Program guidelines · configuration v1
Power Transformer Program
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1. About the program
A structured scale-up program for Australian battery value-chain companies at the validated-product to repeatable-operation transition.
Who it is for. Battery value-chain companies with 3–200 FTE and a validated product or service.
2. Program value and period
Intake opens 1 September 2026 and closes 31 March 2027. Cohort capacity is 10 companies; an open-access tier is available after intake closes.
3. Eligibility criteria
We cannot consider your application if you do not satisfy all eligibility criteria. Eligibility is assessed first; ineligible applications are not merit-assessed.
| # | Criterion | Evidence captured in portal |
|---|---|---|
| E1 | Registered in Australia with an active ABN; not an individual, partnership of individuals, or trust without a corporate trustee | ABN and entity type (pre-filled from the ABR lookup). |
| E2 | Operates in the battery value chain or an adjacent clean-energy technology | Select your value-chain segment and describe your activity in up to 200 words. |
| E3 | Has a validated product or service | Choose the evidence type and attach the evidence (customer invoice, pilot agreement or demonstration funding letter). |
| E4 | Employs between 3 and 200 FTE in Australia with Australian working rights | Declare FTE headcount by state. |
| E5 | Not insolvent or under external administration; no undischarged bankruptcy of directors | Declare solvency. Staff verify against ASIC. |
| E6 | Nominates a Company Administrator who is a director or authorised officer | Confirm your authority to act for the company. |
4. What the program provides and what you contribute
Growth Navigator portal, twelve assessment modules, reviewed recommendations and Plans, peer transformer group, Commercialisation Manager engagement, scale-up clinics.
Participant contribution (in kind, no cash). Senior-leadership time for baseline and six-monthly re-assessments; at least two staff completing individual instruments under their own consent; attendance at peer group sessions; consent to de-identified research use; completion of 12- and 24-month outcome surveys.
5. The assessment criteria
You must address all assessment criteria in your single application. Applications are assessed against a merit threshold of 60%; eligible applications that meet the threshold are offered cohort places while places remain, then waitlisted or offered the open-access tier.
| Criterion | Weighting | What highly rated applications demonstrate |
|---|---|---|
| C1. Growth intent and scale-up stage | 20% | a clear 24-month growth plan with named constraints; the company is at the validated-to-repeatable transition the program targets. |
| C2. Leadership commitment and capacity to act | 20% | the founder or CEO and at least one other executive commit named hours; prior evidence of acting on external advice. |
| C3. Potential to benefit from diagnostic and peer intervention | 20% | self-identified gaps across at least three capability areas; no existing equivalent program engagement. |
| C4. Contribution to the Australian battery value chain | 20% | domestic manufacturing, supply or services that strengthen onshore capability; willingness to trade with other participants. |
| C5. Data readiness and willingness to share | 10% | can supply two years of financial statements and operating metrics; consents to research use. |
| C6. Participation by priority cohorts | 10% | regional or remote location; First Nations ownership or leadership; women-led or under-represented founders; workers transitioning from carbon-intensive industries. |
6. How to apply
Applications are made through the Growth Navigator portal. You will register an account and your company (ABN lookup pre-fills your legal name), provide evidence for each eligibility criterion, and respond to each assessment criterion. One application per ABN per program instance; applications may be saved, resumed and withdrawn before a decision.
| Activity | Indicative timeframe |
|---|---|
| Eligibility and identity validation | Within 5 business days of submission |
| Merit assessment and recommendation | Within 5 business days of eligibility |
| Delegate decision and notification | Within 10 business days of merit submission |
| Baseline assessment | Within 30 days of agreement execution |
| Re-assessment | Every 6 months |
7. The selection process
Eligibility and merit are assessed by an AI-assisted system using a standardised scoring matrix; a Commercialisation Manager reviews the system's scores and rationale and may amend them with reasons. All AI output is advisory. Acceptance is decided by the Program Delegate (Chief Operating Officer). The CEO countersigns the Participation Agreement as a separate second-officer control. Conflicts of interest are declared and managed in the platform.
8. Notification and reviews
We advise you of the outcome through the portal and by email. If you are unsuccessful you may request a review within 10 business days; a written response is provided within 30 days. The review is limited to process; merit is not re-scored.
Appendix A — Modules by tier
Cohort: M01 Phase and Growth Readiness; M02 Governance; M03 Strategy; M04 Market and Competition; M05 Commercial Engine; M06 Financial Health; M07 Risk; M08 Operations and Scalability; M09 Systems and Digital; M10 Team Composition; M11 Culture and Leadership; M12 Commercialisation and Capital Readiness.
Open access: M01 Phase and Growth Readiness; M03 Strategy; M04 Market and Competition; M05 Commercial Engine; M07 Risk.