Six of 10 CRC bids through to the second stage

Six of 10 CRC bids through to the second stage

The 19th selection round for Cooperative Research Centres took a major step forward yesterday with the stage two shortlist announced. Eleven bids were lodged in July; one was excluded on compliance grounds, leaving 10 still in the running. The bids invited into stage two are:

  • SMART Ageing CRC – Health  – SA
  • Digital Health CRC – Health  – NSW
  • Farming Smarter CRC – Food  – NSW
  • Fight Food Waste and Fraud CRC – Food  – SA
  • MinEx CRC – Mining  – SA
  • Future Fuels CRC – Energy  – NSW

The bids that were not invited to proceed were:

  • CRC for Distinctive Australian Foods – Food  – QLD
  • Oil and Gas Infrastructure Decommissioning CRC – Energy – WA
  • Chronic Conditions CRC – Health – QLD
  • Aged Care and Chronic Disease CRC – Health – NSW

The Advisory Committee will provide feedback to all bidders. Full applications are due in mid-December and interviews will be conducted in early February 2018. Announcements should be made in April for successful CRCs to develop their contracts for a mid 2018 commencement.

The clearest observation to make on the shortlist is that NSW and South Australia have done well. It is not coincidence. Those two States have small but very effective programs for providing assistance to bidders that are working. Of course, industry support is ultimately a more important factor and that support should be “skin in the game” for the industry involved. Where an industry is seen as cost shifting to the Commonwealth, they are unlikely to do well and this tends to be a distinguishing factor in who ultimately receives funding. The CRC Association looks forward to working with bidders in stage two, as well as the many bids now in development for the 20th selection round. Our commiserations to those finishing their round 19 journey now.