Australia International Cultural Council

AICC Grants Program - Guidelines 

The Australia International Cultural Council (AICC) is Australia’s peak cultural diplomacy body.  Established in 1998, the AICC recognises that Australia’s unique cultural heritage—a product of our history and geography—can influence both directly and indirectly how others see us as a nation, and how others relate to us on the international stage.

The AICC is an advisory group chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, which draws together leaders from government, the arts and business with a common interest in promoting Australia overseas through the arts and culture. Its activities are integral to Australia’s broader foreign and trade policy goals and aims to project a positive and contemporary image of Australia.

The AICC acknowledges the international quality of Australian cultural assets including: theatre; dance; film; television; new media; music; visual arts; literature; cultural heritage and conservation services; and national collecting institutions.

Examples of the AICC’s cultural diplomacy activities include:

  • major arts and cultural programs in AICC selected priority countries including Indonesia (2008), the United States (2009) and China (2010);
  • promoting Australia’s world-class film industry, using the reach of DFAT’s network of diplomatic missions and the Embassy Film Roadshow collection of Australian films managed by Screen Australia;
  • supporting visits to Australia by leading cultural decision-makers and patrons of the arts; and
  • promoting contemporary images of Indigenous Australia.

DFAT provides the secretariat support for the AICC.  More information on the AICC is available at www.dfat.gov.au/aicc

AICC GRANTS PROGRAM

The AICC Grants Program provides funding for international arts and cultural projects that align with the Program’s objectives.

Program objectives

To promote Australia overseas through the arts and culture, reinforcing Australia’s standing as a stable, sophisticated, tolerant and innovative nation with a rich and diverse culture and promoting an accurate and positive image of Australia’s Indigenous people.

Goals

  • To project a positive and contemporary image of Australia through the arts and culture
  • To strengthen long-term cultural relationships with our key regional partners
  • To improve market access for Australian cultural exports
  • To promote Australian tourism and education

Priority regions

The AICC Grants Program focuses on priority regions determined by the AICC.  Priority regions reflect Australia’s broad public diplomacy and foreign and trade policy interests.  Applications for cultural diplomacy projects incorporating activities in these regions will be given preference. The priority regions, in order of priority, are currently:

  1. Asia;
  2. South Pacific;
  3. Middle East; and
  4. North America and Western Europe.

Favourable consideration may also be given to applications that are proposed for the same locations as the AICC’s major country programs currently underway or planned for Indonesia (2008), the United States (2009) and China (2010).  

Consideration may be given, on a case-by-case basis, to applications for projects to be conducted outside of the priority regions.  Such applications must demonstrate significant cultural diplomacy benefits, bearing in mind Australia’s foreign and trade policy interests.

Selection criteria

Applications will be selected on how well they demonstrate that the project:

  • aligns with the AICC grants program’sgoals and objectives;
  • includes activities to be undertaken in priority region/s, which are appropriate to the local context;
  • is financially viable and requests a reasonable amount of funding in the context of the overall project;.
  • is well-planned and achievable;
  • is conducted by an applicant with previous international experience or the capacity to deliver projects overseas; and
  • incorporates appropriate and strategic audience engagement strategies.

Criteria one, two and three are weighted twice as important as criteria four, five and six.  For example, criteria one to three are each worth 10 points and criteria four to six are each worth five points.

Funding

Funding is capped at $40,000 per application. The level of funding may only be increased in exceptional circumstances.  If requesting more than $40,000, applicants will need to bear in mind selection criterion 3 above.  Funding is intended to encourage partnerships with other areas of government, corporate sponsors and private donors, and applicants will normally be expected to demonstrate that they are seeking assistance from other sources. Full budget details for the project are required in the application form and applicants must declare where they are seeking other sources of funding for the same project, including all Commonwealth, State/Territory and local government funding.

