Frequently asked questions

How to apply

1. How do I apply?

Read the Guidelines and application requirements at the Queensland Government website for the Queensland-Germany Bioeconomy Collaborative Science Program 2026–2027.

Complete an online application form and submit the required documentation via the secure SmartyGrants website.

2. What is the closing date for applications?

Applications for the 2026–2027 Round closed Wednesday 3 June 2026, 1pm AEST.

Late applications will not be accepted.

3. Can I apply for funding if my research proposal does not address one of the Program identified priority areas?

No. Your application will be deemed ineligible if it does not address one or more of the identified target areas in the Program Guidelines.

4. Is there a requirement to submit an Application to the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology ad Space (BMFTR)?

Yes. An equivalent application must be submitted by the Germany-based lead applicant to BMFTR through the Bioeconomy International Submission Platform.

For further information on BMFTR requirements contact Project Management Jülich (PtJ):

Dr. Veronika Jablonowski
Project Management Jülich
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
Biological Innovation & Economy- EU and International Affairs (PtJ-BIO7)

• Telephone: +49 2461-61-5083
• Email: v.jablonowski@fz-juelich.de

Applications

5. The online Application Form will not allow me to provide my full response to a question.

The text fields contained in the Application Form have been restricted to the word limits considered appropriate for each question and these limits cannot be extended.

6. Why am I required to complete the Project Summary in plain English?

Information provided in this section of the Application Form will be used to inform a wide range of people about the proposed project. It is therefore important that it is clear and easy to understand by a person with a limited scientific background. Do not use scientific jargon or technical terms.

The overview of the project should include simple statements outlining: what the project aims to do and how it will be done; how the project will address the identified challenge/opportunity; the significance of the collaboration between the project partners; and a summary of the key outcomes for Queenslanders.

7. The information required in the Queensland application form is different to the German application form – why is that?

There may be slight differences in the Queensland and German application forms. This is due to the different priorities and processes to be undertaken by both respective departments. Please complete the Queensland application form in full as the information in the form will be used by the Queensland assessment panel to make their funding recommendations.

8. The online Application Form only allows for the upload of one letter of support / resume, and I need to upload multiple.

Multiple documents (letters of support or resumes) should be combined into one PDF file before uploading.

9. How do I demonstrate that I am aware of other research that has been, or is being, undertaken in the proposed space?

In demonstrating this you should detail your awareness of similar/comparable research undertaken by academia and industry, including the undertaking of patent searches, as appropriate.

10. How should I complete the Milestones, Activities and Research Outcomes section?

Detail the key project activities to be completed, split into annual reporting periods. You also need to detail the expected outcomes of these activities (i.e. how you will measure the success of the project at the end of each annual reporting period).

While it is appreciated that scientific milestones are usually highly technical in nature, they should, as far as possible, be described in clear, non-technical language that will enable understanding and meaningful verification by non-scientific personnel. As a guideline, each milestone should be three to five dot points describing the key activities and outcomes for the particular stage of the project with numbers, targets or rates of completion, where possible.

Should your application for funding be successful this milestone table will form the basis of your progress reporting.

11. My Application Form contains confidential information; is it safe to upload this online?

The online lodgement process is hosted via a secure site and application documentation will remain strictly confidential. For more information, please refer to 10. Privacy statement of the Program’s Guidelines.

12. How will applications be assessed?

All applications will be assessed by a panel of independent assessors that will assess the applications against the assessment criteria, and rank applications in order of merit. The evaluation of the project applications received in Queensland and Germany will be undertaken in those jurisdictions concurrently.

Following the independent assessments of all eligible applications, assessors from Queensland and Germany will come together for a combined moderation meeting to determine a shortlist of funding recommendations.

The Director-General of DETSI will consider and approve successful Queensland applications for this grant program, based on recommendations from the independent assessment panels of Queensland and BMFTR.

Funding

13. How much can I apply for?

Grants of up to $250,000 (excluding GST) for each project are available from the Queensland Government under this Program.

This one-off funding amount will be distributed to successful applicants over a maximum three-year period.

14. How many projects are likely to be funded?

The 2026–2027 Round will fund up to 4 projects. The number of projects to be funded in future rounds is to be agreed upon between the Queensland Government and the BMFTR.

15. How will the total funding allocation be split between research priorities?

Whilst an allocation of funding to each priority area is preferable, the actual award of funding will be based on the volume and quality of applications received.

