Cybersecurity Grants and Funded IT Projects for Nonprofits

Note: The following content is for informational purposes, whilst we make efforts to keep our content up-to-date exact figures and requirements may change from time to time.

Nonprofits are increasingly operating in a digital-first environment, managing donor data, delivering services online, coordinating volunteers through cloud platforms, and communicating with communities across multiple channels. Yet even though this growing reliance on technology, many nonprofit organisations lack the budget to invest in the IT infrastructure and cybersecurity measures their operations genuinely require.

That’s where government grants and innovation funding come in. Australia has a range of grant programs designed to help organisations, including nonprofits, fund critical IT projects, strengthen their cybersecurity posture, and undertake meaningful digital transformation. The challenge is knowing which programs apply, what types of projects qualify, and how to put together an application that actually succeeds.

At AGR Technology, we can work alongside nonprofits and their grant advisors as a technical implementation partner, helping organisations turn approved funding into real, functional technology outcomes. This guide breaks down the key cybersecurity grants and funded IT opportunities available to Australian nonprofits, what the application process involves, and how to position your organisation for success.

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Why Nonprofits Need Cybersecurity and IT Funding

The cyber threat landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years, and nonprofits haven’t been spared. In fact, organisations in the charity, community services, and health sectors are increasingly targeted precisely because they often hold sensitive personal data, donor records, beneficiary information, medical details, while operating with lean IT teams and aging infrastructure.

A 2023 report by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) found that cybercrime reports increased by 23% year-on-year, with small-to-medium organisations bearing a disproportionate share of attacks. Nonprofits, which frequently fall into this size bracket, are often seen as soft targets: valuable data, limited defenses.

Beyond the security angle, many nonprofits are simply struggling to keep up operationally. Legacy systems that don’t integrate, manual processes that eat up staff time, and the absence of automation mean that teams are working harder to deliver less impact. Digital transformation isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore, it’s directly tied to the capacity of an organisation to fulfil its mission.

Government grant programs exist partly to address this gap. By providing capital specifically earmarked for technology improvement and cybersecurity uplift, they give nonprofits a realistic pathway to modernise without diverting funds away from frontline services. Understanding how to access that funding, and how to deploy it effectively, is one of the most valuable things a nonprofit leader can do in today’s environment.

The organisations that move early, identify the right grants, partner with qualified technical experts, and submit strong applications are the ones that come out ahead. Those that wait often find themselves competing in later funding rounds with fewer spots available and more experienced applicants in the field.

Top Government Grants for Nonprofit IT and Cybersecurity Projects

Australia’s grant ecosystem can be genuinely complex to navigate. Programs open and close, eligibility criteria shift, and the nomenclature across federal, state, and territory levels isn’t always consistent. Below are some of the most relevant grant programs for nonprofits pursuing IT and cybersecurity projects.

Cyber Security Skills Partnership Innovation Funding Grant

The Cyber Security Skills Partnership Innovation Funding Grant is a federal initiative managed through the Department of Home Affairs. It was established to address the skills gap in Australia’s cybersecurity workforce and to fund collaborative projects that build long-term cyber resilience across sectors.

For nonprofits, this grant is particularly relevant if the organisation is involved in education, community services, or advocacy in the cyber awareness space. Eligible projects have included the development of cybersecurity training resources, workforce development programs, and collaborative research into emerging threats. While this program has run in funding rounds, eligibility requirements and round availability should always be confirmed on the business.gov.au grants finder before applying.

When structured correctly, projects supported by this grant can include custom digital platforms for delivering cybersecurity education, which is where a technical partner like AGR Technology can add significant value to the application and subsequent execution.

Small Business Cyber Resilience Service Grant

The Small Business Cyber Resilience Service Grant is aimed at helping smaller organisations, including nonprofits that operate at a scale comparable to small businesses, access affordable cybersecurity assessments and uplift services. The program is designed to lower the barrier to entry for organisations that want to improve their security posture but can’t fund it independently.

Funded activities under this type of grant commonly include vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, implementation of multi-factor authentication, staff awareness training, and endpoint security improvements. For nonprofits, this can represent a meaningful first step toward a more defensible IT environment.

It’s worth noting that eligibility and funding caps under programs like this can vary by state. Some state governments have run parallel programs targeting small-to-medium organisations, so checking both federal and relevant state portals is advisable.

Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII)

The Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) is a competitive, merit-based federal grant program that funds early-stage research and development projects addressing specific government challenges. Administered through the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, BRII operates across funding stages, from feasibility through to proof-of-concept and prototype development.

