Glossary

This glossary is for stakeholders of the Community Grants Hub.

In some instances, different terms with the same meaning are used by the Hub, client agencies and Department of Finance. This glossary identifies the Hub word as the primary term with reference to other terms in brackets.

Accountable Authority

The person or group of persons responsible for governing the Commonwealth entity. For DSS this is the Secretary [PGPA Act 2013 s.12(2)].

Activity completion date

The expected date the grant activity must be completed and the grant spent by.

Activity record

An activity record represents the grant being delivered and the specific provisions and requirements that apply to that activity.

Activity work plan

A plan that identifies the scope, quality, timeframes, budget and timelines for activities under a grant agreement.

Address

The location of an entity and/or the place where communications may be sent. Addresses may be physical, postal or electronic.

Assessment criteria

The specified requirements, principles or standards, against which applications will be judged. These criteria are also used to assess the merits of proposals and, in the case of a competitive grant opportunity, to determine application rankings. May include eligibility requirements and selection criteria as well as risk assessments.

Assessment process

The process where applications are assessed, moderated and quality checked.

Assessment report

A report that provides a summary of all applicants and their assessment results. This report is provided to the Selection Advisory Panel for consideration, prior to creating the recommended grant applicant approval request.

Broad-based program model

A broad-based program provides standard services across a wide range of locations to address common needs through a uniform service delivery framework. This model is implemented and monitored in the manage phase, usually with multi-year grants and often with medium-to-large funding amounts.

Capability

The demonstrated ability for an organisation to perform an activity. Capabilities may be internally assessed or externally verifiable such as training completion, certificates or organisation accreditation.

Capacity

The ability of an organisation to undertake grant activities. It includes human resources, financial and regional capacity measures.

Capacity building and enabling projects program model

This model supports and enables service delivery, usually through projects that assist clients indirectly. Activities are usually highly- targeted and developed in response to a specific gap in capability, for example, capability building through governance or leadership.

Capital expenditure

Expenditure by an organisation to acquire, maintain, or improve non-current assets. A non-current asset is an asset held by an organisation for use rather than exchange and which provides an economic benefit for a period greater than one year, such as buildings, vehicles, equipment, or land.

Capital support program model

The capital support program model provides funding for capital or infrastructure works to support service delivery. This includes activities for building, engineering, constructing or installing an asset.

Client agency

A government department or agency that has agreed, or may agree, to use grant administration services supplied by the Hub.

Client manager

The Hub representative who is responsible for assisting one or more client agencies with implementing their programs using the Hub services relating to the design, select and establish phases of the grants lifecycle.

Closed non-competitive selection process

A restricted non-competitive selection process where applicants are invited by the entity to submit applications for a particular grant and the applications or proposals are not assessed against other applicants’ submissions but assessed individually against other criteria. Typically, all eligible applications are funded.

Commencement date

The expected start date for the grant activity.

Commitment of relevant money

An activity that creates an obligation to pay relevant money. A common way to commit relevant money is by entering into an arrangement (e.g. grant agreement). Further information is available in RMG 400 — Commitment of Relevant Money.

Commonwealth company

A Commonwealth company is a GPS party type.

A company incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001, owned or controlled by the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth entity

The government body (agency or department).

Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles 2024

The Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles 2024 contain the key legislative, policy and mandatory requirements, and explain the better practice principles of grants administration.

Commonwealth Procurement Rules

The basic rule set for all Commonwealth procurement governing the way in which entities undertake their own processes.

Commonwealth Resource Management Framework

This framework governs how officials in the Commonwealth public sector use and manage public resources. The framework is an important feature of an accountable and transparent public sector and informs the Australian people of the daily work of Commonwealth entities and their employees.

Company

A company is a GPS party type.

A company incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 of the Commonwealth.

Competitive selection process

(competitive grant)

A selection process for a grant round where applications close on a specified date and applicants are assessed against selection criteria and ranked in order of merit.

Consortia

Some organisations may jointly apply to deliver a grant project. In these circumstances, the application is a consortia application or consortium agreement.

Contract legal entity

A contract legal entity is a GPS party type.

A contract legal entity has the capacity to enter into legally binding grant agreements, assume obligations, incur and pay debts, sue and be sued in its own right, and is generally held to be responsible for its actions.

Cooperative

A cooperative is a GPS party type.

A cooperative is an organisation which is owned and run jointly by its members, who share the profits or benefits.

Corporate Commonwealth entity

A corporate Commonwealth entity is a GPS party type.

A corporate Commonwealth entity is a Commonwealth entity that is a body corporate. It is legally separate to the Commonwealth and has the capacity to enter into contracts in its own right. It is a body corporate established under Commonwealth legislation.

