Grants in Aid Application Guidelines

Grants in Aid Application Guidelines

Grants in Aid

Application Guidelines

2017

Contents Page

SECTION ONE 3

Introduction 3

Important Information for Applicants 3

Overview of Grants in Aid 2017 - 2018 4

1 Aims 4

2 Program Objective 4

3 Outcomes 4

Eligibility for Grants in Aid 4

4 Eligibility of Organisations 4

5 Provision of Grants in Aid 5

6 Nature of the Funding 5

7 Eligible Items 5

Assessment Process 5

8 Assessment Criteria 5

9 Assessment Process 6

10 Application Timetable 6

Funding 6

11 Funding 6

12 Deed of Agreement 7

13 Goods and Services Tax (GST) Requirements 7

14 Accountability Requirements 7

15 Grant Performance Objectives 7

16 Funding Variations 8

17 Disclosure of Information 8

Acquittal of Grant Funding 8

18 Acquittal Process 8

19 Monitoring and Evaluation 8

SECTION TWO 10

Guide to Completing the Grants in Aid 2017-2018 Application Form 10

Part A – Applicant Details 10

Part B – Checklist and Declaration 12

SECTION ONE

Introduction

The Grants in Aid (GIA) program forms part of the Government’s commitment to support the role of national ex-service organisations (ESOs) which provide co-ordinating and representational support within the veteran and defence community. Grants in Aid also provide funding for national ESOs to encourage cooperation and communication between the ex-service community, ESOs and the Australian Government. Funding for national ESOs aims to encourage the advancement of the objectives of ESOs.

Important Information for Applicants

Please read these Guidelines carefully before completing an application for Grants in Aid funding.

The Grants in Aid application form is available on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website at:

http://www.dva.gov.au/consultation-and-grants/grants

The application form is an online PDF form. This means you can complete the form on your computer by typing into the relevant sections. If you prefer, you may print the form first and fill it in by hand. Applications will not be considered for Grants in Aid unless submitted on the application form.

All applications for Grants in Aid are processed at DVA’s Canberra office. Applicants are welcome to contact the Canberra office on the number below to discuss their application before lodgement.

( / If you need more information about Grants in Aid or assistance with your application you can phone the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for the cost of a local call on 133 254, or 1800 555 254 if you are outside a major city. Use a normal landline phone if you can. Mobile phone calls may cost you more.

Overview of Grants in Aid 2017-2018

1 Aims

1.1 The Grants in Aid program aims to fund discrete projects or activities by national Ex-service Organisations (ESOs) that address a specific problem or issue and will achieve a clear benefit to the ex-service and Defence community. This may include projects that:

· encourage co-operation and communication between the ex-service community, ESOs and the Australian Government;

· assist national ESOs to support their branches, sub-branches and affiliated organisations in performing advocacy, pensions and welfare work; and

· assist national ESOs in advancing the objectives of all ESOs more generally.

2 Program Objective

2.1 The objective of the program is to fund discrete projects or activities that:

(a) assist national ESOs to perform their role as national co-ordinating and representative bodies;

(b) assist with major non-ongoing projects and/or activities for which grants cannot be obtained through State or Federal funding or through donations or fees made available from members or other benefactors;

(c) encourage co-operation and communication between the ex-service community, ex-service organisations and the Australian Government; and/or

(d) encourage the advancement of the objectives of ex-service organisations.

3 Outcomes

3.1 This program seeks the following outcomes:

(a) national ESOs will have improved capacity to complete the projects or activities described in Clause 2, Program Objective (above); and

(b) there will be improved co-operation and communication between national bodies, branches, sub-branches and affiliated organisations on repatriation and military compensation matters.

Eligibility for Grants in Aid

4 Eligibility of Organisations

4.1 To be eligible for Grants in Aid funding, the applicant organisation must be a bona fide national ESO, meaning that it:

(a) performs the functions of an effective national representative body;

(b) has direct links to the ex-service community; and

5 Provision of Grants in Aid

5.1 Grants in Aid are available to national ESOs in relation to projects and activities of the kind described in Clause 2 (above).

