Who Doesn’t Want $75K in Government Funding for Their Startup? But Do You Know What Kills a Grant Application?
An insider session on the NSW MVP Ventures Program, the mistakes that get applications rejected, the red flags assessors spot, and whether your startup is even in the running.
Up to $75,000 in government funding could definitely help take your startup to the next stage, but many founders waste time on an application that was never likely to succeed or even get assessed competitively.
In this practical insider session, Jonathan Chak will share what founders commonly get wrong, where applications tend to fall down, and how to quickly work out whether your business is actually a fit for the program.
Drawing on his experience as a former Senior Advisor in the NSW Government and an assessor of 500+ applications in a previous grant program, Jonathan will unpack the real-world dos and don’ts of applying, how to interpret the guidelines more effectively, and what tends to strengthen or weaken your business case.
Jonathan also brings insight from his time advising the Federal Government’s Accelerating Commercialisation program, which supports innovative high-growth businesses with grants of up to $1 million. Combined with his own experience as a seasoned founder since 2003, he offers a perspective that is rare, someone who understands both how government programs are assessed, and how founders actually build and position businesses in the real world.
This session is for founders who want to:
avoid wasting time on the wrong grant strategy
self-select out early if the fit is not there
understand what assessors are likely to question
strengthen their business case before applying
Jonathan will also give a live demonstration of a set of tools he has developed to help founders validate different aspects of the program against their own business.
If you are applying or exploring the NSW MVP Ventures Program currently, this session will give you a more honest, practical, and strategic view of how to approach it.
And for those interested to stick after this event to attend the first "Fridays @ UTS" event for 2026 to get even more practical advice around aquiring funding and Investment from an ex Director of Private Equity at Oceania Capital and Investment Banking at UBS.