Corporate state or territory entity

Corporate state or territory entities are state or territory entities that are a body corporate. They are legally separate to the relevant state or territory and have the capacity to enter into contracts in their own right. They are body corporates established under state or territory legislation.

Co-sponsored opportunity

Grant opportunities funded through multiple Commonwealth entities to achieve whole of government efficiencies and/or superior outcomes. This partnering arrangement allows each sponsoring Commonwealth entity to report against awarded grants.

Date of effect of agreement

This will depend on the particular grant. It can be the date that the grant agreement is signed or the specified starting date of the grant.

Delegate

The person responsible for approving all organisations recommended to fund and not to fund. This person may be a minister or another person that has delegated authority to approve through the appropriate delegation instrument.

Delivery lead

The Hub representative who is responsible for assisting one of more agencies with implementing their programs using the Hub services relating to the manage phase of the grants lifecycle.

Demand driven selection process

(demand driven grant)

A process where applications that satisfy stated eligibility criteria receive funding, up to the limit of available appropriations and subject to revision, suspension or abolition of the grant opportunity.

Design phase

The design phase of the grants lifecycle involves planning and defining the details of a program and how it will be implemented to achieve intended outcomes.

Eligibility criteria

Eligibility criteria refer to the mandatory criteria which must be met to qualify for a grant. Assessment criteria may apply in addition to eligibility criteria.

Entity type

(party type)

Listed as party type in GPS.

The legal status of an organisation/party. Types of legal entities eligible for grant funding are specified in the grant opportunity guidelines.

Establish phase

The establish phase involves creating, populating, varying and executing grant agreements or contracts.

Evaluate phase

The evaluate phase involves determining the efficiency or effectiveness of the grant outcomes and grant administration.

Financial acquittal

A grantee report accounting for their expenditure of grant funds against the relevant grant agreement requirements.

Financial officer

The contact person for financial matters associated with grants, does not imply the chief financial officer. There may be multiple financial people at an organisation, connected to different grant activities.

Financial payment

A financial payment is a monetary transfer to a grantee. It may consist of one or more grant payments.

Financial ratio analysis

Review of an organisation's financial statements to determine initial financial risk factors. The analysis takes into account ratio of:

current assets to current liabilities
cash, current investments and current receivables to current liabilities
total liabilities to total assets
net profit after tax to total income.

Financial viability assessments

An assessment of financial statements or other financial documents to ensure the organisation is financially stable and viable and does not present a significant risk to the department.

Forecast opportunity

A notice of a Commonwealth entity’s anticipated grant opportunities for the coming year. Forecast opportunities may be published on GrantConnect on behalf of client agencies.

Funding arrangement manager

The officer responsible for the ongoing management of the grantee and their compliance with the grant agreement.

GPS

GPS, is the business IT platform for the Hub to administer community, individual and health sector grants for client agencies, applicants and recipients. GPS is the network of systems the Hub uses for both grants management and to meet operational requirements such as, reporting and performance and financial management.

Grant Payment System (GPS)

GPS is the Community Grants Hub’s grant payment system used to record and manage grants applied for and awarded across the Hub’s client agencies. It includes:

standard grants functionality to support block funding and some individualised funding
grants rounds and application assessment
review functionality for reporting
grant agreement creation and management including financial commitment recording and payment processing.

Grant

An arrangement for the provision of financial assistance by the Commonwealth or on behalf of the Commonwealth:

under which relevant money or other Commonwealth Resource Fund money is to be paid to a grantee other than the Commonwealth
which is intended to help address one or more of the Australian Government’s policy outcomes while assisting the grantee achieve its objectives.

Grant activity

Grant activity is the project/tasks/services that the grantee is required to undertake with the grant money.

Grant agreement

Sets out the relationship between the parties to the agreement and specifies the details of the grant. It is also used as a collective noun for grant agreement, schedule and activities.

Grant agreement schedule

Part of the grant agreement describing the broad nature of the program under which the relevant grant activity is to be delivered.

Grant lifecycle

The grant lifecycle includes the:

design phase
select phase
establish phase
manage phase
evaluate phase.

Grant opportunity

A notice published on GrantConnect and the Community Grants Hub website advertising the availability of Commonwealth grants.

Grant opportunity documents include:

the application guidelines and form
invitations to apply
supporting documentation
frequently asked questions
draft grant agreements
any templates for reporting or acquittals.

Grant opportunity guidelines

Refers to a document(s) containing the relevant information required for a potential grantee to understand:

the purpose, outcomes and objectives of a grant
the application and assessment process
the governance arrangements (including roles and responsibilities)
operation of the grant.

Grant program

(program)

Delivers funding for projects to meet a policy initiative.

Grantee

(grantee, funding recipient or service provider)

An individual or organisation that has entered into a grant agreement with a Commonwealth entity.

