The consultation information is here. As R&D is an integral part of Australia’s IT and start-up industry, StartupAUS, a not-for-profit entity with a mission to transform Australia through technology entrepreneurship, wants to make sure all interested parties have their say.

StartupAUS chief executive Alex McCauley said, “StartupAUS has advocated extensively for boosting the R&D tax incentive for high-growth early stage start-ups. Our view has for some time been that the government should look at boosting the amount allocated to start-ups under the programme, while at the same time paying it quarterly to help young companies overcome cash flow issues.

"The government today released for public consultation its R&D Tax Incentive review. This is an independent review which puts six recommendations on the table for consideration - alongside StartupAUS’s longstanding proposals.”

StartupAUS welcomes certain elements of the review - reducing the administrative burden and providing greater transparency are positive steps. However, it believes more focus needs to be on the “pointy end” of the programme, where dollars spent on start-ups translate directly into jobs produced and additional R&D being conducted.

"StartupAUS welcomes the opportunity to be involved in a constructive consultation process about the future of this critical component of the start-up ecosystem. We are committed to ensuring the interests of start-ups are reflected in the final outcomes of this review,” said McCauley.