16. What are “organisational overheads”?

For the purpose of this funding program organisational overheads are the institutional and administrative overhead costs attributed to a position, such as facilities and accommodation-related costs, ICT costs, general administrative support costs. In some organisations this is calculated as a percentage of the salary costs. These on-costs are not eligible for Queensland Government funding.

17. Are salary on-costs eligible for funding?

Costs directly associated with the employment of an individual, such as superannuation, workers compensation, payroll tax and leave loading are eligible.

Organisational Eligibility

18. How is a ‘Queensland-based organisation’ defined?

The organisation must be operating its business in a physical location in Queensland which must be maintained for the duration of the project.

19. How is a ‘research organisation’ defined?

The organisation must conduct research as its primary business. Research organisations may include higher education institutions, cooperative research centres and research institutes.

20. Are private businesses eligible to apply for funding?

Private businesses/companies who do not conduct research as its primary business are not eligible to apply for funding from the program. They are, however, eligible to participate in the project as a partner organisation.

21. Are Queensland Government departments eligible to be partner organisations?

Yes, they are eligible to be a partner organisation. However, they are not eligible to be the lead Queensland-based applicant. Applicants with a Queensland Government department as a partner would need to demonstrate the value for money in a project that cites Queensland Government as the major funder.

22. How much funding is required from the applicant organisation and the partner organisation(s)?

The Queensland-based applicant organisation must contribute at least AUD$150,000 (excl GST) in cash to the project. All participants must also make a cash and/or in-kind contribution towards the cost of the project.

23. Can cash costs from a participant contribute to the cash contribution required from the Queensland-based applicant?

No. The cash contribution of at least $150,000 (excluding GST) must wholly be made by the Queensland-based lead applicant university or research organisation.

24. How is ‘cash’ defined?

For the purposes of this funding program cash is either, or a combination of:

• cash
• salary* costs attributed to the project of dedicated researchers who are employed by the applicant organisation and/or the project partners, and who are assigned directly to the core business of the project.

* In relation to salary costs, by definition:

• researchers must have at least 20% of their work responsibilities assigned directly to the core business of the project
• researchers can be full-time or part-time
• if it transpires that a researcher’s time has been charged or allocated to more than one project (that is, where a researcher’s time has been double counted) DETSI will withdraw funding for the project.

25. Can salaries of researchers be counted as cash for matching funding purposes for the Queensland lead applicant?

Yes - if the researcher is spending at least 20% of their time working on the project.

26. If a participant industry partner is contributing a salary commitment to meet the cash/in-kind contribution, do they need to contribute 20% of their total work time?

No, participant industry partner contributions of staff time can be for any time period.

27. How do I demonstrate participant cash and/or in-kind contributions towards the cost of the project?

In the application form, under Project Expenditure there is a table labelled ‘Participant-Cash Contribution Breakdown’. Here you can state the participant’s name, a description of the cash or in-kind contribution, and the dollar value of the contribution. Please note, if the contribution is in-kind (such as salaries, equipment, or use of facilities) you must list the dollar value equivalent of that contribution.

A letter of support must be included to demonstrate each participant’s contribution towards the cost of the project.

28. Is there a template for a letter of support?

The letter of support for the participants should be on letterhead and signed by an authorised officer. This endorsement is critical as it forms part of the eligibility requirements.

A template Letter of Support for industry partners (DOCX, 30.0KB) is available.

Conditions of Award

29. If my application is successful, when would my project start?

It is anticipated that funding will be available from mid 2027, subject to approvals by both international departments (DETSI and BMFTR).

30. Are the Terms and Conditions of the financial incentive agreement negotiable?

No. If you are offered funding from the Queensland-Germany Bioeconomy Collaborative Science Program, you will be required to execute the standard financial incentive agreement within 15 business days of receipt, or the offer of funding will lapse.

31. If my application is successful am I under any obligations regarding communication/ publicity?

Funding recipients will be required to proactively communicate the research project’s aims, progress and outcomes through activities such as publications, conferences, the media and science education activities. The support of Queensland Government should be acknowledged in all public communications. Recipients will be required to evidence these communications throughout the lifetime of the project.

32. How the funding is paid?

Funding is paid in instalments throughout the lifetime of the project. Generally, payments are made following the submission of satisfactory reports detailing the progress and outcomes of the project against the research plan.

Further information

Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation
Phone: (07) 3330 6360
Email: Science.Grants@detsi.qld.gov.au