Survey of Research and Experimental Development, Businesses

This survey collects information on expenditure and human resources devoted to Research and Experimental Development (R&D) carried out by businesses in Australia.

Data to be reported includes:

• Number of persons working for this business during the last pay period ending in June 2024
• R&D activities carried out by this business during the year ended 30 June 2024 or the equivalent financial period
• Human resources devoted to R&D
• Type of R&D expenditure
• Location of R&D expenditure
• Source of R&D funds
• Type of R&D activity
• Classification of R&D by Fields of Research (FoR) Divisions
• Classification of R&D by Fields of Research (FoR) Selected Groups
• Classification of R&D by Socio-Economic Objectives (SEO) Divisions

Data provided for the R&D Business survey may not be the same as data provided for the R&D Tax Incentive Scheme. The following expenditure can be reported for the R&D Business survey, but is excluded from the R&D Tax Incentive scheme:

• Computer software development, for the dominant purpose of internal administration of business or an affiliated business
• Research in social sciences, arts and humanities
• Non-specific R&D expenditure that is indirectly attributable to R&D (e.g., a proportion of general overhead expenditure)
• Expenditure incurred to acquire, construct, extend or improve a building to be used for R&D
• Expenditure on acquiring technology for use in R&D

The majority of businesses selected are known performers of R&D from a previous survey. In some cases the business has been selected because it's been identified as a likely R&D performer, having applied for the R&D Tax Incentive scheme, or been a recipient of an R&D grant in recent years.

This information is used by government and advisers to government, international organisations, businesses, economists and others. The information is used for purposes such as policy formulation, allocation of funds and the determination of priorities for research and development.

These statistics are drawn upon by a wide variety of individuals and organisations in both the public and private sector, with major users including:

• The ABS' National Accounts
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• State and Commonwealth Government departments and agencies
• Industry organisations and associations
• Academics
• Market analysts and economists

Yes. Under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 you are obliged to provide the information requested by the ABS. All the information you provide will remain strictly confidential.

By completing this survey, you help to ensure the results truly reflect the current levels of R&D activity in Australia.

You can use the final comment box at the end of the survey form to provide extra information about circumstances impacting your R&D activity. You can also use this box to tell us about your current situation or business conditions and your expectations for the coming years, as well as any further comments on information you have provided in the survey.

We are here to help. We will contact you if your survey participation is delayed, and we will help you if you are having difficulties.

Businesses are selected to participate in the Research and Experimental Development Survey based on their R&D activity. They are likely to be selected to participate in the survey every two years if their R&D activity is continuing.

Yes. The industry, business and government users of the statistics produced from this survey need the most accurate and timely information possible so they can make well-informed decisions which impact Australian businesses and communities. Please note that careful estimates are acceptable where actual data is not available.
 

Yes. We take the security of the information you provide to us very seriously. Your completed form and personal information will remain strictly confidential to the ABS. We use the information you provide to calculate statistics, which are released in ways that do not allow for the identification of businesses or organisations. The information in this survey is collected under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905. Under the Act, ABS staff are obliged to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of information provided.

We comply with the Australian Privacy Principles. If you believe we have breached these principles, please see the information on how to lodge a complaint about privacy matters, contained within our privacy policy.

No. There is no provision within the Census and Statistics Act 1905 to reimburse individuals, businesses or organisations for the cost of providing statistical information. In line with other national statistical organisations throughout the world, individuals, businesses and other organisations are asked to supply information for statistical purposes without compensation. It is only with the support of people like you that we can continue to produce the statistics that inform Australia's important decisions.

If you have received a reminder letter or email about completing the Research and Experimental Development Survey it is likely that you have returned the survey at the same time that we issued the reminder notice. If you wish to confirm this, please call us on 1800 818 909 and we will check the information against our records.

For this survey, you should have received a letter or an email with a Form Access Code to access your survey form online. You can then set up, or log in to your ABS Survey Account and add your Form Access Code to access the survey form. The same account can be used for other ABS surveys.

Your account is a secure service that allows a survey to be accessed as many times as is needed before final submission. After submitting a survey you will not be able to access the contents. If you are concerned that you have provided incorrect information, call us on 1800 818 909 and we will assist you.

If you are unable to complete your survey online, or have not received the letter we sent you, call us on 1800 818 909.

If you have received a letter with a paper form, please complete the paper form and return it to us using the enclosed Reply Paid envelope. Alternatively, if you would like to complete this form online, call us on 1800 818 909.

For more information on completing our surveys online, help is available on our Survey Account Help page. This page provides assistance with technical difficulties and includes frequently asked questions which assist in creating and using the ABS Survey Account.

If you are having trouble creating or accessing your account, completing the survey online, or haven't received your Form Access Code, call us on 1800 818 909 and we will be happy to assist you.

If you would like more general information about participating in one of our surveys, please see our Survey Participant Information page.

We require information to be as accurate as possible. The more accurate the figures you supply, the more accurate the statistics will be. However, if accurate data is not readily available, careful estimates will be accepted.

Yes. We provide statistics free of charge on our website. Statistics produced from this survey are published in Research and Experimental Development, Businesses.

For help, or more information about this survey, call us on 1800 818 909 during business hours. For help outside these hours, please leave a message with your contact details and we will call you back.

You can also use our online Business Surveys Contact Form to outline the details of your situation and we will be in touch.

If you have participated in this survey, or any of our other surveys, we want to hear about your experience. We value your feedback and will use it to improve how we work with our survey participants.

You can use the final comment box at the end of this survey form to tell us about your experience participating in this survey, along with any suggested improvements to the form.

You can use our feedback form to provide us with feedback. For this survey, please select the option "Participation in an ABS Business Survey".