A plain-language overview of the real 2026 federal and state programs that can support business AI and software adoption in Australia — and where to confirm current status.
dgm is an independent osFoundry integration partner — not affiliated with osFoundry’s maker (OS LLC), and dgm has no completed client integrations yet.
If you are funding an AI project in Australia in 2026, a handful of real programs do most of the work — and the headline ‘AI grant’ most people imagine does not exist. This overview separates what is active from what is not.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| R&D Tax Incentive | Open (ongoing) — Tax offset for genuine R&D; up to 43.5% under $20M turnover |
| Industry Growth Program | Open (rolling) — Matched grants for commercialising innovation in NRF priority areas |
| National Reconstruction Fund | Open — $15B in loans/equity — large-ticket, not small grants |
| EMDG (Austrade) | Between rounds — Export marketing support — applications currently closed |
| CSIRO Kick-Start | Open — $10k–$50k dollar-matched R&D with CSIRO |
| Accelerating Commercialisation | Closed (2023) — Ended — replaced by the Industry Growth Program |
What is actually available in 2026
The dependable supports are the R&D Tax Incentive (a tax offset for genuine R&D — the big one), the Industry Growth Program (matched grants for commercialising innovation in National Reconstruction Fund priority areas), the National Reconstruction Fund itself ($15B in loans and equity — large-ticket), CSIRO Kick-Start (dollar-matched R&D with CSIRO), and state programs. The official starting point is the business.gov.au Grants and Programs Finder, the Australian Government’s tool for discovering the federal, state and territory supports you may qualify for, with GrantConnect (grants.gov.au) listing Commonwealth grant opportunities.
What has ended or paused
Accelerating Commercialisation closed on 9 May 2023 and was replaced by the Industry Growth Program — do not plan around it. EMDG (Export Market Development Grants) applications are currently closed between rounds — the program continues but you cannot apply right now. There is no single current Commonwealth ‘digital adoption’ AI grant — be wary of anyone claiming one.
How to combine them
A typical pattern is an Industry Growth Program or CSIRO grant for early commercialisation, the R&D Tax Incentive claimed after the year for genuine R&D, and state programs on top — without funding the same dollar twice. Program parameters, amounts, rates and round windows change frequently — confirm the current details on the official program page before relying on them.
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.