Contact details

Address

AICC Grants Program
AICC Secretariat
Images of Australia Branch
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
RG Casey Building
John McEwen Crescent
BARTON   ACT   0221

Ph: 02 6261 2588
Fax: 026112 2588
Email: aicc@dfat.gov.au

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants

Individual artists and professional arts and culture workers are eligible to apply. While they may not regularly earn income from their practice, individual artists must be identified and recognised by their peers as practising artists.

Groups may apply. Groups must nominate in their application either an individual or a legally constituted organisation as the legal entity, known as the grant recipient, which will take legal and financial responsibility for administering the grant, should one be offered.  

Organisations may apply. To be eligible, organisations must be registered under law (for example, an incorporated association or a company limited by guarantee) or created by law (for example, a government statutory authority).

All applicants should have an Australian Business Number (ABN).

Applicants must be Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents. Proof of citizenship or residency may be required.

Applications from youth groups/ensembles or semi-professional organisations will only be considered where the activity would result in significant cultural diplomacy benefits.

Applicants may submit a maximum of three applications within a three-year period.

Activities

Applications may include:

  • visual arts
  • design (including architectural design)
  • theatre
  • dance
  • music
  • literature
  • film
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts
  • disability arts
  • multicultural arts
  • cultural heritage
  • community cultural development/community arts

The AICC will not accept applications for:

  • projects or activities without a clearly defined arts or cultural component;
  • projects starting before 1 February 2009;
  • capital expenditure, including purchase of real estate and vehicles;
  • purchase of equipment (for example, musical instruments, computers, videos, photographic or printing equipment);
  • costs associated with arts training or study, field work or attendance at conferences, meetings, workshops, residencies, and sporting events;
  • costs related to academic research and activities under bilateral science and technology agreements;
  • projects normally handled by Austrade or AusAid;
  • costs arising from the day-to-day operations of an organisation (for example staff salaries or leases); and
  • honorariums.

Application Process

Closing dates and notification

The AICC will advertise the program nationally in the print media and year-round on DFAT’s website. The first funding round was held in 2007.  In 2008–09 there will be one assessment round:

Round 2

  • Closing date: 15 October 2008
  • Assessment notification: December 2008
  • Projects may not start before: 1 February 2009

You need to provide the original plus 7 copies of your application (copies may be double-sided), and one set of support material. Support material must be received within 10 working days of the closing date.

Applications will be accepted by email up to 5pm on the closing date. The AICC Secretariat must receive the original application and 7 copies within five (5) working days of the closing date. It is important to note that emailed applications are sent at the applicant’s risk. The AICC Secretariat will not be responsible for viruses or delays on the Internet, which could cause your emailed application to arrive late.

Applications will not be accepted by fax.

Please inform AICC grants program staff promptly of any change of address or contact details or of any other information pertinent to the completion of the project, for example, cancellation of some or all activities.

Application information

All information provided must be legible. Applications should be typed or handwritten in black ink. Hard copies of the program information and forms may be obtained by contacting AICC Grants Program staff.

Cover sheet and budget

The cover sheet and budget form can be downloaded at www.dfat.gov.au/aicc. All questions on the forms must be answered. If a question is not applicable, an explanation should be provided. The budget is an important part of the application and will be closely assessed. Applicants should ensure that budgets are accurate and realistic.

Proposal

Applicants must submit a proposal outlining their project and how it aligns with the AICC Grants Programgoals and objectives. Proposals should be a maximum of three pages in length and printed on white, single-sided A4 paper with a reasonable font size (not below 12 point) with standard margins and spacing.

Support material

Support material is required to assess all applications and applicants should submit materials that best reflect the nature of the proposed project and demonstrate the feasibility of the project. Support material must be clearly marked with the applicant’s full name and address details and submitted together with the other application information by the closing date. Please direct all questions regarding support material to AICC Grants Program staff prior to submitting an application.

Applicants should provide:

  • summary CVs for each of the key participants, not exceeding three pages;
  • a maximum of five confirmation letters or emails from key partners in the project (for example, venues and artists); and
  • a maximum of two of the following:
    • five pages of written material (for example, excerpts of text-based work, published writing, research, or press coverage);
    • 10 printed photographs or electronic images (showing recent work of the artists and /or organisation);
    • five minutes of audio CD; and
    • five minutes of video footage on DVD, VHS or CD (providing a recent example of the work of the artists and / or organisation).