5.2 Assistance is not available if the applicant:

(a) has received a grant from another source which fully funds the same purpose;

(b) is charging for services provided to the veteran and defence community; or

6 Nature of the Funding

6.1 Total annual funding allocated to support national ESOs is $145,000.

6.2 The maximum grant to any national ESO is $10,000 a year and subject to accountability requirements as set out in Clause 14 (below).

6.3 Grants under the Grants in Aid program are limited to one grant per organisation per funding round.

6.4 Grants in Aid are available prospectively; that is, for projects that are planned for the future. Funding is not available as a reimbursement for costs already incurred.

7 Eligible Items

7.1 Grants in Aid are intended to fund discrete projects or activities that address a specific problem or issue, rather than everyday business-as-usual costs.

7.2 Requested items should relate to the role of national ESOs as co-ordinating and representative bodies. These could include but are not limited to costs associated with:

· conferences and other meetings (travel, accommodation, venue hire etc);

· interactions with local, State/Territory and Commonwealth government bodies; and

· organisational improvements.

7.3 Examples of discrete projects that address a specific issue could be a national conference to develop a five-year business plan or training in representational skills for key spokespeople in the organisation.

7.4 Funding for salary assistance and the normal ongoing running costs of the organisation are excluded from funding under this program.

Assessment Process

8 Assessment Criteria

8.1 Applications from national ESOs eligible for funding will be assessed and prioritised according to how they meet the following criteria:

· the project(s) meet the Program Objective given in Clause 2;

· the project(s) assist the organisation to fulfil its role as a national co-ordinating and representative body;

· the project(s) are targeted at addressing a specific problem or issue rather than supporting business-as-usual running costs;

· the project(s) are aligned to supporting the national ESO’s branches, subbranches and affiliated organisations in their advocacy, pensions and welfare work, where grants cannot be obtained through State/Territory or other Federal funding or through donations or fees made available from members or other benefactors; and

· there is a clearly identified benefit that will flow from the project(s) to the exservice and Defence communities.

9 Assessment Process

9.1 All applications received will be assessed using the criteria outlined above. Asubmission detailing grant recommendations will be provided for the consideration of the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.

9.2 It is expected the Minister will announce successful grantees in June 2017.

10 Application Timetable

10.1 Funding will be for the period of a financial year (1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018). The timetable is advised on the DVA website each year. The application timetable for the 2017-2018 financial year funding round is as follows:

DATE / REQUIREMENT
1 February 2017 / Applications open
1 March 2017 / Applications close
April/May 2017 / Applications processed and recommendations submitted to the Minister
June 2017 / Minister approves grants
June 2017 / Applicants notified of decision and grant Deeds of Agreement posted to successful applicants
Early July 2017 / Payment of funds

10.2 No late applications will be accepted although lost applications and other specific one-off circumstances may be considered on a case by case basis.

Funding

11 Funding

11.1 The following conditions apply to Grants in Aid funding:

(a) grants are not guaranteed in any year. An ESO should not consider that the funding received is ongoing. All applicants must reapply for funding in each Grants in Aid funding round;

(b) in general, funds cannot be used for other than the specific purpose(s) for which they were approved. Exceptions are explained at Clause 16 (below);

(c) subject to Clause 16 (below), surplus or underspent funds must be returned to DVA in line with the conditions set out in the Deed of Agreement (see Clause 12) and the established acquittal process (see Clause 18);

(d) funds are generally allocated to successful applicants at the beginning of the financial year, enabling a planned approach for the allocation of grants; and

(e) where requests for funds exceed the available funds, applicants may receive partial or nil funding.

12 Deed of Agreement

12.1 Before receiving the grant, successful applicants must enter into a formal Deed of Agreement with the Australian Government that addresses legal requirements, grant period and record keeping as well as monitoring and evaluation procedures. DVA will prepare this Deed.

