Queensland Manufacturing Grants Round 2: Deadline, Eligibility and How to Apply.

If you run a manufacturing business in Queensland, there is a significant grant opportunity open right now that closes on 25 November 2026 at 1pm, and late applications are not accepted under any circumstances. The Transforming Queensland Manufacturing Grants Program Round 2 has $12.5 million available for eligible manufacturers, with individual grants of up to $1.5 million on a matched funding basis. That is a meaningful amount of co-investment for any manufacturing business looking to upgrade its technology, improve productivity, or adopt advanced manufacturing systems.

This article covers what the program is, who is eligible, what the funding can be used for, and what Queensland manufacturers should be doing right now to put themselves in the best position before the deadline.

What Is the Transforming Queensland Manufacturing Grants Program?

The Transforming Queensland Manufacturing Grants Program is a Queensland Government initiative administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development. It was established to support innovation, advanced technology adoption, and job creation across Queensland's manufacturing sector.

The program runs over three years and delivers $79.1 million in grant funding through six competitive rounds, with a new round opening approximately every six months. Round 2 is currently open and represents one of the largest individual pools of funding in the program's schedule, with $12.5 million available for distribution among successful applicants in this round.

The program's underlying intent is to help Queensland manufacturers make the kinds of technology and capability investments that improve their long-term competitiveness and their contribution to the state's economic development. Advanced manufacturing technology, automation, digital integration, and workforce capability development are all the kinds of investment the program is designed to support.

How Much Can You Apply For?

Eligible businesses can apply for grants of up to $1.5 million in Round 2, subject to the matched funding requirement. This means that for every dollar of grant funding received, the applicant is required to contribute an equivalent amount of their own funding toward the eligible project costs.

For a manufacturer applying for the maximum $1.5 million grant, the total project value would be at least $3 million, with the grant covering half and the business's own contribution covering the remainder. Projects do not need to be at the maximum scale to be competitive, and the assessment process is designed to evaluate applications on their merits relative to the program's objectives rather than simply favouring the largest proposals.

The matching requirement is worth planning around carefully during the application preparation stage. Your business's financial capacity to meet the matching contribution will be assessed as part of the eligibility and assessment process, so having clear documentation of how the matching funds will be sourced is an important part of a complete application.

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

Full eligibility and assessment criteria are set out in the Round 2 guidelines, which are available through the official program page and should be read carefully before preparing an application. As a general guide, the program is targeted at manufacturers operating in Queensland who can demonstrate that their proposed project will support innovation, technology adoption, and employment outcomes in the state.

Businesses considering applying are encouraged to contact their local Queensland Manufacturing Hub to discuss their eligibility before investing significant time in preparing an application. The Manufacturing Hub network provides free, practical guidance to Queensland manufacturers on programs including TQMGP, and a conversation with a Hub advisor early in the process can help clarify whether your project is likely to meet the program's requirements and how to frame it most effectively.

The competitive nature of the program means that meeting minimum eligibility requirements is not sufficient on its own. Applications are assessed against criteria that evaluate the strength of the proposed project's outcomes, the commercial readiness of the business, and the extent to which the investment aligns with the program's objectives. Understanding how your project maps to these assessment criteria is as important as confirming your technical eligibility.

What Can the Funding Be Used For?

The program is designed to support manufacturing businesses in making technology and capability investments that improve their productivity, competitiveness, and employment outcomes. Projects that involve the adoption of advanced manufacturing technology, digital systems, automation, and integration of manufacturing systems are well aligned with the program's intent.

In practical terms, this includes the kinds of technology investments that many Queensland manufacturers have been considering but have not yet been able to fund from operating budgets alone. Implementing or upgrading enterprise resource planning systems that give manufacturers real-time visibility of their operations. Deploying manufacturing execution systems that connect the shop floor to business management systems. Integrating IoT sensor infrastructure that enables predictive maintenance and production monitoring. Adopting AI-powered systems for quality management, production optimisation, or supply chain decision support.

These are not experimental technologies. They are proven systems that manufacturers in other sectors and other countries have been using for years to improve their operational performance, and the TQMGP funding is specifically intended to accelerate their adoption among Queensland manufacturers who are ready to make the investment.

StepSharp as an Implementation Partner for Funded Projects

For Queensland manufacturers who are awarded TQMGP funding and are ready to implement technology upgrades, having the right implementation partner is as important as securing the funding itself. The gap between a grant-funded project that delivers its intended outcomes and one that spends its budget without achieving meaningful operational improvement almost always comes down to the quality of the implementation.

Custom software and AI engineering for manufacturers is what StepSharp does. The team has experience implementing and integrating AI, ERP, MES, and IoT systems for manufacturing businesses, translating funded project objectives into working systems that genuinely improve how a manufacturing operation runs. For Queensland manufacturers who want to use TQMGP funding to make meaningful technology advances rather than simply acquire software licences, working with an implementation partner who has delivered these systems in production manufacturing environments is what makes the difference.

What You Need to Do Before 25 November 2026 at 1pm

The deadline is absolute. Applications that are not submitted by 1pm on 25 November 2026 will not be considered, regardless of the reason for the late submission. This means the practical preparation timeline is shorter than it might appear, particularly for businesses that have not yet begun their application.

The steps worth taking immediately are to download and read the Round 2 guidelines in full, contact your local Queensland Manufacturing Hub to discuss your project's eligibility and framing, begin assembling the documentation required to support your application including financial information, project plans, and evidence of your business's manufacturing activity, and identify your implementation partner for the technology components of your project so that you can speak credibly to how the funded work will be delivered.

The TQMGP Round 2 represents a genuine opportunity for Queensland manufacturers to accelerate technology adoption with significant government co-investment. The deadline is real, the funding is limited and competitive, and the businesses that prepare thoroughly and apply promptly will be the ones that benefit.