CUREator manages several grant funding programs, supporting the development of innovations addressing various health needs. A summary of CUREator’s programs is provided below.
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MRFF: BMTI CUREator+ Dementia & Cognitive Decline (DCD)
In collaboration with ANDHealth and Dementia Australia, funding is derived from the Australian Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund through the Biomedtech Incubator (BMTI) program.
ROUND 2 OPEN Q2 2025
Program Overview
CUREator+ DCD supports the development of novel therapeutics, diagnostics, assistive devices, and digital health technologies. Our goal is to improve the lives of the 421,000 Australians living with dementia and their 1.6 million caregivers.
CUREator+ DCD provides non-dilutive grant funding of up to $5 million per project. This funding supports commercially oriented projects through tranched funding, dispersed upon the successful completion of key milestones.
Funding
Funding can support innovations that aid in early diagnosis, promotion of safe and enabling environments, management of symptoms and disease-modifying therapeutic treatments for those with dementia and cognitive decline.
Eligible projects include novel biomarkers, diagnostics, therapeutics, assistive devices, and digital technologies at various development stages.
Support
Successful small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) receive access to capital, commercial guidance, international expert networks, and hands-on support to help drive the translation and commercialisation of their innovations.
Funding Stages
Funding rounds and guidelines
CUREator+ Dementia & Cognitive Decline funding will be available through a competitive, merit-based process. Funding will be delivered in two rounds.
Round one closed in December 2024. A second round will open in H2 2025 with appropriate information and links to support the on-line application process.
Please refer to the CUREator+ Dementia and Cognitive Decline funding guidelines – 2024 before applying.
For more information on the CUREator+ Dementia & Cognitive Decline program:
CUREator+ will host a national webinar with each funding round and encourages prospective applicants to book a 30-minute meeting with the CUREator+ team to discuss their opportunity.
To view the CUREator+ Dementia and Cognitive Decline program webinar for round 1 visit: CUREator+ Dementia and Cognitive Decline Information Session Recording (youtube.com)
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Biomedtech Incubator (BMTI) CUREator+: In partnership with ANDHealth. Funding is derived from the Australian Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund.
CUREator+ is a $50 million MRFF BioMedTech Incubator program aimed at accelerating the commercialisation of early-stage Australian medical research and innovations.
CUREator+ offers small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) access to investment capital, commercial guidance, international expert networks, and hands-on mentorship. The program helps SMEs secure follow-on funding and continue their development, ensuring their innovations address unmet needs and demonstrate clear clinical and commercial differentiation.
This national program supported projects with commercial potential, including novel and repurposed drugs, devices, diagnostics, and digital technologies.
Funding Stages
Funding rounds were available through a competitive process and delivered in two funding rounds. CUREator+ awardees can be found here for Round 1
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Early-Stage Translation and Commercialisation (ESTAC): Pre-clinical stage program. Funding is derived from the Australian Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund.
The Preclinical Stream offers grant funding of up to $500,000 per project for preclinical medical research or innovation projects in Australia with commercial potential.
Supported by the MRFF Early Stage Translation and Commercialisation Support (ESTAC) grant, this program targets early-stage biomedical technologies, helping them become investment or partnering ready.
Projects focus on key experiments and milestones to de-risk assets, confirm proof of concept, and enhance their commercial attractiveness.
Awardees of the Preclinical Stream can be found here for Round 1 and here for Round 2.
Awardees can apply for additional ‘top-up’ funding of up to $500,000 upon meeting key milestones, further supporting their journey towards successful commercialisation through a competitive, multi-stage process. Top-up funding for the Preclinical Stream was offered through two competitive rounds.
‘Top up’ awardees of the Preclinical Stream can be found here.
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Early-Stage Translation and Commercialisation (ESTAC): Clinical stage program. Funding is derived from the Australian Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund.
MRFF ESTAC Clinical Design Supporting clinical development of therapeutics.
Up to $1.5m per project. Outcomes Investment, patient impact.
The Clinical Stream offers grant funding of up to $1,500,000 per project for clinical-stage medical research or innovation projects in Australia with commercial potential.
Supported by the MRFF Early Stage Translation and Commercialisation Support (ESTAC) grant, this program targets early-stage biomedical technologies, helping them become investment or partnering ready.
Projects focus on key experiments and milestones to de-risk assets, confirm proof of concept, and enhance their commercial attractiveness. This includes studies such as proof-of-concept experiments, mechanism of action studies, lead optimisation, formal development, indication selection, commercial positioning and validation activities.
Awardees of the Clinical Stream can be found here for Round 1 and here for Round 2. The program is now closed to new applications.
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Health Security (HS) and Minimising Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR). These programs were delivered in conjunction with the CSIRO, Australia’s National Science Agency.
CSIRO Health Security & Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Design Supporting health security and AMR innovations.
Up to $500k per project. Outcomes Investment, national capability, AMR prevention.
The Health Security (HS) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) stream at CUREator focuses on ensuring future health security by addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Supported by the CSIRO, this program provides targeted funding to early-stage biomedical projects that aim to develop new technologies to combat AMR. Projects funded under this program work on key experiments and milestones to de-risk assets, confirm proof of concept, and enhance their commercial attractiveness.
Awardees in the AMR stream are listed here.