Any material supplied in addition to the above support material will not be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit no more than five minutes of video and/or audio material and to ensure that the material is self-playable (applicants should not rely on DFAT to have specialist equipment or software to view the support material). All necessary software must be included as part of the support material. DFAT will not transfer any files to hard drive.

Acknowledgement and Assessement Process

Application acknowledgement

All applicants will receive an acknowledgement letter within three weeks of the application being received. The acknowledgement may be sent out before applications are checked for eligibility. Please see below for information on the eligibility check.

Eligibility check

Staff will check applicant eligibility according to the requirements. Where an applicant is ineligible they will be advised but the application will not be returned.

Decision-making

Applications will be considered by a selection committee which will make recommendations to the Minister’s delegate for approval. The selection committee competitively assesses applications against the AICC Grants Programobjectives and selection criteria. Committee members comprise senior DFAT officers and three AICC members, including representatives from the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts and the Australia Council.

Decisions are made primarily on the basis of the information supplied in the proposal, budget and accompanying support material. The selection committee may take into account information from other sources, such as:

  • advice from DFAT’s overseas missions;
  • advice from AICC members, and other experts in the arts and cultural sector;
  • communication with other areas of government, including federal, state and territory arts agencies; and
  • previous DFAT grant acquittals (including any overdue or unsatisfactory acquittals).

While an application may meet the selection criteria, a grant is not guaranteed. Even when successful, an application may not be funded to the full amount requested.

Unsuccessful applicants will be advised in writing following the completion of the assessment process, and will be able to seek additional verbal feedback from AICC Grants Program Staff.

Role of DFAT staff

The role of AICC Grants Program staff is to:

  • provide information and advice to the selection committee to assist its determination of policy and its assessment of grant applications;
  • provide information to potential applicants for grants; and
  • administer and monitor the program to enable a flexible, fair and efficient assessment process in the interest of both the decision-makers and applicants.

AICC Grants Program staff do not make decisions on funding applications. Any advice should be considered as information only—an applicant should not alter their circumstances or act upon expectations arising from such information.

Conflict of interest

Selection committee members and AICC Grants Program staff must disclose any actual or perceived conflict of interest in any matter to be considered in which they are formally involved. Depending on the nature and extent of the conflict, they may be required not to take part in any discussion or decision-making process involving the conflict. Such disclosures will be formally recorded.

DFAT employees are required to comply with the Australian Public Service Commission’s conduct and ethics policies. The Conflict of Interest: Private financial and other interests of departmental employees policy ensures that any conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived, do not influence decision-making.

Grant Conditions

Funding agreement

Grant recipients will be required to sign a legally-binding Funding Agreement setting out the terms and conditions of the grant and the requirement to provide an acquittal within three months of the completion of the project. An example of the Funding Agreement is available for download at www.dfat.gov.au/aicc. 

The acquittal report will include an evaluation of the project and its outcomes, accompanied by supporting evidence and a certified financial acquittal.  

Grant recipients will be required to provide a tax invoice, in accordance with GST legislation, for each payment of grant funds in accordance with the payment dates set out in the Funding Agreement. Payment of a grant will not be made until the agreement has been signed by all the relevant parties and the grant recipient has submitted an invoice. Applicants should not start the project until the agreement has been signed by all relevant parties.

Funding must be used for the specific activities outlined in the application. Recipients may request changes to the agreement in writing to AICC Grants Program staff, but this does not guarantee the request will be approved. DFAT will require any unspent funds and/or funds spent on non-approved items to be repaid promptly.

If a grant cannot be taken up within the specified time period, it may be withdrawn. Any delay in conducting a project should be reported immediately to AICC Grants Program staff, and if required, a request for extension should be submitted in writing. Requests for extension will be considered but may not be approved.