12.2 All successful applicants must return Deeds of Agreement and agreed Performance Objectives (Clause 15 below) before payment is made.

12.3 Failure to sign the Deed of Agreement and Performance Objectives may lead to the grant offer being withdrawn.

13 Goods and Services Tax (GST) Requirements

13.1 Grants made by DVA under the GIA program are financial assistance payments. As such, GIA grants are provided on a GST exclusive basis and there is no GST liability arising for successful applicants in receipt of a GIA grant because there is no taxable supply made by the Grantee to DVA. This means that, if your organisation is registered for GST, your organisation does not need to remit any GST to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) as the GIA grant you receive from DVA is not consideration for a taxable supply.

13.2 If you have any queries in relation to the transactions you enter into with third parties as a result of a grant received under the GIA program, you may wish to speak with the ATO or your financial advisor.

14 Accountability Requirements

14.1 ESOs that receive Grants in Aid funding will be required to record and maintain information supporting the use and expenditure of the funds. Usually this information will not be required at the time of acquittal of the Grants in Aid funds. It may be required if the ESO is subject to a random internal departmental audit or external audit of the use of the Grants in Aid funds and must be made available upon request from DVA.

14.2 The information required will depend on the nature of the grant but may include:

(a) an Equipment Register for all capital purchases funded under the grant;

(b) a Travel Log for all travel expenses claimed and funded under the grant;

(d) invoices, receipts or other information for any office consumables where the single purchase was $100 or more; and

(e) any additional accountability requirement that is outlined in the grant Deed ofAgreement (Clause 12 above).

15 Grant Performance Objectives

15.1 A set of Grant Performance Objectives must be agreed upon by the grantee and DVA.

15.2 DVA will agree relevant Performance Objectives with individual national ESOs when preparing the Deed of Agreement.

16 Funding Variations

16.1 Grantees may apply for a variation to certain aspects of their Deed of Agreement provided:

(a) all requests for grant purpose variation are to be put in writing by the grantee to DVA before grant funds are re-directed to other purposes. Only the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs can approve a variation to a grant; and

(b) any grant funds spent on purposes other than those specified in the Deed of Agreement may require the repayment of funds where a variation has not been sought or approved.

17 Disclosure of Information

17.1 Information provided by the ESO on the grant application form may be disclosed:

· to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs;

· to Members of Parliament for use in the presentation of the grant;

· on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website (for at least two years), in media releases; and

· to the Australian National Audit Office as required to meet Government accountability requirements.

Acquittal of Grant Funding

18 Acquittal Process

18.1 Acquittal processes are the main means by which DVA ensures that the grant funds distributed to approved applicants are utilised effectively and for the purposes for which they were granted.

18.2 As required in the Deed of Agreement, the following acquittal document must be completed:

· a 12 month Project Report and Statement of Compliance must be completed within 30 days of the end of the Project Period and returned to DVA within a further 14 days.

18.3 Details of what is required in the Progress Report, Project Report will be given with the Deed of Agreement.

18.4 Failure to meet these requirements may impact on receiving future assistance under Grants in Aid.

18.5 Payment of approved funds in a new Round will not be made if ESOs have not met the obligations described at Clause 18.2 (above).

19 Monitoring and Evaluation

19.1 In addition to the formal reporting requirements listed in Clause 18.2 above, DVA may request an update on the status of funded projects from time to time and grantees are expected to provide this information in response to any such reasonable request.

19.2 Grantees may be required to participate in a DVA evaluation after completion of the project.

19.3 The results achieved through the Grants in Aid program will be included in DVA’s Annual Report.

SECTION TWO

Guide to Completing the Grants in Aid 20172018 Application Form

This section contains information on how to complete the Grants in Aid 2017-2018 Application Form. The guide includes comments and explanations on some of the more complex questions in the application form. The references, for example, “refer Section One, 4.1” are to the relevant Clause in the Guidelines. For further assistance, feel free to contact the DVA Canberra office to discuss your application.