First Nations–founded and female-founded enterprises, a measure aimed at broadening participation across the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Minister Dawson said the program was part of a broader effort to establish WA as a destination for technology development. 

“This round strengthens our commitment to regional, female and First Nations-founded businesses by ensuring they have greater access to the capital and expertise required to scale.”

“By backing local innovation, the Cook Government is not only helping individual businesses succeed, but we’re also boosting jobs and strengthening Western Australia’s reputation as a leading destination for technology development and product testing,” he said.

Key dates

Applications close Monday, March 30th, at 4:00 pm. 

An online information session for prospective applicants is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17th, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am.Full details are available at the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification website.