For nonprofits with a technology development focus, BRII is one of the more substantial opportunities available. Eligible projects are typically required to address a defined problem statement issued by a government agency, which means the program isn’t open-ended, applicants need to identify a published challenge that aligns with their project concept.

The research and innovation component is critical here. Projects with a genuine R&D component, custom AI development, novel cybersecurity tooling, automation of complex workflows, are well-positioned for BRII funding. AGR Technology regularly supports organisations in developing the technical documentation required to demonstrate that a project meets the innovation criteria, which is one of the more demanding parts of the application process.

Nonprofit IT Government Grants: Other Federal and State Options

Beyond these headline programs, there are several other federal and state grant streams worth exploring:

• The Digital Solutions – Australian Small Business Advisory Services (ASBAS) Program provides subsidised access to digital advisory services, helping nonprofits assess their technology needs and plan upgrades.
• State-level digital capability grants exist in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia, often targeting community organisations and charities specifically.
• The Community Grants Hub, managed by the Department of Social Services, funds capacity-building projects for nonprofits, which can include IT infrastructure improvements when they demonstrably support service delivery.
• Philanthropic foundations such as the Ian Potter Foundation and Paul Ramsay Foundation occasionally fund technology projects aligned with their giving priorities.

Organisations should also watch for the Emerging and Critical Technology grants that have been released periodically under various department portfolios. These tend to reward ambitious, technically sophisticated projects and are worth monitoring through business.gov.au and GrantConnect.

What Types of IT Projects Are Typically Funded?

Not every technology purchase qualifies for grant funding, and understanding the distinction between eligible and ineligible activities is essential before investing time in an application.

Digital Transformation and Infrastructure Upgrades

Grant programs frequently support projects that modernise an organisation’s digital foundations. This includes migrating from on-premise servers to cloud infrastructure, consolidating fragmented systems into integrated platforms, and upgrading outdated communication or data management tools.

For nonprofits, funded digital transformation projects often involve platforms that directly improve service delivery, for example, a case management system for a disability services provider, or a donor and volunteer management platform for a community charity. The key is demonstrating that the technology investment directly enables the organisation’s mission and that the project has a defined scope, measurable outcomes, and a realistic implementation plan.

AGR Technology’s digital transformation services are structured to support exactly these types of engagements, from initial scoping through to deployment and handover.

Cybersecurity Assessments and Resilience Programs

Cybersecurity uplift is one of the most consistently funded areas across government grant programs. Eligible activities in this space typically include:

• Cyber risk assessments that identify vulnerabilities across systems, processes, and people
• Implementation of security frameworks such as the Essential Eight or ISO 27001
• Staff training and awareness programs covering phishing, social engineering, and safe data handling
• Network segmentation and access control improvements
• Incident response planning and business continuity documentation

For nonprofits that handle sensitive beneficiary data, cybersecurity investments are both a compliance requirement and a practical necessity. A well-scoped cybersecurity grant project doesn’t just improve security, it also builds trust with stakeholders, donors, and the communities an organisation serves. Our cybersecurity services are designed to be practical and implementation-focused, not just advisory.

Custom Software Development and AI Automation

This is where grant programs and R&D incentives start to overlap in interesting ways. Custom software development, particularly when it involves novel technical approaches, AI or machine learning components, or solutions that don’t yet exist in the commercial market, can qualify as eligible R&D activity under the ATO’s Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI).

For nonprofits exploring this space, the opportunity is significant. A custom automation platform that reduces manual case processing time, an AI-driven triage tool for a mental health charity, or a machine learning model that improves resource allocation in emergency services, all of these could qualify for both grant funding and R&D tax offsets, depending on how the project is structured.

AGR Technology works with organisations and their grant advisors to ensure that custom software and AI automation projects are structured in a way that meets the technical criteria for funding eligibility. We don’t provide tax or grant advice, but we do ensure the technical implementation is sound, well-documented, and positions the organisation for a successful claim.

Eligibility Requirements Nonprofits Should Know

Grant eligibility isn’t one-size-fits-all. Each program has its own rules, and misunderstanding them is one of the most common reasons applications get rejected before they’re even assessed on merit.

Organisation Type and Legal Entity Requirements

Most Australian government grant programs that target nonprofits require the applicant organisation to be a registered legal entity. Depending on the program, this may mean:

• Incorporated as an association under state or territory law
• Registered as a company limited by guarantee
• Registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) as a charity
• Holding DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status in some cases

Unincorporated community groups and informal collectives generally cannot apply directly, though they may be able to participate through a fiscal sponsorship arrangement with a registered auspice organisation.

