FAQs

Yes. Once you have reviewed the program guidelines and confirmed eligibility, you may contact the Biointelect Venturer team to discuss your application.

To ensure a fair and transparent assessment process, applicants must not contact members of the Biointelect Venturer IRC, Steering Committee or Biointelect Board directly regarding their application or the selection process. Any enquiries received outside official channels will be redirected to the Biointelect Venturer mailbox or enquiry booking form.

All eligible EOIs and full applications are assessed by the IRC — an independent committee of experts with experience spanning the scientific, clinical, and commercial translation of health technologies. All reviewers are bound by confidentiality and conflict-of-interest agreements.

Projects should be between TRL 3 and 6 at the time of application. However, projects at TRL 2 may be considered by exception if they can demonstrate they are about to progress to TRL 3 or have a credible and achievable plan to reach TRL 4 within two years. Applicants seeking consideration under this exception should clearly justify their development pathway, provide supporting data that indicates imminent advancement, and outline key milestones to reach TRL 4. Exceptional approval is at the discretion of the Biointelect Venturer IRC and Steering Committee.

No. Biointelect Venturer supports preventative technologies that have a direct human application. Eligible projects must involve technologies that act directly on humans and/or deliver a clear, direct impact on human health in the prevention of infectious disease.

Innovations that act only at the environmental, systems, or population level (e.g., air or water purification systems, environmental controls, building-level interventions, PPE, or sanitation technologies) are not eligible, as they fall outside the incubator’s focus on human-directed products.

Biointelect Venturer is focused on innovations that prevent or control infectious diseases in humans. This includes prophylactic vaccines, immunotherapies, and related technologies (e.g. delivery systems, adjuvants, and molecular platforms) that reduce infection risk or transmission.

Other modalities that reduce infection risk or transmission – such as diagnostics, biomarkers, and prophylactic drugs – will be considered based on their impact on the infectious disease prevention landscape.

The lead indication must directly address the prevention of a defined infectious disease, rather than the management or treatment of another condition that directly or indirectly affects infection risk.

Projects targeting non-infectious diseases, or those focused solely on treatment or management of established disease (without a preventative component), are not eligible. Likewise, therapeutic interventions intended primarily to treat existing infections, and digital-health or AI-only tools without a direct preventative mechanism, are out of scope.

Biointelect Venturer is focused on innovations that prevent or control infectious diseases through prophylactic (preventative) vaccines and immunotherapies designed to prevent infection or control disease onset. Prophylactic immunotherapies include monoclonal antibodies for the prevention of disease.

Projects developing therapeutic vaccines or immunotherapies or drugs intended to treat existing infections or established disease, host-directed therapies that reduce symptoms after infection onset are not within scope.

Yes — vaccine and immunotherapy platform technologies are eligible. All applications must demonstrate that the technology is intended for the prevention of infectious disease. Applicants should determine the TRL based on the lead indication or lead product for the platform.

If the underlying platform is more advanced than the lead indication, we encourage applicants to provide supporting data that demonstrates the development stage of the platform, alongside the evidence underpinning the lead indication/product.

Biointelect Venturer funding is intended to support local innovation from Australian small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) that are registered in Australia and operate primarily within the Australian innovation ecosystem.

An Australian-incorporated subsidiary of an international company may be eligible, provided:

• It is a registered incorporated Australian entity with an ABN
• It employs fewer than 200 staff
• It conducts substantive project activities in Australia
• IP ownership for the technology resides in Australia

However, subsidiaries that act primarily as sales, distribution, or administrative offices for overseas parent companies, or where decision-making and IP ownership reside offshore, are not eligible. Applicants should clearly outline the entity structure, ownership, and IP arrangements within their submission to confirm compliance with program requirements.

Yes. Collaborations between an eligible Australian SME and international partners are eligible where they strengthen the proposed project – for example, by providing access to specialised expertise, technology, or facilities not available in Australia.
However:

• The lead applicant must be the Australian SME, which must meet all eligibility criteria (including being a registered Australian entity with an ABN and employing fewer than 200 staff).
• The majority of project activities and expenditure must occur in Australia.
• Any overseas components must be clearly justified as essential to achieving project objectives and approved in advance.

