Innovation partnership grants

Program continuity and collaboration

Building on the success of Phase 1, the ongoing grants program provides targeted funding to up-scale rigorously tested activities that confront new challenges or harness new opportunities. All grants facilitate partnerships involving Vietnamese and Australian entities — be they private, public, educational, or not-for-profit organizations. These grants are intended for pre-existing partnerships to evolve, rather than for the creation of new joint ventures or the trialling of entirely untested ideas.

Selection criteria and preferences

The program prioritizes grants that demonstrate:

  • Implementation of proven technology or innovative ideas with socio-economic or environmental benefits.
  • Strong potential for adaptation within the Vietnamese context.
  • Clear pathways for scalability or sustainability in Vietnam.

Applications are meticulously evaluated against criteria that underscore the following:

  • Addressing an innovation need within targeted ecosystems in the resilient agriculture and food sector.
  • Enhancement of existing Australia-Vietnam partnerships.
  • Viability of the involved partners, confirmed through due diligence.
  • Commitment to gender equality and social inclusion.
  • Compliance with Official Development Assistance requirements.
  • Contributions to the overarching goals of the Aus4Innovation program.
  • Assessment of potential market distortions and effects on industry’s capacity for technology absorption.

Grant exclusions

The grants will not cover:

  • Individual training or scholarships, at any academic level.
  • Funding for conferences, events, or workshops.
  • Proposals from unaffiliated Australia and Vietnam entities.

Evaluation process

Expressions of interest that align with our criteria are shortlisted by the A4I Program Office and reviewed by the Advisory Board. Selected applications proceed to proposal development, followed by a comprehensive assessment by the Steering Committee, which may involve further Advisory Board consultations.

Key information for applicants

  • Guidelines: Detailed instructions and eligibility requirements for the grant application. [Download]
  • Application Form: An accessible and user-friendly online application form. [SmartyGrant portal]
  • Key dates:
  • Application Languages: English will be used as the main language throughout the application process. However, it is requested that the Expression of Interest (EOI) and the Detailed Proposals (if the applications are shortlisted) will be proposed in dual languages, i.e. both English and Vietnamese.
  • FAQs: [list of Qs and drop-down of As]