Applications open for Competitive Grants Program

The Foundation’s grant program aims to promote and coordinate enhanced cooperation between Australia and mainland China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan, in support of Australia’s national interests and the Australia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Objectives

• The following objectives will guide this grant opportunity:
  • strengthening risk-informed institutional and people-to-people connections and practical cooperation with mainland China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan in Australia’s national interest
  • building Australian capability to engage
  • showcasing Australian excellence
  • enhancing dialogue and exchange that contributes to a stable and constructive relationship.

Funding Information

• For this competitive grant opportunity, up to $28 million is available over 4 years (2024-25 to 2027- 28), with up to $7 million available per year.
• It is anticipated most grants will be valued between $100,000 and $500,000, but this does not preclude some grants being more or less than this amount. Final grant funding amounts are determined by the delegate.
• The maximum grant project period is four years, although they would anticipate many grants would be for a shorter duration.

Outcomes

• The intended outcomes of this grant opportunity are to:
  • build Australian knowledge of and capability to engage mainland China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan in their national interests, including fellowships or scholarships, genuine depth in language capabilities and lived experience
  • support key Australian industry sectors to engage markets in mainland China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan
  • further climate change, net zero and the clean energy transformation outcomes
  • enhance understanding of modern and multicultural Australia by international students from mainland China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan and connect emerging leaders in this cohort to Australian society, institutions or industry
  • showcase Australian excellence in, and enhance people-to-people links through exchanges in, culture, sports, education, academia, innovation, science, health, aviation, and tourism
  • engage the diverse Chinese-Australian communities, showcase their significant contributions, foster leadership and strengthen their voice and agency to engage in Australian public life
  • promote media and public communication activities on the above.

Activities

• Eligible activities must directly relate to the grant project and can include:
  • virtual or real tours and exhibitions
  • major events, performances and forums
  • conferences and workshops
  • exchanges and secondments of personnel between Australia and mainland China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan
  • communications activities
  • market research
  • fellowships or scholarships
  • community engagement, or
  • other activities determined as eligible by the Program Delegate

Eligible Locations 

• Your grant can include activities at different locations provided they are in Australia or mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and/or Macau.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible, you must:
  • have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • be a permanent resident or citizen of Australia
  • have an account with an Australian financial institution and
  • be located in Australia or mainland China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan and
• be one of the following entity types:
  • a company incorporated in Australia
  • a company incorporated by guarantee
  • an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
  • an incorporated association
  • a partnership
  • a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation
  • a publicly funded research organisation
  • an individual who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia
  • an Australian local government body
  • an Australian state or territory government body
  • an Australian statutory authority
  • a Corporate Commonwealth Entity
  • an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.

Ineligible

• You are not eligible to apply if you are:
  • an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’;
  • unincorporated association;
  • a previous grantee who has failed to provide a full and proper acquittal of an earlier DFAT grant; or
  • any organisation not included in eligibility criteria.

For more information, visit National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.