GrantConnect

The Australian whole-of-government grants information system.

Grant administration

All processes involved in the grants lifecycle, including:

design of grant opportunities and activities
assessment and selection of grantees
establishment of grants
ongoing management of grantees and grant activities
evaluation of grant opportunities and activities.

Incorporated association

An incorporated association is a GPS party type.

An association that has been incorporated or registered as an incorporated association under the relevant incorporated association's legislation in the state or territory in which they were formed.

Indigenous corporation

An Indigenous corporation is a GPS party type.

A corporation incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.

Individualised support program model

This model is based on client-led service delivery. Eligible clients, based on need not location, receive access to a fixed pool of funding and can choose from a wide range of service providers who receive funding on a fee-for-service basis.

Invitee

One or more individuals or organisations invited to respond to a targeted or restricted grant opportunity.

Letter of agreement

The short form agreement used by the Commonwealth and grantees to allow grantees to engage more easily and efficiently with the Commonwealth.

Local government

Local government is a GPS party type.

A local government entity is an entity established under state or territory local government legislation, for the purposes of governing local areas within the state or territory. They are generally referred to as local councils.

Manage phase

The manage phase involves monitoring and assurance of service provider performance.

Milestones

A point that must be achieved by the grantee. It may be a reporting or payment milestone.

Minister

A government minister responsible for the program.

Non-corporate Commonwealth entity

A non-corporate Commonwealth entity is a GPS party type.

A non-corporate Commonwealth entity is a Commonwealth entity that is part of the Commonwealth and which represents and acts on behalf of the Commonwealth. They are Commonwealth departments i.e. a Department of State, as recognised by the Administrative Arrangements Orders, or a Parliamentary Department.

Non-corporate Commonwealth statutory authority

A non-corporate Commonwealth statutory authority is GPS party type.

A non-corporate Commonwealth statutory authority is an entity that is separate to the Commonwealth, but is not strictly a body corporate. It may be a commission, a commissioner, an authority, or other statutory position to which a person or persons may be appointed. It is established by Commonwealth legislation.

Non-corporate state or territory entity

A non-corporate state or territory entity is GPS party type.

A non-corporate state or territory entity is a state or territory entity that is part of the state or territory. It represents and acts on behalf of the state or territory. It is not legally separate to the state or territory. Known as Departments of State in South Australia and Directorates in the ACT.

Non-corporate state or territory statutory authority

A non-corporate state or territory statutory authority is a GPS party type.

A state or territory non-corporate statutory authority is an entity that is separate to the state or territory, but is not strictly a body corporate, for example, it may be a commission, a commissioner, an authority, or other statutory position to which a person or persons may be appointed. It is established by state or territory legislation.

Novation

(deed of novation)

A novation is an arrangement where a grant agreement is transferred from one organisation to another organisation.

Official

An official of a Commonwealth entity is an individual who is in, or forms part of the entity (see section 8 of the PGPA Act 2013).

One-off grants

(ad hoc grants)

Grants to be determined on an ad hoc basis, usually by ministerial decision. These grants are generally not available to a range of grantees or on an ongoing basis.

Open competitive selection process

Open competitive funding rounds have open and closed nominated dates, with eligible applications being assessed against the nominated selection criteria. The delegate may select to fund some or all applications.

Open non-competitive selection process

An open non-competitive selection process is open to the market for eligible organisations or individuals to apply. The delegate may select to fund all applications that meet eligibility and selection criteria. Typically, all eligible applications are funded.

Organisation unit

An organisation unit is a GPS party type. It represents a business location of a contract legal entity. Organisation units have a different address to the registered business address of the contract legal entity, but retain the ABN, legal name and party type of the contract legal entity.

Outcome statement

This is defined in the budget to achieve government purpose. It may contain many programs. It is defined in the appropriation acts and articulated in the Portfolio Budget Statement.

Partnership

A partnership is a GPS party type.

A partnership is an agreement by legal persons to share responsibility for debts, losses and obligations which any individual partner may take on in the course of conducting the business or activities of the partnership. An individual partner may be any of the types of legal entities described herein. A partnership may consist of both government and private partners. An individual partner can enter into agreements on behalf of the partnership. The department will enter into an agreement with the individual partners of the partnership.

Party type

The GPS data field shows the entity type.

Payee grantee

The agreement grantee may elect to send payments to related parties who may be different to the agreement grantee or the activity grantee.

Payment milestone

A milestone within a grant agreement that will allow the release of a payment or automatically generate a payment.

Payments (grants)

This is a payment associated with a particular grant agreement (through a grant schedule or activity level).

Performance measures

Data that measures grant activity performance and contributes to evaluating program performance indicators. Recorded measures may be qualitative or quantitative.

Place-based program model

Place-based funding meets specific, often localised needs by using targeted or tailored approaches that are developed in partnership with grantee.

