For Australian Family Businesses Scaling in 2026: Grants, Incentives and Tax Moves
It’s early 2026 and I keep hearing the same thing from smart operators in my circle: “This year feels… uncertain.” Costs are sticky, customers are cautious and everyone’s got a mate who swears a slowdown is coming.
Fair enough.
But here’s the thing. When the outlook is messy, you’ve basically got two levers you can pull: protect cash and keep investing in the stuff that makes you harder to kill (productivity, capability, innovation and efficiency). That’s exactly where grants, incentives and tax mechanisms can help, not as free money, but as risk reduction.
Below is a practical list of programs worth a look. They’re not exclusive to family owned SMEs, but they can be genuinely useful for high growth family businesses that are scaling, modernising or commercialising something real. Use it as a menu, not a checklist. Pick the ones that match where you’re going, then go deep.
AgriFutures Australia RD&E Investment AgriFutures invests in research, development and extension (RD&E) projects that improve outcomes for Australia’s rural industries, commonly via open funding opportunities, tenders and targeted programs aligned to industry priorities. For high-growth family agribusinesses, growers and food producers, it is most relevant when you have a clear commercial problem to solve (productivity, quality, sustainability, new varieties, new processing, supply chain innovation) and can partner with a research provider or consortium. Eligibility and support vary by specific funding call, but typically involves project funding paid against milestones, with expectations around measurable industry benefit and, in some streams, co-investment from industry or partners.
Certain Inputs to Manufacture (CIM) Program CIM is a customs duty concession that can reduce the landed cost of eligible imported raw materials and intermediate goods used in manufacturing, where the imported input has a substantial and demonstrable performance advantage in producing a specific end product over substitutable Australian-made goods. For high-growth family manufacturers, this is effectively a competitiveness lever if you rely on specialised inputs (often chemicals, plastics, paper-related inputs or certain metals) and duty is a meaningful cost component. Eligibility depends on the specific goods and evidence requirements, and the support is delivered as duty relief rather than a cash grant, so the value scales with your import volume and duty rate exposure.
CSIRO Kick-Start CSIRO Kick-Start is designed to help innovative Australian start-ups and SMEs tackle a defined scientific or technical R&D challenge by pairing you with CSIRO researchers and providing dollar-matched funding of $10,000 to $50,000 to share project costs (prototype work, feasibility studies, product development). For high-growth family businesses, it suits situations where you have a clear technical bottleneck and need credible R&D horsepower without building a full in-house lab. Eligibility includes (among other things) having annual turnover and operating expenditure under $10 million or having traded less than three years, holding an ACN or ICN, being GST registered and being able to provide matched funding.
Digital Jobs Program (Victoria) Victoria’s Digital Jobs Program provides free, voucher-based digital skills training for eligible Victorian businesses in the manufacturing and construction sectors, aimed at building capability in areas like cybersecurity, data analytics, AI, CAD/CAM and digital marketing. For a scaling family business, the value comes as structured upskilling for leaders and staff at no cost, which can accelerate adoption of modern systems and lift productivity without blowing the training budget. Eligibility is specific, including being a Victorian operating business in manufacturing and/or construction, having an ABN and GST registration from 1 June 2025 and (for the six-week courses) being an employing SME with under 200 employees, with up to 5 vouchers per round.
Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) IAS is a major Australian Government funding framework administered by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) that supports initiatives intended to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across a range of program areas. For high-growth SME family businesses, the most realistic pathways are either (a) Indigenous-owned/led businesses applying where a particular grant opportunity fits, or (b) partnering with eligible Indigenous organisations to deliver outcomes while building genuine economic participation and supply chain opportunities. Eligibility and funding amounts depend entirely on the specific IAS grant opportunity and guidelines published for each round.
Industry Growth Program (IGP) The Industry Growth Program supports innovative SMEs undertaking commercialisation and growth projects in the Australian Government’s National Reconstruction Fund priority areas, starting with an Advisory Service that helps refine your commercialisation and growth plan and potentially leading to grant applications. For high-growth family businesses, it is a strong fit if you are developing something genuinely innovative (not business-as-usual improvement) and you are scaling into advanced manufacturing capability or value-add in areas like agriculture, medical science, transport or low emissions tech. Support may include adviser services, then potential grants of $50,000 to $250,000 for early-stage commercialisation projects and $100,000 to $5 million for commercialisation and growth projects, with eligibility for advisory services including turnover under $20 million (combined) in each of the prior three financial years plus entity and GST requirements.
Innovate to Grow (CSIRO) Innovate to Grow is CSIRO’s free, online program that helps SMEs clarify an innovation challenge, strengthen an R&D plan and learn how to engage the research sector, with facilitator support, learning modules and cohort networking. For a high-growth family business, it is valuable when you suspect R&D could unlock growth but you are not yet ready to spend heavily on formal projects, because it reduces false starts and improves your ability to scope fundable, partner-ready work. CSIRO describes it as a free 8-week online program, and sector-specific intakes open and close on set dates, so eligibility is usually tied to being an SME with an ABN and an innovation idea suited to the cohort theme.
Instant Asset Write-Off The instant asset write-off allows eligible small businesses to immediately deduct the cost of eligible depreciating assets up to a threshold, improving cash flow by accelerating tax deductions. For high-growth family SMEs making frequent equipment purchases, it can support faster reinvestment cycles, particularly for IT hardware, tools and smaller plant where purchases sit under the threshold. As at 2025–26, the write-off threshold is $20,000 for assets first used or installed ready for use between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, and eligibility generally depends on being a small business entity under the tax rules.
