Over the past nearly 40 years the Australian Government has established cultural councils supporting people-to-people links underpinning our key bilateral and regional relationships. Eminent Australian business and community leaders are appointed to the boards, providing a range of expertise and input to Australia's foreign policy and economic diplomacy goals. Funding for these Foundations, Councils and Institutes and for the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program is provided through the International Relations Grants Program.

The International Relations Grants Program (IRGP) supports the Government's foreign policies and economic diplomacy interests and projects a positive contemporary image of Australia. IRGP grants support professional, community and institutional linkages between Australia and its partners on contemporary issues of shared interest including business, education, innovation, science, technology, the arts, media and sport.

Grant round dates

The 2019 FCIs annual grant rounds open in the first week of February 2019. Information specific to each foundation, council or institute can be found on their respective web pages. Applications are made via the Australian Government's website: Grantconnect.

Profiles of successful projects are provided on individual Foundation, Council or Institute pages under "Meet our Grantees".

Standard grant documentation

Individual forms for each grant program are customised to address the strategic priorities relevant to the individual diplomatic relationship. When a grant round is open, applicants complete an interactive form online via SmartyGrants. These static Word and PDF versions provide an indication of the information required:

• Standard application form [PDF 434 KB]
• Standard communications outline form – note, some fields will prepopulate [PDF 70 KB]
• Standard results and acquittal form – some fields will prepopulate [PDF 91 KB]

The standard draft funding agreement is also customised to the particular grant and country situation.

• Simple grant funding agreement [DOCX 88 KB] | [PDF 682 KB]

Grants eligibility

There is considerable competition for grant money with approximately 10 per cent of applications being successful. Individual grants generally do not exceed $40,000 per year. IRGP grants are managed in accordance with the Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines. Grants are generally not awarded for:

• Capital expenditure including items such as real property, equipment or computer software;
• Activities that are properly the responsibility of other funding bodies or other government agencies (e.g. development assistance projects, trade promotion and academic research);
• Activities that are already commercially viable in their own right or which give a commercial advantage to one organisation;
• Subsidy of general ongoing administration of an organisation such as electricity, phone, rent, salaries (including for research assistants or administrative staff), honorariums or administrative charges levied by the applicant's organisation; or
• Projects already completed.

Given the competition for grants funding, requested travel costs should be reasonable (refer to the ATO website).

Grant recipients

Lists of previous grant recipients.

Grant project summaries are available under the grants tabs of individual FCI pages.