Policy area

(department, program area)

The department or area within a client agency that is responsible for the policy outcomes associated with a grant opportunity. They may buy Hub services across the grants administration lifecycle.

Portfolio budget statement

Portfolio budget statements inform senators and members of parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to government outcomes by agencies within the relevant portfolio. Agencies receive resources from the annual appropriations acts, special appropriations (including standing appropriations and special accounts) and revenue from other sources.

Portfolio budget statement outcome

Defines a government purpose. It is defined in the appropriation acts and articulated in the portfolio budget statement. It may contain many programs.

Policy

A statement of intent to achieve change of a situation. Government uses policy to tackle a wide range of issues impacting on their citizens. Policies may be implemented as programs.

Procurement

Encompasses the whole process of procuring goods and services. See paragraphs 2.7 to 2.9 in the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

Procurement achieves policy objectives through the acquisition of goods and services for the Commonwealth’s own use or for the use of third parties.

Program group

(program stream group)

This is a group of programs joined in GPS to simplify analysis or communication. Groups work across outcomes and programs as required and are grouped for a particular reason.

Program location

A boundary or set of boundaries that defines the geographical limits within which the program is delivered.

Program model

The model through which a program is managed. There are six program models determined by a set of rules:

Broad-based.
Place-based.
Individualised support.
One-off.
Capacity building and enabling projects.
Capital support.

The model is agreed in the design phase and implemented in the manage phase.

Program risk

An assessment of a number of factors, which measure the risk to achieving the policy objectives, such as innovation, location (remoteness), maturity of the market and the nature of the work. This will potentially change the approach to the market and assessment of grant applications.

Program stream

The publically visible component of a program. All grant activities are linked to the stream, which then links it to the program component.

Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act 2013)

An Act about the governance, performance and accountability of, and the use and management of public resources by, the Commonwealth, Commonwealth entities and Commonwealth companies, and for related purposes.

Public governance, performance and accountability rules

Rules made under section 101 of the PGPA Act 2013 provide power for the finance minister (by legislative instrument) to make rules prescribing matters:

required or permitted by the PGPA Act 2013 to be prescribed by the rules
necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this act.

Relevant money

Money standing to the credit of any bank account of the Commonwealth or a corporate Commonwealth entity or money held by the Commonwealth or a corporate Commonwealth entity (see section 8 of the PGPA Act 2013).

Request for payment

A grantee may request a financial payment based on their achievement of a milestone (in the grant agreement schedule).

Select phase

The select phase involves advertising the grant round and assessing and selecting the grantees.

Selection advisory panel

The selection advisory panel consists of representatives with appropriate policy and program and/or delivery knowledge review to assess applications and provide advice and recommendations to the delegate on who to fund and not fund.

Selection advisory panel report

Report that provides a summary of all applicants and their assessment results. This report is provided to the selection advisory panel for consideration.

Selection criteria

Comprise eligibility criteria and assessment criteria.

Selection plan

Plan that outlines how the selection process including all relevant checks and selections will be completed.

Selection processes

The process used to select successful applications. Types of selection processes used include:

open competitive funding rounds
targeted or restricted competitive funding rounds
non-competitive, open process
demand-driven or ‘first-in first-served’ process
closed non-competitive process
one-off grants.

Selection report

Report outlining how the selection process was conducted and includes all outcomes from the selection advisory panel. The branch manager at the completion the selection process signs off this report.

Service area

A boundary or set of boundaries that defines the geographical limits of the program.

The service area for a grant activity is the agreed boundary or set of boundaries that defines the geographical limits of a service delivery for the grantee.

Sole trader

A sole trader is a GPS party type.

A person who trades in their own right and controls and manages their business. They are legally responsible for all aspects of the business, and personally responsible for debts and losses incurred in carrying out their business.

They may trade under their own name, or they may operate under a separate registered business name. The legal contracting entity is the person.

Statutory entity

A statutory entity is GPS party type.

Statutory corporations are public enterprises brought into existence by a Special Act of the Parliament. The Act defines its powers and functions, rules and regulations governing its employees and its relationship with government departments.

Trust

A trust is a GPS party type.

A trust is a set of relationships between legal entities. A trust, per se, cannot enter into an agreement.

Trustee

An entity type listed in grant opportunity guidelines and application forms.

The trustee of a trust is a legal entity that can enter into agreements on behalf of the trust (provided the terms of the trust permit it to do so).

Value with relevant money

A judgement based on the grant proposal representing an efficient, effective, economical and ethical use of public resources and determined from a variety of considerations.

Whole-of-government grant agreement template suite

The grant agreement template suite comprises major grant contractual agreement templates.

Workflow

A repeatable pattern of business activity organised into a sequence of tasks.