Established by the Australian Government in 1992, the Australia-Korea Foundation (AKF) was formed to promote bilateral relations between the Republic of Korea and Australia.
The objectives of the AKF are to:
- increase public awareness of Australia in Korea and of Korea in Australia, and the importance of the bilateral relationship,
- develop partnerships, collaborations and people-to-people links (including with diaspora) in areas of shared interest in the bilateral, regional and global context
- increase Australians' ability to effectively engage with Korea and Koreans' ability to effectively engage with Australia.
The AKF offers annual grant funding to organisations and individuals to support projects which advance Australia's engagement with Korea, including exchanges, partnerships and other collaborations in the general fields of business, education, academia, arts/culture and society.
Read more about the Australia-Korea Foundation.
How to apply
Before applying please read the AKF Grant Guidelines. To apply, please complete the application form on SmartyGrants.
Key changes in the 2026-27 Grant Round
In the 2026-27 grant round, the minimum and maximum grant amounts have changed to $50,000 and $150,000 respectively. Please see section 3.1 of the Grant Guidelines.
The priority areas in the 2026-27 grant round have changed from previous rounds. Please see section 2.1 of the Grant Guidelines.
How much funding can I apply for?
We will consider grant applications for a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $150,000 per year. Please see section 3.1 of the Grant Guidelines.
Your activity and the funding you apply for will be assessed for value for money. The AKF should not be the sole funding source for a project. Co-contributions from applicants and other parties strengthen an application and are strongly encouraged.
The final funding amount you receive is at the discretion of the program delegate.
Will I get the whole grant amount I apply for?
If successful, the full funding amount you apply for may not be awarded. After assessment, the program delegate will make the final decision on eligible expenditure and may offer a lower funding amount depending on the activity.
Should the grant funding I request include GST?
All grant payments will be GST exclusive. See section 10.3 of the Grant Guidelines for more information.
Can an Australian and Korean partner apply for the same project?
If you and your Australian or Korean partner would like to submit an application for a project, you will need to decide which organisation would lead, manage and administer the grant. Only the lead organisation would enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth and be responsible for the grant. The lead organisation must complete the application form and identify all other members in the application. Please do not submit applications from both organisations.
Applicants should not 'double-dip' by obtaining funding for the same grant activity from more than one source of funding. When submitting your grant application, you will be required to provide information on other funding you have applied for. If you are successful in obtaining more than one source of funds, you will need to decide which one you will accept and notify all relevant parties.
Does my activity or collaboration have to take place in Australia or Korea?
Your activity or collaboration must take place in either Australia or the Republic of Korea, or both. See section 5.2 of the Grant Guidelines.
What supporting documents do I need to provide with my application?
A list of attachments/supporting documents can be found in sections 7.1 and 7.2 of the Grant Guidelines and in the application form. We will contact you if we require additional supporting documents.
What is the maximum duration of the grant?
Please see section 3.2 of the Grant Guidelines.
How are applications assessed?
Please see section 8 of the Grant Guidelines for the grant assessment process.
When preparing the application, applicants should keep in mind that the assessment committee may not be familiar with the applicant, the organisation or the field of activity. As the Board's recommendation will be primarily based on the information provided in the application form, this document should be clear, accurate, comprehensive and focused.
What can grant money be used for?
Please refer to section 5.3 of the Grant Guidelines on eligible expenditure.
Venue hire and meeting costs
Applicants that include meetings in their plan are strongly encouraged to secure local, in-kind support (e.g. venues, symposium organisation). Applications will be assessed to ensure they represent good value for money.
Cash and in-kind contributions
If cash and/or in-kind support is included in budgets, it must be specific to the project and able to be clearly substantiated.
What should travel budgets include?
Travel budgets must be appropriate, reasonable and realistic, reflecting basic travel, accommodation and sustenance costs that an applicant would personally use, while ensuring value for taxpayer money.
What are reasonable amounts for overseas travel expenses?
The Australian Tax Office Tax Determination sets out reasonable amounts for overseas travel expenses such as meals and incidentals.
What class airfare should be budgeted for?
Airfares should be budgeted at a reasonable economy rate without regard to airline preferences.
Can the grant money be used to purchase economy class airfares only, or can we claim for economy class airfares and fly business class if we cover the difference?
Eligible air transportation is limited to the economy class fare for each sector travelled; where non-economy class air transport is used, only the equivalent of an economy fare for that sector is eligible expenditure and you will require evidence showing what an economy airfare costs for the time of travel. We will consider value for money and appropriate, reasonable and realistic costings.
Can the grant money be used for site visits as part of our project?
Side activities not related to the project, including tourist site visits are not eligible for grant funding. Please see section 5.4 of the Grant Guidelines.
Can we seek funding to cover the cost of visas?
You may seek funding to cover the cost of visas for participant's travel if it is directly related to achieving your project outcomes.
What is considered reasonable accommodation?
Please see section 5.3 of the Grant Guidelines.
Can we seek funding for travel and meal allowances?
Please see section 5.3 of the Grant Guidelines.
Can I include both detailed costs and a "per diem"?
Please see section 5.3 of the Grant Guidelines.
Can we seek funding for more than one participant for our conference/event?
Please see sections 5.3 and 5.4 of the Grant Guidelines.
Can we seek funding for retrospective costs for travel or events that occurred as part of future project activity, e.g. airline tickets or venue hire deposits?
You can seek funding for costs paid towards future travel/events that form part of the project activity. However, AKF grant funding cannot be used to cover the cost of activities that have taken place before the grant agreement is signed.
Can you advise on our proposed application and what my chances would be for being successful?
As this is a competitive grant round, we cannot comment on your eligibility or chances of being successful. Please read our website, the Grant Guidelines and the application form to assess your eligibility, if your project proposal would achieve the objectives of the AKF, and to view previous successful grants.
When will I be notified of the outcome?
Applicants will be notified in line with the timeline set out in section 7.3 of the Grant Guidelines.
Can I resubmit a previous application?
You can submit an application in this grant round for the same or similar project which was unsuccessful in a previous grant round. You should include new or more information to address any weaknesses that may have prevented your previous application from being successful.
Can I apply if I have an existing AKF grant?
Applications are welcome from those who have received funding in previous grant rounds. However, a grantee from a previous AKF grant round who has not provided a full and satisfactory acquittal of an existing project at the time of submitting an application for a new grant will not be eligible for a grant.
How do I write a strong application?
- Have a good idea, work out how you're going to execute it and find a partner in Australia or Korea to help you with it.
- Read the Grant Guidelines and ensure your project outcomes are aligned with AKF objectives and priority areas. You should also consider how your application addresses themes like gender, diversity and inclusion; or innovation.
- Make the impact of the project clear. If the AKF supports your project, what will be new that couldn't be done without AKF support?
- Develop a strong communications plan. Demonstrate how your project will generate positive and effective media coverage and commentary on the Australia-Korea relationship, promote a contemporary and positive image of Australia and support the Australian Government's international policy goals.
- Demonstrate the viability of the project by making the co-contributions and collaboration between Korean and Australian partners clear.
- Write the application for a non-specialist reader and have someone else read it before you submit.
- Review the previous successful grantees here.
Can you help me connect with a partner in Korea or Australia?
No. The Australia-Korea Foundation is not able to connect you with partners in Australia or Korea. Applicants are expected to be able to identify and work with partners to enable them to complete the proposed project.