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How to apply for Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR) grants

Information on how to apply is set out in Section 7 on pages 12-14 of the Grant Guidelines. Applications for the 2024-2025 Grant Round must be submitted using the COALAR online funding application form through SmartyGrants. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will not provide application forms or accept applications for this grant opportunity by email or other means.

Applicants will be required to complete the COALAR online application form in full and provide all mandatory requested documentation. Please take care to complete each section of the application form and make sure you provide the information we have requested. Applicants must address all of the eligibility and assessment criteria to be considered for a grant. Applications and supporting documentation must be in English. Any application that does not meet these minimum requirements will be deemed ineligible.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the application is complete and accurate. Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence under the Criminal Code 1995 and we will investigate any false or misleading information and may exclude your application from further consideration.

It is important that you keep a copy of your application and any supporting papers.

We will acknowledge that we have received your grant application, through an automated email from the online grants management system, SmartyGrants, within one working day. If you find an error in your application after submitting it, you should contact us immediately on (02) 6178 6739.

Applications must be received by 25 October 1200 AEDT. We have no obligation to consider applications received after the specified submission period. We do not have to accept any additional information, nor requests from you to correct your application after the closing time. If we find an error or information that is missing, we may ask for clarification or additional information from you that will not change the nature of your application. However, we can refuse to accept any additional information from you that would change your submission after the application closing time.

Before applying, read the grant guidelines carefully, look at the application form, the Charter for the Council on Australia Latin America Relations and the Council on Australia Latin America Relations Strategic Plan 2024-2027. Also look at the draft grant agreement and the sample final report.

It is recommended that you draft your statements against each criterion and gather all of the supporting information you need from partners prior to commencing the online application process.

Preparing your application

Please ensure you have:

  • Completed all mandatory fields on the application form.
  • Attached two short signed independent references in support of you/your organisation and the proposal (please limit references to two only)
  • Attached a letter of support from nominated partners (if relevant)
  • Attached an organisation capability statement or individual's curriculum vitae (optional)
  • Attached, if you apply on behalf of a university, a letter of support from your Research Office
  • Clearly demonstrated how your proposal meets the objectives of COALAR
  • Made adequate provision for all likely expenses

Only attach the documents you have been asked to include.

Joint (consortia) applications

Some organisations may apply as a consortium to deliver grant activities. A consortium is two or more organisations who are working together to combine their capabilities when developing and delivering a grant activity.  Individuals who intend the grant to be administered by a university should apply on behalf of the university, i.e., your university is the applicant.

If you are submitting a grant application on behalf of a consortium, a member organisation or a newly created organisation must be appointed as the ‘lead organisation'. Only the lead organisation will enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth and will be responsible for the grant. The lead organisation must complete the application form and identify all other members of the proposed consortium in the application.

The application must include a letter of support from each organisation involved in the grant. Each letter of support should include:

  • an overview of how the consortium will work together to complete the grant activity
  • an outline of the relevant experience and/or expertise of the consortium members
  • the roles/responsibilities of consortium members and the resources they will contribute (if any)
  • details of a nominated management level contact officer
  • details of the lead organisation.

You must have a formal arrangement in place with all parties prior to execution of the agreement.

Questions during the application process

If you have any technical difficulties, please contact SmartyGrants Help Desk (+61 3 9320 6888 between 9am and 4.30 pm Monday to Friday AEST).

If you have any questions during the application period, please contact the COALAR Secretariat via telephone at +61 (02) 6178 6739, or via email at coalar@dfat.gov.au. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade undertakes to respond to emailed questions within five working days. Questions should be sent no later than 1700 AEDT 21 October 2024.

Answers to common questions will be posted on GrantConnect and the COALAR website.

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants may wish to access assistance in submitting an application where English is not their first language.

For assistance please contact:

Office of the Register of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC)
Telephone: 1800 622 431
Web: www.oric.gov.au

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