Frequently Asked Questions

We work across agrifood, advanced manufacturing and services sectors, covering everything from engineering and energy to health and aged care. We identify and develop new market opportunities and inspire new business to business partnerships that will drive trade and investment between Southeast Asia’s two largest economies.

Businesses, business groups or other organisations can submit activity ideas for support to overcome barriers, identify commercial opportunities, upskill their business, or align business, trade and investment ecosystems to take advantage of the wealth of opportunities under IA-CEPA.

Katalis supports commercial activities that meet Katalis’s investment criteria. Examples of potential activities include:

• Policy and regulatory analysis and advocacy
• Market research
• Value chain analysis
• Feasibility studies
• Scoping studies and business opportunity assessments
• Networking and partnership brokering
• Technical assistance on standards and conformity assessment procedures
• Prototyping (pilot testing products and services)
• Product innovation (expanding product range to attract new customers)
• Market entry strategies
• Industry training and capacity building
• Skills exchange and industry skills development
• Education and vocational training linkages
• Bespoke industry course development
• Other ideas that meet our investment criteria

Katalis is unable to undertake activities that:

• Support political agendas or outcomes
• Solely support development outcomes, with no commercial benefit
• Solely support commercial outcomes, with no development benefit
• Contravene the laws of Indonesia or Australia
• Only benefit or involve one country – the activity must benefit both Indonesia and Australia
• Require equipment, supplies, or services that are already being supported through other sources
• Directly subsidise staff salary costs of the beneficiary organisation (the business, business group or other organisation that will collaborate with Katalis)
• Are related to capital expenditure in real property, equipment, or computer software of the beneficiary
• Retrospective costs

Katalis is looking to support activities that:

• Maximise outcomes of IA-CEPA
• Include financial or in kind co-contributions from the beneficiary or beneficiaries
• Are mutually beneficial and aligned with bilateral and/or regional interests
• Deliver catalytic outcomes
• Deliver gender equality and social inclusion outcomes
• Are politically feasible and practical
• Reflect Indonesia and Australia’s comparative advantages

For more information, check the guidelines here.

If an activity idea submitted by a potential beneficiary is accepted for further development, Katalis will work with the potential beneficiary to further refine the activity, including reaching agreement on which aspects Katalis will support directly, and which aspects the beneficiary will fund/support (as part of the co-contribution requirement).

Since Katalis is not a grant program and does not transfer funds to the beneficiary, Katalis may undertake a procurement process to select an appropriate third-party ‘Implementing partner’ (e.g., consulting firm, consultant individual, researcher, other DFAT program, other relevant organisation or individual) , and then contract that implementing provider to undertake the work on behalf of the beneficiary. Katalis would then collaborate closely with the beneficiary in the oversight of the implementing partner delivering the activity.

Any business, business organisation or other organisation can submit an idea for an activity that satisfies Katalis’s investment criteria. Proponents need to be registered in either Australia, Indonesia, or both countries.

Ideas for activities can be submitted all year – there is no application deadline. Any activity agreed with Katalis management will either be included in Katalis’s annual work plans (finalised every December, for Government of Indonesia and the Government of Australia approval and implementation in the following calendar year) or else, if you have a really great idea that needs immediate attention, it can be submitted “out of session” to the GoI and GoA for approval.

If your business or business organisation has an innovative, commercial idea to increase bilateral trade and investment, submit your idea:

1. Via the Business Portal , using the online form
2. By downloading the form here, filling in and then email/mail it to the Katalis office at:
   Tower 2, Level 25, International Financial Centre (IFC)
   Jl. Jend. Sudirman No. Kav 22-23 Jakarta 12920, Indonesia
   or email it to  business@iacepa-katalis.org

If you clicked “Save and Exit” before exiting your window, a link that lets you get back to the form was sent to your email.

All activity ideas are assessed and prioritised against the Katalis investment criteria, giving consideration to competing ideas, budget constraints, and guidance from both the Government of Indonesia and the Government of Australia.

All ideas are welcome, but Katalis will only consult with proponents of ideas (potential beneficiaries) that show the most potential, noting the considerations above, and collaborate with these proponents to develop and refine the ideas into an agreed activity. Following this consultation and collaboration phase, any activity agreed with Katalis management would then need to be approved by Katalis’s Board, the Economic Cooperation Committee (ECC), comprising representatives from the Government of Indonesia and the Government of Australia. Any activity agreed with Katalis management will either be included in Katalis’s annual work plans (finalised every December, for ECC approval and implementation in the following calendar year) or else submitted “out of session” to the ECC for approval.