Overview
Public consultation on the draft research and demonstration licence guidelines and Registrar forms guidance was open from 22 August 2025 to 3 October 2025.
A total of 17 submissions were received via the consultation portal and email.
View the published submissions
Who we heard from
state governments
universities
non-government organisations
community organisations
individuals.
What we heard
Following consideration of submissions, we made changes to the guidance documents to address common issues that were raised. These changes included:
Highlighting the importance of applicants having the capability to undertake community and First Nations engagement.
Identifying partnerships with Australian research and training institutions as a consideration in assessing whether the R&D project is in the national interest.
Clarifying that the national interest merit criteria is an assessment that a project is, on balance, in the national interest.
Clarifying there is no pathway for R&D projects to move to commercial operations.
Next steps
The guidance documents are now available. Applications for research and demonstration licences in declared areas can now be made. Thank you to all who participated in this process.
Consultation documents
Draft Research and Demonstration Licence Guideline [PDF 430KB]
Draft Research and Demonstration Licence Guideline [DOCX 159KB]
The guidelines provide information to applicants in relation to licensing requirements and processes under the offshore electricity infrastructure framework, including merit criteria assessment.Draft Research and Demonstration Licence Registrar Forms Guidance [PDF 815KB]
Draft Research and Demonstration Licence Registrar Forms Guidance [DOCX 590KB]
The Registrar Forms Guidance provides guidance about how to submit a valid application to the Registrar, and application content requirements.
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