NSW Technology Vouchers Program (Techvouchers)

The NSW Technology Vouchers Program (TechVouchers) has been established to encourage collaboration between NSW small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and public sector research organisations (PSROs) located in NSW. TechVouchers  is being implemented by the NSW Government through Industry & Investment NSW (I&I NSW), in conjunction with InnovationXchange Limited (IXC).

• promote the benefits of industry and PSROs working together;
• provide companies which have an initial project with some seed funding to help them engage with research facilities;
• provide expert technical guidance that helps an SME identify the most suitable research partner; and
• support PSROs in making it easier for SMEs to engage with them.

• fund a research project in partnership with a research organisation;
• support a research project that will lead to an application for an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project grant or an Enterprise Connect Researchers in Business grant, or other similar schemes;
• fund access to research facilities such as electron microscopes, medical imaging, e-research supercomputers, nanofabrication and other facilities under the Commonwealth Government’s NCRIS program;
• fund product or process design activities (e.g. use engineering or technical design expertise to determine prototype structure, function and/or materials);
• technical assistance;
• trial production runs or processes to demonstrate technical concepts;
• validation or demonstration the technical capabilities of the product, process or service, scale-up, stability or reproducibility of a process; and
• fund toxicology studies on materials that you have invented, or wish to incorporate into your new product.

• the TechVoucher value must be matched by the applicant in cash and/or in-kind;
• the TechVoucher will be valid for use at any NSW based public research organisation;
• the TechVoucher will be valid for a period of 6 months from date of issue; and
• the TechVoucher will be valid for eligible work completed by PSROs as described below.

• seeding a research project in partnership with a PSRO;
• funding a preliminary research activity that will lead to further funding applications to programs such as Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects;
• product/process design activities e.g. using engineering or technical design expertise to determine prototype structure, function and/or materials;
• trial production runs or processes to demonstrate a technical concept of a project or part of a project; and
• testing of toxicity, health and safety attributes of materials, including nanomaterials;
• validation or demonstration of the technical capabilities of a product, process or service, scale-up, stability or reproducibility of a process.

• be incorporated in NSW;
• have fewer than 200 employees;
• turnover less than AUD$30 Million per annum;
• have been in operation for at least one year;
• be able to demonstrate the ability to match the applicable voucher amount in cash or in kind; and
• conduct the majority of the proposed activities in NSW, in partnership with a NSW-based PSRO, including universities, TAFEs, or other public sector facilities