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 and the application form.
How much funding can I apply for?
We will consider grant applications for a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $50,000 per year.
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 is not automatically 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.
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 fundings that 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 can take place in either Australia or Korea, or both. You must clearly set out how this will occur.
What supporting documents do I need to provide with my application?
A list of attachments/supporting documents can be found in Section 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?
The standard grant period is one (1) year. In exceptional circumstances, multi-year grants are awarded for a maximum of three (3) years.
How are applications assessed?
The grant guidelines provide information about eligibility and assessment criteria.
When preparing the application, applicants should bear 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 5.2 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 should reflect basic travel, accommodation and sustenance costs that align with what 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?
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 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?
Accommodation costs should reflect the price of an appropriate, reasonably priced hotel.
What about allowances for local travel and meals?
Allowances for local travel and food should be consistent with what an applicant would typically spend on a normal work lunch or dinner.
Can I include both detailed costs and a "per diem"?
Budgets should include either detailed daily costs or a per diem—not both. If all specific costs are included, additional per diem costs should not be added.
Can we seek funding for more than one participant for our conference/event?
You may seek funding to cover costs for more than one participant for the conference/event that you are holding as the main grant activity/purpose of your project if they are key speakers and/or directly involved in the activity relevant to the grant opportunity.
We do not solely fund travel and accommodation for attendance at conferences or meetings, participation in fieldwork or sporting or other events, unless such activities are considered by the assessment committee to be of direct relevance to the grant opportunity. Please read Section 5 of the grant guidelines for details on what the grant money can and can't be used for.
We strongly encourage co-contributions from partners and will consider value for money and appropriate, reasonable and realistic costings.
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, you cannot claim the costs for activities that have already taken place.
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 about the Australia-Korea Foundation, the grant guidelines and the application form to assess your eligibility, if your project proposal would meet 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 the grant guidelines.
Can I resubmit a previous application?
Yes. Organisations and individuals are welcome to resubmit project proposals from previous applications but would still be required to create a new application in SmartyGrants and meet the eligibility and assessment criteria for the current round.
Can I apply if I have an existing AKF grant?
Yes. Applications are welcome from those who have received funding in previous grant rounds. Individuals and organisations with outstanding grant acquittals or other compliance issues are not eligible to apply in open rounds.
How do I write a strong application?
- Have a good idea, work out how you're going to execute it and find a keen 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.
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.