The avoidable mistakes that sink Australian AI funding and R&D Tax Incentive claims — and how to prevent them.
dgm is an independent osFoundry integration partner — not affiliated with osFoundry’s maker (OS LLC), and dgm has no completed client integrations yet.
Most AI funding applications and R&D claims fail for avoidable reasons. Here are the common ones and how to prevent them.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Closed/paused program | Applying to something ended (Accelerating Commercialisation) or paused (EMDG) |
| Software ≠ R&D | Assuming all development qualifies for the RDTI |
| Missed deadline | Missing the AusIndustry registration window |
| Wrong assumption | Thinking a consultant can claim the RDTI for you |
The frequent mistakes
Applying to a closed or paused program (Accelerating Commercialisation has ended; EMDG is between rounds), assuming all software development is R&D (it must be genuinely experimental), missing the AusIndustry registration deadline (within 10 months of year-end), overstating what the project will achieve, and assuming a consultant can lodge the R&D claim for you.
How to avoid them
Verify each program is open and you are eligible, scope the genuinely experimental work, register on time, be realistic, and use a registered R&D tax adviser for the claim. Important: these are programs a business applies for directly with the government agency or, for the R&D Tax Incentive, claims through a registered tax adviser. dgm is an independent AI-integration agency — not a registered or approved program deliverer, an Industry Growth Program adviser, or a registered R&D tax agent. dgm can help scope and build the AI project; eligibility and any claim are determined and lodged by you or a registered adviser.
Where dgm fits
dgm can help describe and document the AI project, but you submit grant applications and claim the R&D Tax Incentive yourself or with a registered adviser.
Where dgm fits
dgm is an independent integration partner that helps Australian businesses adopt osFoundry — scoping a first use case, handling the build, and connecting AI to the systems you already run. dgm can help you scope the AI project that a program would fund — but you apply to the program (or claim the R&D Tax Incentive with a registered adviser) directly. dgm is independent of osFoundry’s maker (OS LLC) and has no completed client integrations yet, so everything described here is a service offered, not a past result. If you want to scope a practical first project, dgm can help you map it out.