Information on the assessment process is set out in Section 8 on pages 17-19 of the Grant Guidelines, and on the notification process in Section 9 on page 19.
Stage One: Expressions of Interest (EOI)
The COALAR Grants Program is an open, competitive grants process. All applications received under the Stage One - EOI process are first reviewed against the eligibility criteria. Only eligible applications will proceed to assessment.
If eligible, we will then assess your application against the assessment criteria (see Section 6.3 of the Guidelines – Grant Application Stage One).
We will consider your application on its merits, based on:
- how well it meets the assessment criteria
- how it compares to other applications
- value with relevant money considerations.
We will then make a recommendation to COALAR's Financial Delegate (the First Assistant Secretary, Trade Resilience, Indo-Pacific Economic and Latin America Division) about which projects should be invited to apply for a grant through the Stage Two process.
COALAR's Financial Delegate decides which EOIs will proceed to Stage Two. The decision of the COALAR Financial Delegate is final.
Stage Two: Full Grant Application
We will assess your Stage Two full grant application against the assessment criteria (see Section 6.3 on pages 12-14 of the Grant Guidelines – Grant application Stage Two). We will consider your application on its merits, based on:
- how well it meets the assessment criteria
- how it compares to other applications
- whether it provides value with relevant money.1
When assessing whether the application represents value with money, we will have regard to:
- the relative value of the grant sought
- how the proposed grant project will target groups or individuals, such as leveraging existing processes and technologies, or demonstrating innovative approaches
- whether the application outlines effective risk management processes to minimise potential waste of money
- whether the application includes mechanisms for ongoing monitoring and management of grant activities
- the extent to which the proposed grant project leverages additional funding (this includes cash and in-kind contributions).
Other factors we will have regard to include:
- the overall objectives of the proposed grant project
- the evidence provided to demonstrate how your proposed grant project contributes to meeting those objectives
- whether the application aligns with identified geographic priorities for the COALAR Grant Program.
If the assessment process identifies unintentional errors in your application, we may contact you to correct or clarify the errors, but you cannot make any material alterations or additions to your application.
As part of the assessment process, we also consider any national interest, financial, legal/regulatory, governance or other issues or risks that we identify during any due diligence process we may conduct in respect of the applicant. This includes issues or risks related to an organisation's directors, officers, senior managers, key personnel, its related bodies corporate (as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)) or its application, that could bring the Australian Government into disrepute if it were to fund the applicant. Such issues and risks include where we consider that funding the application under this grant opportunity is likely to directly conflict with Australian Government policy.
Where possible, we will provide you with an opportunity to comment on any material risks identified during this due diligence process prior to our determining the extent (if any) to which those issues or risks affect our assessment of the application and, if so, whether they are sufficient to warrant the exclusion of your application from the assessment process.
While an application may meet the assessment criteria, a grant offer is not guaranteed.
Who will approve grants?
The assessment committee will make recommendations to COALAR's Financial Delegate who will decide which grants to approve.
Where funds become available during the financial year, DFAT may award funding to applicants that were previously shortlisted as suitable but were not funded.
The delegate's decision is final in all matters, including:
- the approval of the grant
- the grant funding amount to be awarded
The delegate will not approve funding if the application does not represent value with money.
COALAR reserves the right to offer less funding than that sought by the applicant. There is no appeal mechanism for decisions to approve or not approve a grant.
Notification of application outcomes
COALAR will advise all applicants at Stages One and Two of the outcome of the application by email.
If you are successful at Stage Two, we will advise you of any specific conditions attached to the grant.
Feedback on your application
COALAR may provide feedback to applicants on their EOI if they are successful at Stage One, otherwise individual feedback will not be provided.
1 See glossary on page 30 of the Grant Guidelines for an explanation of 'value with money'.