Victoria's Science Agenda Investment Fund

The VSA Investment Fund is a $41 million competitive grants program for collaborative projects between business and research organisations.  The grants will support market focused projects that strengthen Victoria's science and technology capabilities and use these capabilities to deliver tangible outcomes (for example, products, services and solutions) to improve productivity, sustainability and/or health. Funded projects commenced in January 2010 and are due to be completed in 2012.

The VSA Investment Fund builds on past achievements of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Initiative delivered from 1999 to 2008. This flagship initiative has been responsible for catalysing the development of world class STI infrastructure, skills, knowledge and commercialisation opportunities within Victoria. An impact assessment of the STI initiative undertaken by Deloitte during 2009 showed that economic impacts of the program include:

• Real Gross State Product will be more than $1.7 billion higher than in the absence of the STI Initiative
• An increase in employment of approximately 7,600 jobs (one-year full-time positions)
• Real investment in Victorian STI is estimated to be $1.23 billion higher than in the absence of the STI Initiative. 

Case Studies

Projects funded through two generations of the STI Initiative have generated economic, environmental and social benefits across metropolitan and regional Victoria. The Case Studies page provides examples of successful projects funded through the STI Initiative whose outcomes align closely with the objectives of the VSA Investment Fund.

Successful Projects

Funding for 24 successful projects has been announced. This includes 9 projects targeting health outcomes, 8 productivity projects and 7 projects with sustainability outcomes.

Further information

For further information on the VSA Investment Fund, contact the VSA Secretariat.

Email: vsa@dbi.vic.gov.au