Government Grant Specialists

Firstly, it’s important to examine the strategic objectives of the department offering the grant. Accelerating Commercialisation, for example, is part of the Entrepreneurs’ Programme for supporting productivity and competitiveness in the small and medium private business.

You should also search for program statistics and previous grant recipients including grants awarded per round, the average grant size, and number of grants per sector.

This research will allow you to define the project in a way that is most sympathetic to the program’s objectives.

In general, successful applicants in any program demonstrate that they offer best value for money for the taxpayer’s dollar. Push to show how your business will create jobs, improve Australia’s competitiveness or upskill workers.

Grants often have strict deadlines, long assessment processes, and multiple stages to the application process.

Map out the cut-off dates as best as possible before starting the application process to understand a birds-eye approach to the progression required. The timeframes must be carefully managed with your business needs, as in most cases, project costs incurred prior to the grant agreement or contract being signed will not be funded.

It’s time to review mandatory attachments to the application such as a business plan (see Step 5 below), detailed budget, financial statements, and market research report. Feedback on applications will generally only be provided where the application is complete and all attachments are included (at the very least least in draft form).

If you are successful, keep in mind you will also need to report on project progress against agreed milestones as per the funding agreement.

Using the AC grant as an example, businesses will need to demonstrate “Impact of the Grant” including the ‘need for funding’ before other criteria will be assessed. It’s a fine balancing act to demonstrate this need for funding and at the same time showcase that your business has funding planned from other sources to meet its contribution.

You must demonstrate that you have in place good business governance processes such as a comprehensive business plan, strong financial reports and detailed budgets. This will give your case managers confidence in your business and assurance of how you will successfully implement the grant.

Applying for a government grant is a complex, time-consuming and highly competitive process. Seek out a professional advisor for help in assessing merit criteria and to ensure you put forward the strongest application possible.  

NOAH has an excellent track record in the grant funding landscape. We can help match a potential applicant with the grant program that best suits the needs of the business at a particular point in time and quickly assess eligibility by asking a few simple questions. To get started, email us today at info@noahconnect.com.