Landing Pads Program

This program aims to provide Australian scaleups with access to world-leading entrepreneurial expertise and business networks to help them expand globally.

Five Landing Pads have been established in San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, Berlin and Singapore.

The program provides market-ready startups and scaleups with:
- A dedicated Landing Pad Manager with experience in the local market.
- A co-working space in your chosen city to immerse yourself in the local innovation ecosystem.
- Workshops and other programming activities to assist your market entry plans.
- Access to in-market Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) mentoring.
- Connections to local founder communities, offering the potential for shared insights and collaboration opportunities.
- Introductions to Austrade networks, partners and contacts.
- Ongoing support for future opportunities.

Participants are required to meet all costs associated with their travel, accommodation and insurance, and obtain an appropriate visa for the market.

The program runs three cohorts per year to all five locations. LP1 2020 closed on 30 September 2020.

The Australian Government advises that Australians do not travel overseas at this time due to COVID-19. Applications are still accepted for future participation in Landing Pad programs in Berlin, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore and Tel Aviv.

Eligible applicants include Australian startups that are ready to go global.

Applicants should have an established product, market fit, customer acquisition strategy, and some target market leads.

The main assessment criteria include:
- Market relevance: The product or service has direct application and an accessible target audience in your chosen region.
- Differentiation: A clearly defined value proposition in the new market, and the potential to disrupt the marketplace.
- Traction: Existing sales, returning customers, a growing customer base, funding, investors, and partners.
- Vision: Clear business objectives for their chosen market, and resources to achieve projected growth.
- Scalability: The ability to service a new market and deliver solutions quickly to a growing customer base.