CRC-P: Industry-led Collaborative Research Projects

What this pathway is

A CRC-P is a collaborative research project led by industry. Unlike the long-term CRC Program, which builds an enduring research centre, a CRC-P funds a specific project: a defined industry problem, a research plan to address it, and a consortium formed for that purpose. Rounds are announced periodically, applications are assessed competitively, and successful projects typically involve co-investment from the partners alongside the grant.

The pathway is administered through the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, with program information published via business.gov.au. Program settings — round timing, project terms, funding arrangements and criteria — change between rounds, so the official pages are always the reference point.

What kinds of projects it may suit

A CRC-P may be relevant where a project looks something like this:

• An industry-defined problem with a plausible commercial outcome — a new product, process or service — rather than open-ended research.
• Research questions beyond one organisation's capability, so that genuine collaboration with a research organisation adds something the company could not do alone.
• A project scale that justifies a consortium — significant enough to warrant multiple partners and co-investment, but bounded enough to complete within a defined term.

Projects that are essentially internal product development, or that could proceed without a research partner, are generally a poor fit — collaborative substance is the point of the program, not a formality.

Typical structure: industry partner + research partner

The characteristic CRC-P consortium pairs at least one industry partner — usually including a small or medium-sized business — with at least one research partner, such as a university or research organisation. The industry side leads: it owns the problem, the intended commercial outcome and the project management. The research side contributes investigative capability, methods and people. Partners contribute cash and in-kind resources, and agree up front on governance, milestones and intellectual property.

Worth knowing: the partnership requirements — who must be involved, in what role and at what level of contribution — are defined in each round's official guidelines and can change. Always check the current guidelines rather than relying on descriptions of past rounds.

What preparation may be required

• A research-ready project definition. The problem needs to be framed as researchable questions with a credible plan — not a product wishlist. Assessors read research plans, and weak framing is visible immediately.
• Committed partners before application. Consortium building takes time: identifying a research partner whose capability matches the problem, negotiating contributions, and agreeing IP and governance positions.
• Evidence of capability and feasibility. Preliminary work, prototypes or prior structured R&D make a proposal far more credible than intentions alone.
• Capacity to co-invest and deliver. Partners are expected to contribute resources and to manage a multi-party project over its full term.

How Ignition Research helps

We help businesses understand whether their project has the shape a CRC-P expects — a genuine research core, collaborative substance and a defined outcome; prepare the project by structuring the research questions, pathway and partnership logic before any application is contemplated; and document the preliminary and ongoing work so the project's evidence base is strong. We do not write or lodge grant applications, and we make no representations about whether any project would succeed in a competitive round.