Other Information

No guarantee of ongoing funding

Unless specified, approval of any grant to an individual, group or organisation does not commit DFAT to any future funding of that individual, group or organisation. Funding will be awarded to those who best meet the selection criteria within the amount of funds available.

Insurance

Grant recipients must be covered by appropriate insurance, including public liability insurance. DFAT may request evidence of the currency and amount of cover under all relevant policies.

Administered grants

Groups/ensembles, unincorporated associations and other bodies with no legal status are required to nominate either a member of the group/ensemble or a legally constituted organisation to take legal and financial responsibility for the grant, should one be given.

An administering body is responsible for providing the acquittal once the project is completed. Both the applicant and the administering body will be considered responsible for unsatisfactorily acquitted grants. The administering body is not responsible for the artistic direction or the artistic quality of the project. Examples of legally constituted organisations are incorporated associations, incorporated Indigenous associations and companies limited by guarantee. Grant applicants should enter into a written agreement with their administering body, setting out the respective rights and responsibilities of both parties in relation to the grant’s administration and acquittal. The agreement should also contain a dispute resolution clause setting out procedures to be followed in the event of a disagreement between the parties.

An organisation may be the administering body for as many DFAT grants as they see fit. Administering bodies may make grant applications in their own right, and the grants they administer on behalf of others do not count as part of the three applications that may be submitted within a three-year period.

Access and equity services

AICC Grants Program information is available in large format PDF versions, which can be downloaded from www.dfat.gov.au/aicc. Please contact AICC Grants Program staff for assistance if required.

Applicants may speak with AICC Grants Program staff in their first language by telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 (local call anywhere in Australia) and asking to be connected with the AICC Secretariat.

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants may wish to access assistance in submitting an application where English is not their first language. In these cases, applicants may contact an Indigenous language centre for assistance. A list of Indigenous language centres is provided in the National Indigenous Languages Contacts Directory available from:

FATSIL—Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Corporation of Languages
295 King Street
Melbourne  VIC  3000
Tel: +61 3 9602 4700
Web: www.fatsil.org

Taxation and grants

Grants paid by DFAT may be considered part of an applicant’s income in a financial year and may be subject to tax. It is the applicant’s responsibility to understand their taxation obligations and they may wish to seek professional advice on this issue or contact the Australian Taxation Office on 13 28 66 or consult its website at www.ato.gov.au.

Grant recipients registered for GST will be paid the grant amount plus GST. The application budget should be exclusive of GST. Grant recipients not registered for GST should provide an application budget inclusive of GST as part of the cost of the project.

Freedom of information

The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) enables applicants to request documents held by DFAT. Documents that would harm the personal or business activities of any applicant, person or organisation are not released. If applicants wish to access documents under the FOI Act they must make a formal application in writing. Charges may apply.

Privacy

All personal information provided in support of an application is treated in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988. The information provided in grant applications is used when processing and assessing applications. Some of the information from applications may be used for training and system testing by DFAT staff.

Summary information provided by all applicants will be stored centrally and will be available to Commonwealth officers and the government on a need-to-know basis.

Information concerning successful grant applicants may be distributed to the AICC, Australian and State and Territory governments, media representatives and the general public. It may also be published in DFAT’s Annual Report and on its website.

Rights and responsibilities

Funding under the AICC Grants Program does not imply or determine that DFAT endorses the views of the artists or participants involved in funded activity. Grant recipients are required to comply with all applicable domestic and international laws, and their activity should not bring DFAT into disrepute.

Travel safety

In planning overseas travel, it is recommended that applicants refer to DFAT’s travel advisory service—Smartraveller. DFAT maintains travel advisories for more than 160 destinations, which provide accurate, up-to-date information about the risks Australians might face overseas. This information enables applicants to make well-informed decisions about whether, when and where to travel. Notwithstanding any assistance provided by DFAT in facilitating international travel through an AICC grant, applicants are responsible for their own travel insurance and travel at their own risk.

 

Contacts: aicc@dfat.gov.au - Phone: 02 6261 2588