National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) The NRF is a large-scale Australian Government financing vehicle intended to support and grow Australia’s industrial capability in priority areas, typically via finance (such as loans, equity or other investment structures) rather than small business grants. For high-growth family businesses, it is most relevant if you are planning a major expansion, new production capability or a nationally significant commercialisation effort that needs patient capital beyond what banks will fund, and you operate in an NRF priority area. The support pathway is access to investment capital intended to crowd-in private funding, but it is application and due-diligence heavy and better suited to larger projects with robust governance and investment readiness.
Regional Events Fund (Victoria) Victoria’s Regional Events Fund supports events that drive visitation and economic impact in regional Victoria, backing festivals, culinary, sporting and cultural events that create jobs and support local businesses. For high-growth family SMEs, it is relevant if you are an event organiser, a regional tourism business building an event-led growth strategy, or a business consortium collaborating with councils and tourism boards to create a drawcard event. Eligibility includes private companies, councils, Regional Tourism Boards or Visitor Economy Partnerships and not-for-profits, and available funding includes Stream 2 (Event Growth and Development) with up to $500,000 and Stream 3 (Event Industry Support) with up to $50,000.
R&D Tax Incentive The R&D Tax Incentive reduces the after-tax cost of eligible R&D by providing a tax offset for companies conducting eligible R&D activities in Australia, which can be refundable for some smaller, eligible companies and non-refundable for others, depending on turnover and other rules. For high-growth family businesses investing in new products, new processes, advanced manufacturing, agtech or software-related innovation, it can be one of the most material funding mechanisms because it scales with your eligible R&D spend and can support sustained multi-year development. The value is delivered through the tax system (not a grant agreement), so it requires disciplined record-keeping, credible R&D definitions and good governance around experiments, hypotheses and results.
Self-Employment Assistance Self-Employment Assistance is a Workforce Australia program that helps individuals turn a business idea or an existing small business into a viable business through services such as workshops, business plan development, free accredited small business training, advice, health checks and coaching, with possible financial support for some participants during coaching. For family enterprises, it is less a scale-up tool for an established SME and more relevant when a family member is starting a new venture, spinning out a new line of business or formalising a micro-business that needs structured support and coaching. Eligibility is participant-based (not company-based), including age, residency and additional criteria for higher-support services like coaching.
Solar Sunshot (ARENA) Solar Sunshot is an Australian Government initiative administered by ARENA with up to $1 billion in funding to build Australia’s solar photovoltaic manufacturing capabilities, supporting manufacturing projects and related studies across parts of the solar PV supply chain. For high-growth family manufacturing businesses, the best fit is if you are investing in onshore PV module manufacturing, upstream inputs or enabling capability and can meet the scale, technical and delivery expectations typical of ARENA funding. The assistance varies by round but is framed as government financial support to catalyse private capital, with projects required to be located in Australia and subject to ARENA guidelines and merit criteria.
Victorian Circular Economy Recycling Modernisation Fund (Round 6) This Victorian program supports projects that increase recycling and reprocessing capability and improve circularity, with a strong focus on recovered material quality, reprocessing infrastructure and technologies that deliver new or improved recycling and manufacturing solutions. For high-growth family manufacturers and processors, it is relevant if you can use recovered materials as feedstock, invest in reprocessing, or build circular product lines, and can deliver a project in Victoria with strong operational readiness. Funding in Round 6 is structured with explicit co-contribution: for-profit businesses must co-contribute at least $2 for every $1 funded (grants between $100,000 and $500,000), while social enterprises, not-for-profits and local government must co-contribute at least $1 for every $1 funded (grants between $50,000 and $500,000), with additional eligibility requirements including an ABN and at least two years operating history.
Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) for businesses VEU helps Victorian businesses reduce energy use and operating costs by providing discounts and special offers on eligible energy-saving products and services delivered through accredited providers. For high-growth family businesses, it is a practical quick win because the savings are typically realised as upfront discounts on upgrades like lighting, heating/cooling and other efficiency measures, improving margins without a complex grant application. Eligibility is product and provider driven, so the value depends on what upgrades you choose and what offers are available at the time.
Wage Subsidies Australian Government wage subsidies can help employers offset the cost of hiring eligible job seekers, typically by making staged payments after a new employee has been in the role for required periods. For high-growth family businesses scaling headcount, this can reduce hiring risk and support faster expansion, especially where you are building entry-level pipelines or taking on candidates who may need extra support to become job-ready. Eligibility and amounts vary by the specific subsidy and the job seeker cohort, so the practical benefit and the rules should be confirmed against the current program guidance before you recruit.
If you take one thing away, let it be this: don’t chase grants because they exist. Chase them because they accelerate a plan you already believe in. The fastest way to waste time is bending your business into a pretzel for funding that does not fit.
A simple way to tackle this without turning it into a second job:
Shortlist 3 that align to your 2026 priorities (growth, new product, systems uplift, energy costs, hiring)
Put an owner on each one and timebox the eligibility check
Do the maths early (co contribution, cash flow timing, internal effort, reporting burden)
Get your evidence in order (especially for anything R&D related, the paperwork is the whole game)
Bring your accountant in early for tax incentives, and your ops lead for anything that touches delivery
Also, be honest about your appetite for admin. Some of these are quick wins, others are serious due diligence exercises. If you are already stretched, focus on the few that will move the needle rather than collecting a pile of half finished applications.
Most of all, best wishes for a successful 2026.
