Linkage Infrastructure Equipment and Facilities (LIEF)

Purpose and Program Overview

The Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) program is a highly specialised federal funding scheme administered by the Australian Research Council (ARC). The primary intent of this program is to provide substantial financial support for the acquisition, construction, or upgrading of high-quality research infrastructure, large-scale equipment, and cooperative facilities. The scheme explicitly targets collaborative investments, encouraging research organisations and industry partners to pool resources to secure the expensive tools necessary to address complex, multi-institutional scientific problems.

This grant program plays a critical role in supporting innovation, commercial research and development, and advanced industrial sectors across Australia. By providing researchers in higher education and industry with access to world-class national or international facilities, the program accelerates technology development, fosters industry-university partnerships, and enhances national competitiveness. The shared nature of the funded infrastructure ensures that Australian businesses can leverage cutting-edge technical capabilities to validate new products, optimise manufacturing workflows, and drive cross-sector economic growth.

Key Grant Details

• Grant Amount: Provides funding starting from a minimum of $150,000 AUD per year.
• Application Dates: For the 2027 commencing round, the application window opened on January 22, 2026, and officially closed on April 9, 2026.
• Eligible Industries: Higher education, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, defence, information technology, mining, agriculture, and specialised engineering services.
• Required Co-contributions: Mandatory institutional and industry partner contributions apply, as the total cost of the proposed equipment or infrastructure project must be at least $200,000 AUD.
• Location Applicability: Nationwide applicability across all Australian states and territories.

Priority Sectors

• The guidelines indicate that the LIEF program is open to a broad range of sectors spanning science, technology, engineering, mathematics, humanities, arts, and social sciences. Funding is targeted generally at major research infrastructure gaps that align with national research and innovation priorities.

Funding Scope

The financial architecture for the LIEF 2027 round allocates funding on a highly structured baseline to ensure the long-term viability of high-value equipment installations:

• Funding Boundaries: Grants provide a minimum of $150,000 AUD per year from the ARC. The overall project cost must equal or exceed a minimum benchmark of $200,000 AUD in total value.
• Functional Streams: Supported funding streams focus primarily on the purchase of specialised laboratory hardware, large-scale computing arrays, the construction of dedicated research facilities, or securing subscription-based access to existing national and international scientific facilities.
• Project Timeline: Funding allocations are managed based on the approved project schedules commencing in the 2027 calendar year.

Eligibility Criteria

To satisfy baseline requirements for funding under the ARC LIEF framework, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Organisational Status: The primary applicant must be an eligible higher education institution or recognised research organisation registered under the ARC guidelines.
• Collaboration Structure: Must demonstrate a highly collaborative framework, typically involving a network of multiple research bodies or eligible industry partner organisations.
• Financial Threshold: The total cost of the infrastructure, acquisition, or construction activities must meet the minimum $200,000 AUD requirement.
• Compliance Framework: Applicants must fulfil all regulatory requirements, workplace insurances, ethical clearances, and environmental compliance parameters.
• Identification: Must possess a verified institutional profile and an active Australian Business Number (ABN).

Eligible Activities and Expenses

The program permits grant capital to be directed toward distinct categories of operational project delivery, including:

• Capital Equipment: Direct purchase of highly specialised, high-cost laboratory equipment, testing instruments, or instrumentation components.
• Facility Construction and Upgrades: Costs linked to the physical construction, modification, or optimisation of shared laboratory spaces and research structures.
• Facility Access Fees: Procurement of usage rights and long-term access agreements for major domestic or international scientific facilities.
• Hiring and Personnel: Specialised technician salaries are directly tied to setting up, calibrating, and maintaining the newly acquired research infrastructure.

Assessment Process

This program functions as a highly competitive, merit-based grant opportunity. Applications are thoroughly evaluated by independent peer-review panels and the ARC College of Experts against formal criteria:

• Project Merit: The scientific, technical, and innovation value of the research programs that will be enabled by the proposed infrastructure or equipment.
• Strategic Alignment: The absolute necessity of the equipment to meet national research challenges and the scale of collaboration between organisations.
• Value for Money: The extent of cash and in-kind co-contributions from host organisations and partners, ensuring optimal use of Commonwealth funds.

Recent Program Updates

The LIEF 2027 funding round closed in April 2026 and is currently progressing through the formal peer-review evaluation phase. Final grant announcements for successful applicants are scheduled to be delivered between late December 2026 and January 13, 2027. Full guidelines, legislative context updates, and tender reference data remain accessible for registered organisations via the ARC website and the centralised GrantConnect platform.

Application Tips

• Review the Scheme Calendar: Consult the official ARC Scheme Calendar regularly to align future multi-year organisational budgets with opening windows.
• Build Strong Coalitions: Form robust partnerships across multiple universities and commercial entities early to increase the project’s strategic collaboration score.
• Secure Funding Commitments: Obtain clear, signed cash and in-kind co-funding guarantees from institutional and industry boards well before the submission deadline.
• Justify the Scale: Ensure the proposal clearly demonstrates why the specific infrastructure cannot be supplemented by standard, low-cost equipment.

Where to Get Help

Consider consulting a grant specialist like Pattens Group for a personalised eligibility assessment and expert assistance in preparing a strong, compliant and competitive application. Contact us today and get connected with Australia’s best grant specialist, boasting over 35 years of experience in the industry and a 100% success rate. For official guidelines, application details, templates, and further information, visit the official website of Linkage Infrastructure Equipment and Facilities LIEF and other associated Australian government websites.