Some programs also require that the applying entity has been operating for a minimum period, commonly 12 to 24 months, and can demonstrate financial viability. This is partly about reducing risk for grant administrators and partly about ensuring funded projects are delivered by organisations with genuine capacity to execute.

For nonprofits that are new or in early stages, certain innovation-focused grants (including BRII) may have more flexible eligibility if the project concept is strong enough. It’s always worth checking the specific program guidelines rather than self-excluding based on assumptions.

Project Scope and Budget Considerations

Grant programs typically specify a minimum and maximum funding amount per project, along with co-contribution requirements. Many programs require the applicant organisation to contribute a percentage of the total project cost, often between 20% and 50%, from their own funds or from other non-government sources.

For nonprofits, this co-contribution requirement can be a practical hurdle. It’s important to assess whether the organisation has the financial capacity to meet its share of the project cost before committing to an application. Some programs allow in-kind contributions (staff time, existing infrastructure) to count toward the co-contribution, which can ease the burden for smaller organisations.

Project scope matters too. Grants tend to favour projects that are well-defined, time-bound, and deliverable within the program’s funding window. Vague proposals that lack specificity about deliverables, timelines, or measurable outcomes are routinely underfunded or rejected. Working with a technical partner early in the scoping process, before the application is written, significantly improves the quality and credibility of what goes on paper.

How to Build a Winning Nonprofit IT Grant Application

A strong application is more than a list of what your organisation wants to do. Grant assessors are looking for evidence that the project is feasible, well-planned, and capable of delivering real outcomes. Here’s how to approach it.

Defining Clear Project Goals and Outcomes

The single most important thing you can do before writing anything is define exactly what success looks like. Not in vague terms, specific, measurable outcomes that the grant assessor can evaluate. For an IT or cybersecurity project, this might look like:

• Reducing the average time to detect and respond to a security incident from 72 hours to under 4 hours
• Migrating 100% of donor data to a compliant, cloud-hosted CRM within six months
• Automating 60% of manual case management processes, freeing up X hours of staff time per week

These kinds of outcomes demonstrate that the organisation understands its own problems, has thought carefully about what the technology needs to achieve, and can be held accountable for delivering results. They also make it easier for assessors to see the social return on the grant investment.

When we consult with nonprofits on their funded IT projects, one of the first things we do is work through this outcomes mapping exercise. It shapes the project scope, informs the budget, and makes the entire application stronger.

Preparing Financial Documentation and Supporting Evidence

Most grant programs will require a combination of the following:

• Audited financial statements from the past one to two years
• A detailed project budget that breaks down how grant funds and co-contributions will be used
• Quotes from vendors or contractors for the major cost items
• Evidence of organisational capacity to manage and deliver the project (governance documents, staff CVs, previous project experience)

For IT projects specifically, having a technical scope document prepared by your implementation partner strengthens the application considerably. It demonstrates that the project has been planned at a professional level, that costs are realistic, and that the organisation has already engaged with qualified technical experts.

AGR Technology can prepare detailed technical scope documents, architecture plans, and implementation timelines that support grant applications. We also help ensure that the technical language used in the application accurately reflects what the project involves, because assessors (and sometimes their technical reviewers) will notice when something doesn’t add up.

Working With a Digital Partner to Strengthen Your Proposal

One of the most common mistakes nonprofits make is writing their grant application in isolation and then going to find a technical partner afterward, if the grant is approved. This approach has real costs.

Grant assessors look for evidence of readiness. An application that references a confirmed technical partner, includes a credible implementation plan, and shows that vendor relationships are already in place reads as significantly more achievable than one that simply describes what the organisation hopes to eventually do.

Engaging AGR Technology early in the process, before the application is submitted, means we can contribute to the project scoping, confirm technical feasibility, and provide supporting documentation that adds credibility to your proposal. Our team has experience across custom software development, AI and automation, and cybersecurity implementation, which means we can support a wide range of funded IT project types.

We work alongside your grant advisor or grants writer, not in place of them. Our role is strictly technical, ensuring the project is well-designed, the implementation plan is realistic, and the deliverables are achievable within the funded timeframe.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for IT Grants

Across the grant programs most relevant to nonprofit IT projects, there are a handful of mistakes that come up repeatedly. Being aware of them before you start is half the battle.

Applying for the wrong program. It sounds obvious, but many organisations invest weeks in an application only to realise the program doesn’t cover their type of organisation, project type, or geography. Always read the full program guidelines before starting, and if you’re unsure, contact the program administrator directly.

