Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a grant?

Please see the Information for applicants page for detailed information.

When can I apply for a grant?

Please see the Open grants page for information on open grant rounds.

Can the Community Grants Hub advise me whether I am eligible to apply for any of the grant rounds currently open?

It is up to applicants to determine whether they meet the eligibility requirements of a grant. Eligibility requirements are outlined in the documents provided for each grant round.

Can someone from the Community Grants Hub help me with my application?

The Community Grants Hub and individual agencies can only provide general information and advice on completing your application. To maintain the fairness and integrity of the application process, applicants cannot be offered individual support or help with their applications.

Please see the support for developing and submitting an application page for more information about applying for grants. General information to help you prepare and submit an application for community grants can be found in Frequently asked questions and on the Applying for Grants page.

I have received an email from a business that has offered to help me complete my grant application. Is this from the Community Grants Hub, a Government agency or an associated company?

External organisations are not engaged or encouraged by the Community Grants Hub or other Government agencies to help with applications. Applicants engaging these services do so at their own risk.

Who do I contact if I’m having trouble using or submitting an application form?

If you require help or support in using and/or submitting an application form on the Community Grants Hub website, please call 1800 020 283 or TTY 1800 555 677. Application forms accessed through other agencies’ websites will include information about who to contact for support with applications.

Where do I find information on Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) and what they mean?

Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. SLAs are roughly equivalent of a local government area. Due to the size of some areas, the ABS may allocate two SLAs (Part A and Part B). You can find more information on SLAs on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.

Will you contact me if there are problems/questions about our application?

To maintain fairness and the integrity of the application process, the Community Grants Hub and other Government agencies cannot contact applicants to resolve issues with their applications after the funding round has closed. However, when applicants supply incomplete documents, they may be contacted for more information. More details about when applicants might be contacted, and the information they may be asked for, are set out in the Incomplete applications policy.

Can I appeal the decision in relation to the outcome of a selection process?

A decision made about funding in a Government selection process is final.

Feedback summaries may be available for open grant rounds, and some may offer individual feedback.

Please check the Grant Opportunity Guidelines for the particular grant you have applied for, where you can get detailed information about the complaint process.

I haven’t been invited to apply for funding under a direct or restricted selection process, can I apply?

Direct and restricted selection processes are closed processes, where an approach is made directly to organisations.

A direct process is an approach to an existing provider to expand their current service delivery activities or deliver new services. It involves assessment of a provider’s capacity to deliver an expanded service, or capability to deliver a new service through use of selection criteria and/or an assessment of a provider’s current performance.

A restricted process is used where there are few providers available in the market, the services are highly specialised or require expertise, there are geographical considerations, or there are time constraints. Potential grant recipients are invited to apply and will be assessed against selection criteria.

Only providers who have been approached can apply for funding for direct or restricted selection processes.

What is the Data Exchange?

The Department of Social Services (DSS) has implemented improved program performance reporting processes in new grant agreements through the Data Exchange. The Data Exchange applies to most client-based programs in DSS and some other government agencies, and will progressively introduce standardised, prioritised, and collaborative reporting processes.

Under the Data Exchange, data requirements are divided into two parts: a small set of mandatory priority requirements that all funded services must report, and a voluntary extended data set that providers can choose to share with the agency offering the grant, in return for relevant and meaningful reports. This is known as the partnership approach. Participation in the partnership approach is entirely voluntary and there will be no negative consequences for providers that choose not to provide the extended data set.

In relation to program reporting, who is the ‘client’? For example, my organisation receives funding, but we use this to then fund state and territory associations to support local community groups to deliver support to the target group.