Australian Aid: Friendship Grants have commenced the second round and accepting applications. Many Australian organisations, including charities, local government groups, professional organisations, diaspora groups and volunteer groups are already working hard to help communities in their region. These organisations have unique, on-the-ground experience working in international development and have forged strong relationships with local communities overseas.
Strong relationships between Australian communities and communities in their region are an effective way to promote inclusive development, regional security and poverty reduction. The three-year Australian Aid: Friendship Grants competition will bring some of the best of these organisations into the Australian aid program by providing grants of $30,000 to $60,000, allowing them to expand or enhance their existing international development activities.
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In Round 1, more than 200 applications were received, with 46 community organisations awarded Friendship Grants from across Australia, enabling them to expand or enhance their international development work with their neighbours in 15 countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
In November 2017, the Australian Government released the Foreign Policy White Paper (the White Paper), setting out a framework for Australia’s future international engagement. The White Paper recognises that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT’s) work with a wide range of partners will help to maximise the impact of Australia’s development assistance program. It will also help Australia to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 17: Revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
Location:
AustraliaBenefits
A grant of $30,000 to $60,000 will be provided to participating organisations to allow them to improve their international development activity.
Eligibilities
- To be eligible for a Friendship Grant, you must be a not-for-profit Australian community organisation or a local government entity that:
- has a proven record in implementing international development work in the country of the proposed Friendship Grant Activity (refer to section 7. Location of Activities Funded) demonstrated by;
- documented evidence* of:
- an existing relationship(s) with an in-country partner(s); and
- support from an in-country authority.
* Refer to section 9.2 Attachments to the Application for further information.
- Your organisation must also be:
- a legal entity able to enter into a legally binding agreement;
- where applicable, registered for the purposes of GST;
- permanently located in Australia;
- an Australian bank account holder; and
- able to provide the supporting documentation as outlined in ‘Attachments to the Application’.
- Eligible organisations must be not-for-profit and provide appropriate evidence of their registration with the Australian Charities & Not-for-Profits Commission, a state or territory regulator, or the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. Organisations registered with a state or territory regulator must be an incorporated
association. A fundraising certificate is not sufficient. - Where the not-for-profit organisation cannot be registered with these entities but is registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, they are eligible to apply and must provide evidence of their registration currency and not-for-profit status.
- Local councils are eligible to apply. Should they not be able to be registered with the above entities, they must provide a letter, signed by the Mayor of their council, stating that they are not under administration or investigation by the relevant state or territory government.
- The goal of the Friendship Grants program is to engage a diverse group of Australian community organisations in the delivery of Australian aid in our region.
- The group of successful applicants will include, as far as possible, an overall mix of:
- groups reflecting Australia’s cultural and demographic variety;
- types and sizes of organisations;
- types of Activities being undertaken; and with a
- geographic spread of organisations from across Australia.
- Please visit the official link for more information on eligibilities.
Application Process
- You must read these Guidelines, the Application Form Preview and the Draft Grant Agreement before you submit an online application. They also recommend you to read the Draft Mid-Term and Final Report templates and the Draft Monitoring and Evaluation Guidance Note so that you understand the reporting requirements you
must meet if you are successful in your grant application. - You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete and accurate. Giving false or misleading information will exclude your application from further consideration. To be considered for a grant, complete each section of the online application form and make sure you provide the information requested. This includes:
- addressing the eligibility requirements and Selection Criteria; and
- providing the required documents and information for DFAT to assess your application.
- Once you have completed the Application Form in the online grants management system (SmartyGrants), you must submit it electronically by using the submission section at the end of the form. Following electronic submission, a message with your Submission Reference ID will appear on your screen. An email will be sent to the registered email address you used to log into the online grants management system, with a PDF of your application. Please keep a copy of your application and any supporting papers in case DFAT needs to clarify any information.
- During the application opening period, you can continue to make changes to the application. To do so, you will need to use the registered email used to log into SmartyGrants. It may be useful to use a group email so multiple people can access the application. The email you use to register your application will be the primary
contact email for DFAT to advise of any changes to the application process. - Apply online through the given link.
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Application Deadline: September 10, 2019
Application ClosedOfficial link
