Assessment Criteria

All applications are assessed against the Council's strategic objectives and 5 key assessment criterions. Applications for grants must therefore follow these guidelines before being submitted for consideration:

Relevance

The project should be relevant to the Council's goals (as indicated in the Strategic Plan 2011-2014) and broader national objectives stated in the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper. Projects may promote new areas of contact between Australia and China or develop existing linkages.

Projects may:

• Promote new areas of contact between Australia and China or develop existing linkages
• Aim to build ‘China-relevant’ capabilities through education, outreach, research or cultural immersion
• Assist in building more comprehensive relationships between Australian communities and China
• Analyze new and existing dimensions of the bilateral relationship, for example in Trade, Science and Innovations or Arts  
• Provide a platform for bringing new Australian participants into the bilateral relationship

Excellence and Quality

Applicants should have an established record of achievement in their proposed field of endeavour.

All eligible applications will be assessed by the Council against the following criteria:

• The extent to which the project’s objectives are clearly defined and consistent with the Council’s goals and national objectives for the broader and deeper engagement with China.
• The project’s potential to be wide-ranging and offer prospects of long-term links and continuing exchanges.
• The applicant/s ability to deliver the project successfully and the quality of the application.

Sustainability and Continuity

The project should establish prospects for future independent activity as a result of initial Council funding.

Preference will be given to projects which are able to demonstrate that they have obtained part of their funding from other sources and can provide evidence of such support.

ACC support should constitute seed funding intended to encourage financial support from other sources, including corporate sponsorships.

While grant amounts will be considered on a proposal basis, in general, individual grant funding does not exceed AUD 30,000. In exceptional circumstances the Council may decide that the project will become a priority activity of the ACC in that financial year and provide funding beyond the stated limit.

Where a project is of high quality, but financially beyond the Council's resources, the Council may decide to award the applicant a grant conditional on funds being raised from other sources.

Evidence of Partnership

The Council attaches great importance to the capacity of projects to develop new or strengthen existing partnerships between Australian organisations and individuals and their counterparts in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.

Where projects are to be undertaken in conjunction with, or part funded by a Chinese or Australian organisation, applicants must demonstrate that sufficient support is available from the counterpart to ensure the success of the project. An example of such support might be in-kind or other support of the project provided by host/counterpart organisation. Copies of documentation to this effect should be provided. Where the support takes the form of guarantees by governmental or other agencies, documentary evidence of this should also be provided.

Outreach and Publicity

Provision should be made in the application for publicity or promotion of the project. Full acknowledgement of the Council’s support is required in all promotional materials and publications associated with ACC-funded projects.