International partners may participate under subcontract or collaboration agreements, but they cannot receive direct funding from Biointelect Venturer.

All information provided through the Biointelect Venturer application portal is handled in accordance with Biointelect’s privacy and data-management policies (https://www.biointelect.com/privacy/). Application materials are treated as commercial-in-confidence. All IRC members, reviewers, and Biointelect staff involved in the assessment process are required to sign confidentiality and conflict-of-interest declarations before accessing application information.

Biointelect Venturer funding supports technologies between TRL 3 – 6 and will therefore support early-stage clinical or translational studies that are critical to demonstrating feasibility, safety or preliminary efficacy. Projects beyond TRL 6 – including those proposing large-scale pivotal trials – are considered out of scope. Please refer to Section 4.1.1 in the Funding Guidelines for eligible expenditure categories.

Funding will be released in tranches aligned with agreed milestones as outlined in the approved project plan. Continued funding is subject to satisfactory progress against agreed deliverables and reporting obligations.

No. Matched funding is not required, but projects demonstrating co-funding, in-kind contributions, or partnerships that amplify Biointelect Venturer’s investment will be viewed favourably.

Yes. Applicants may combine Biointelect Venturer funding with other non-Commonwealth sources, such as industry partnerships, venture capital, or philanthropic investment. Projects demonstrating co-funding, in-kind contributions, or partnerships that amplify Biointelect Venturer’s investment will be viewed favourably.

Applicants who already hold MRFF, NHMRC, or other government funding may also apply, provided the proposed Biointelect Venturer activities are distinct, non-overlapping, and complementary to any existing government-funded work. Biointelect Venturer cannot support specific activities, equipment or supplies already funded through another MRFF, NHMRC, or government grant.

All existing or planned funding arrangements must be disclosed in the application and confirmed prior to contracting.

Intellectual property (IP) arising from projects remains the property of the participating organisation or company. Biointelect does not claim ownership or rights to participant IP.

However, applicants must hold or secure rights to the core IP necessary to deliver the project and must outline how future IP will be protected, managed, and commercialised.

Yes. Researchers based at Australian universities, medical research institutes, or hospitals are eligible to apply if they commit to establishing a new company that meets the SME eligibility requirements prior to contracting. Biointelect Venturer funding cannot be used to cover incorporation or company formation costs.

Applicants should ensure that proposed project activities are operationally distinct from institutional research and that intellectual property (IP) ownership and contracting arrangements are clearly defined and transferable to the new entity.

Funding may support IP-related strategic activities (e.g. freedom-to-operate analysis, IP strategy development, patentability assessments) if these are included in the approved project plan.
Direct patent filing or maintenance fees are considered ineligible expenditure under MRFF funding guidelines.

Yes. Projects progressing to contracting or due-diligence stages may be refined in consultation with the Biointelect Venturer team and the Investment Review Committee to ensure alignment with program objectives and maximum impact. Any changes will require formal approval before contracting.

All members of the Biointelect Venturer Investment Review Committee, Steering Committee, and advisory groups operate under strict confidentiality and conflict-of-interest policies. Any potential conflicts are declared and managed in line with best-practice governance standards to ensure fair, unbiased assessment.

Biointelect Venturer funding agreements include milestone-based tranches. Continued funding is contingent on satisfactory progress and compliance. Biointelect Venturer reserves the right to withhold or terminate funding if obligations are not met or if material non-compliance occurs.

No. There is no requirement to enter an IP Deed Poll with Biointelect or the Commonwealth.

All application information is treated as commercial-in-confidence during the review process. However, Biointelect Venturer may publicly announce successful applicants and use non-confidential project summaries for communication and reporting purposes. Confidential information will not be disclosed without consent.

Applicants not progressing beyond the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage will not receive individual feedback, due to the expected high volume of submissions. Shortlisted applicants invited to submit a full application will receive summary feedback to guide the next stage of submission.

Applicants are welcome to engage any external service provider, including Biointelect, to support activities such as development pathway mapping, market assessments, or competitive landscaping.

Using Biointelect’s consulting team is entirely optional and not required for a competitive application. We maintain strict processes to ensure no conflict of interest between the incubator team and Biointelect’s consulting arm.