Federal Government to provide up to $100,000 in grant funding for alternative wine packaging innovations

The Federal Government has announced that it will be offering grants of up to $100,000 to startup and SME companies targeting renewables and low emission practices. The grants will form part of the Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII), which has been allocated a total budget of $7.5 million for its current funding round. 

Three challenges have been established for the current Renewables and Low Emissions Round, with the third being ‘alternative packaging for premium Australian wine.’ 

“We want to challenge small and medium businesses to make a strong contribution to Australia’s circular economy,” said the Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic.

“These grants are an opportunity to bring Australian know-how to solve some of our most pressing economic and social issues, including renewables and low emission practices,” 

If successful, applicants will be granted up to $100,000 in funding to develop and test their packaging solutions. Following this, the BRII will open a shortlisting process for additional grants of up to $1 million to develop a prototype or proof of concept. 

Previous rounds of the BRII program have already provided 115 grants totalling more than $37 million. 

In addition to the ‘alternative packaging for premium wine’ challenge, the current round also includes ‘increasing energy efficiency of commercial fishing operations’ and ‘powering safe drinking water for Australian First Nations remote communities.' 

“I look forward to seeing our small business community rise to the challenge and offer up practical solutions help us reach Net Zero,” said Husic. 

The opportunity is occuring at a pivotal moment for the industry, with an increasing number of wine producers both large and small exploring alternative packaging. One recent example is Accolade Wines’ Banrock Station PET flat eco bottle, which was awarded Beverage Packaging Design of the Year in March last year. Another example is the emerging premium bagged-wine trend. Evolving from more traditional cask-wine packaging options are a variety of pouch wine options, including the recently released Duxton Vineyards’ Rewild bagnums and the A Glass of® curated wine list delivery service.

For more information about the government grants, including details about how to apply, visit the BRII website.