Underestimating the technical specificity required. IT grant applications, especially for cybersecurity and software development projects, require a level of technical detail that most nonprofit staff aren’t equipped to write without support. Vague descriptions of “upgrading our systems” or “improving our security” aren’t sufficient. Assessors want to know what systems, what the current state is, what the proposed solution is, and why this approach was chosen over alternatives.

Getting the budget wrong. Both over-costing and under-costing can hurt an application. If the budget looks inflated relative to the project scope, assessors may question the organisation’s financial management. If it’s too lean, it signals that the organisation hasn’t fully thought through what implementation involves. Get vendor quotes early and make sure the budget reflects reality.

Leaving it to the last minute. Grant applications, particularly competitive ones, benefit enormously from iteration. A proposal written in the week before the deadline is almost always weaker than one that’s been reviewed, refined, and tested against the assessment criteria over several weeks. Build the timeline backward from the submission date and treat internal review as a mandatory step.

Failing to demonstrate community or beneficiary impact. For nonprofits specifically, grant assessors want to see the human benefit of the technology investment. How will improved IT systems translate into better services for the people your organisation serves? Grounding the technical project in a clear social impact story isn’t just nice to have, it’s often the deciding factor between a funded and an unfunded application.

Not engaging a technical partner until after approval. As discussed above, this is a significant missed opportunity. Having a credible implementation partner involved at the application stage improves the quality of the proposal and increases the likelihood of approval.

Conclusion

For Australian nonprofits, the intersection of government grant funding and technology investment represents a genuine opportunity, but one that requires preparation, the right partners, and a clear understanding of what’s involved.

Cybersecurity grants, nonprofit IT government grants, and innovation funding programs like BRII can meaningfully change what a mission-driven organisation is capable of. The organisations that benefit most aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the most sophisticated IT teams. They’re the ones that do the groundwork: identifying the right programs, preparing strong applications, and bringing in qualified technical expertise early.

At AGR Technology, we can serve as the technical implementation partner for nonprofits and other organisations pursuing funded IT projects. We’re not grant writers or tax advisors, but we are the team that makes sure the technology side of your funded project is robust, compliant, and delivered. From cybersecurity uplift to custom software development, digital transformation, and AI automation, we help organisations translate approved funding into real outcomes.

If your organisation is exploring IT grant opportunities or has a funded project ready to move into implementation, contact us to book a technical consultation. We’ll help you understand what’s feasible, what’s fundable, and how to move forward with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cybersecurity grants are available for Australian nonprofits?

Australian nonprofits can access several cybersecurity grants, including the Cyber Security Skills Partnership Innovation Funding Grant, the Small Business Cyber Resilience Service Grant, and state-level digital capability programs in Victoria, Queensland, NSW, and WA. Checking business.gov.au and GrantConnect regularly ensures you don’t miss active funding rounds.

What types of IT projects are typically funded through nonprofit IT grants?

Funded nonprofit IT projects commonly include cloud infrastructure migrations, cybersecurity assessments, Essential Eight framework implementation, custom software development, AI automation tools, and case or donor management platforms. Projects must have a defined scope, measurable outcomes, and a clear link to the organisation’s service delivery mission.

How can a nonprofit strengthen its IT grant application?

A strong nonprofit IT grant application includes specific, measurable project outcomes, a realistic budget backed by vendor quotes, audited financials, and a detailed technical scope document. Engaging a qualified technical implementation partner before submission — not after approval — significantly improves credibility and the likelihood of success.

Do nonprofits need to contribute their own funds to apply for cybersecurity grants?

Yes, most government cybersecurity and IT grant programs require a co-contribution from the applicant, typically between 20% and 50% of total project costs. Some programs allow in-kind contributions such as staff time or existing infrastructure to count toward this requirement, which can ease the burden for smaller nonprofits.

Can nonprofit IT projects qualify for both grant funding and R&D tax incentives?

Yes. Custom software development and AI automation projects with a genuine research and development component may qualify for both grant funding and the ATO’s Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI). Proper project structuring and technical documentation are critical to meeting eligibility criteria for both funding streams simultaneously.

Why are nonprofits increasingly targeted by cybercriminals?

Nonprofits are frequent cyberattack targets because they often hold sensitive personal, donor, and beneficiary data while operating with lean IT teams and outdated infrastructure. The ACSC reported a 23% year-on-year increase in cybercrime in 2023, with small-to-medium organisations — a bracket many nonprofits fall into — bearing a disproportionate share of attacks.

Citation(s):

https://www.cyber.gov.au/about-us/view-all-content/reports-and-statistics/annual-cyber-threat-report-2023-2024

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