FaHCSIA works in partnership with other government and non-government organisations to manage a diverse range of programs and services designed to support and improve the lives of Australians. Commonwealth funding is a great way of helping your community expand, develop or start a project. Service Providers are chosen through selection processes.
FaHCSIA encourages all potential applicants to check the FaHCSIA website regularly for the latest information on programs, current selection processes and closing dates for applications.
Community Grants Updates
Please find below a link to the FaHCSIA Community Grants Update for Service Providers and other grant recipients.
This initiative has been developed to help keep grant recipients up-to-date with important information about changes in FaHCSIA’s grants management business and what these changes will mean for you.
Our aim is to improve the way we do our grants business by providing a better balance between our responsibilities to ensure taxpayer funds are used effectively, and the administrative requirements we place on grant recipients.
Selection Process
Selection processes are subject to decisions by FaHCSIA as to:
- whether online or written applications will be sought,
- when applicants are to lodge their applications,
- how late or incomplete applications will be treated,
- what funds are available and when funding will commence, and
- what selection criteria will apply for the different programs.
FaHCSIA reserves its right to source providers outside of a selection process, including by direct selection, restricted selection processes or negotiating the expansion of an existing agreement with a current provider.
How to apply
You must follow the instructions available in the application pack or information on the FaHCSIA website to apply for funding.
TIPS before you apply for funding
FaHCSIA strongly encourages applicants to read all documents contained in the Application Pack carefully.
If you have read the Application Pack and still have difficulties completing an Application Form, you should contact the hotline specified in the Application Pack.
When completing an Application Form you must:
- Check whether you are eligible before applying.
Read the Application Pack for eligibility criteria carefully before applying for funding.
- Check if applications are hard copy, electronic or both.
Read the instructions in the Application Pack carefully to ensure that your application is submitted in the required format.
- Complete full details and bank account details of the organisation applying for funding.
Make sure you complete the details of the organisation and bank account details of the organisation as requested in the Application Form. FaHCSIA will not make cheque payments, or payments to a third party.
- Attach requested supporting documents.
Attach any supporting documents to the application as specified in the Application Pack. Documents enclosed with the application which are not requested in the Application Pack will not be assessed.
- Respond to all the selection criteria.
Make sure you answer all the selection criteria within the word/page limits specified in the Application Form. All selection criteria are equally important.
- Provide evidence to support your claims against the criteria.
A claim that your organisation delivers strong outcomes for clients would be strengthened by quantifying with a statement such as "as demonstrated by surveys administered to clients at the cessation of services which found that XX% of clients had improved their housing situation."
- Read and complete the declaration.
Please read and complete the declaration part of the Application Form carefully. You must sign the application if sending a hard copy.
- Prepare application in advance of closing date.
Allow a deadline for yourself that is at least two weeks prior to the closing date. Use this period to collate all relevant material and to proofread your application before the closing date. Use the Application Checklist if provided in the Application Pack to ensure that you have completed all parts of the application. Provide a 'not applicable' response to questions that do not apply to your application.
- Keep a record of your application.
Before sending the application, make a copy of the entire package and keep it on file for your own records.
- Use the questions and answers facility.
An online questions and answers facility is generally made available on the FaHCSIA webpage during the application period. FaHCSIA encourages potential applicants to check this questions and answers facility on a regular basis and to call the hotline number given in the Application pack for any questions not addressed.
Funding Agreement Information
Minister Macklin, on a number of occasions has reiterated the Australian Government’s commitment to reduce administrative burden on providers.
Consistent with this commitment, FaHCSIA is examining and improving the way we do business with providers.
We want to achieve an appropriate balance between the requirements we place on providers and the department’s responsibility to ensure funds are used effectively, ultimately improving funding outcomes for all Australians.
As a result of an extensive consultation process with a cross section of almost 50 funded organisations, across Government agencies (for Indigenous specific funding) and within FaHCSIA program areas, FaHCSIA has developed a new suite of funding agreements for use from 1 July 2009 which consists of:
- Letter of Funding
- Minimalist Agreement
- Standard Agreement
- Capital Agreement
The type of agreement you are asked to enter into will be influenced by the nature of the Activity, the assessed Activity risk level, the length of the Activity and the value of the Activity.
Within the Standard Agreement, a new set of Terms and Conditions have been developed.
The new Terms and Conditions have been significantly simplified and are considerably less prescriptive in the areas of asset management, insurance and financial reporting - see further information on Changes to Funding Agreements.
You will receive a copy of the FaHCSIA standard Funding Agreement in your Application Pack. Successful applicants are required to sign this Funding Agreement.
The Agreement is a performance based, legally enforceable agreement between the Commonwealth and the successful applicant that sets out the terms and conditions governing the funding to be provided.
Assessment of applications
You will need to ensure that sufficient information to assess the application is covered in your application. Where the required information is not provided on time, FaHCSIA may consider your application based on the available information. This may reduce the chances of your application being successful.
To ensure fairness and equity to all applicants, FaHCSIA is required to assess each application received as outlined in the Application Guidelines for each program. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding.