The NSW Space+ Program, which will be overseen by SmartSat CRC, will also give the winning firms the chance to attend the global IAC conference in September next year in Sydney.
Applications are now open and will close on Friday (30 August), with the winners to be announced shortly afterwards. To find out more and enter, click here.
SmartSat CRC is a collaboration between universities and research organisations that partner with industry and is funded by the Australian government.
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It aims to develop “know-how” and technologies in advanced telecommunications and IoT connectivity, intelligent satellite systems, and next-generation data services for Earth observation.
“This initiative aligns perfectly with our mission to foster strategic partnerships and drive the commercialisation of innovative space technologies, ultimately benefiting the social, economic, and environmental landscape of NSW,” said SmartSat’s CEO Andy Koronios.
The grant amount can be up to 100 per cent of eligible project expenditure (grant percentage), although SmartSat said co-investment is “strongly encouraged”.
The program lists five assessment criteria for eligible projects, which are:
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- The project demonstrates significant potential to drive the advancement and growth of NSW’s space industry capability and capacity, ensuring it remains competitive and innovative, while delivering clear economic and broader benefits to NSW (25 per cent).
- The project supports the development and commercialisation of space capabilities that can integrate into national and international supply chains, delivering clear end-user benefits (25 per cent).
- The project team has proven experience, skill capacity, networks, and the ability to deliver the project (20 per cent).
- The project supports NSW space industry scalability and growth through national or international partnerships (15 per cent).
- The project delivers value for money for NSW and attracts significant external investment to support the project’s long-term development and growth (15 per cent).
Space Connect reported in December how Sydney was confirmed as the host city of the global IAC conference in 2025 after the SIAA and the event’s organisers formalised its previous agreement.
The widely expected announcement came after the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) won the bidding process in 2023 in a joint submission with the NSW government and the Australian Space Agency.
The five-day International Astronautical Congress (IAC) is expected to attract around 7,000 delegates and will be held between 29 September and 3 October.
Organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the IAC is known as the Olympics of space and was first held in Paris in 1950.
Adam Thorn
Adam is a journalist who has worked for more than 40 prestigious media brands in the UK and Australia. Since 2005, his varied career has included stints as a reporter, copy editor, feature writer and editor for publications as diverse as Fleet Street newspaper The Sunday Times, fashion bible Jones, media and marketing website Mumbrella as well as lifestyle magazines such as GQ, Woman’s Weekly, Men’s Health and Loaded. He joined Momentum Media in early 2020 and currently writes for Australian Aviation and World of Aviation.
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