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Grant management policy

The grant management policy supports a whole-of-government focus on managing government grants, ensuring consistency, transparency and accountability across entities. By aligning grant management practices, this policy fosters:

  • collaboration, efficiency and better outcomes for recipients and stakeholders
  • commitment to streamlined processes that reduce duplication
  • equitable access and optimised use of public resources. 

Applicability 

Digital investment proposals are assessed against this policy by the DTA through the Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework (IOF).

Commonwealth entities are encouraged to apply this policy to all digital investments.

Policy requirements

  • Publish on GrantConnect

    Make grant opportunity guidelines and grant awards publicly available on GrantConnect, except where there is a specific policy reason not to, or when grants are provided on a one-off or ad hoc basis.

  • Reuse existing designs, patterns, and investments

    Reuse existing standards and designs prior to considering alternative new developments. This will aid in minimising risk, improving consistency, accelerating delivery, and lowering total cost of grants management. 

  • Build for reuse

    Where reuse is not possible, provide evidence of which systems across government have been investigated. Include details on the usage, users, scale, and security classification of the system. Demonstrate how any new investments may be extensible and operationalised for reuse. Highlight potential benefits to agencies seeking similar capabilities. 

  • Engage the Department of Finance

    Non-corporate Commonwealth Entities (NCEs) should contact the Department of Finance in the first instance when developing grant management platforms.

Capabilities

This policy includes requirements that relate to the following capability.
CAP31

Grant management

Standards

The following standards show what to do to satisfy this policy.
Grant management systems enable the administration of grants throughout their entire lifecycles. Functions include processing grant applications, assessment of eligibility, management of grant funding, tracking of grants and grant programs, auditing, and reporting. These functions are common…

Designs

The following designs can be relevant to meeting the requirements of this policy.
Direct link: www.communitygrants.gov.auResponsible agency: Department of Social ServicesThe Community grants hub provides a shared-services arrangement to deliver grant administration services on behalf of Australian Government client agencies. Client agencies are responsible for grant policy and…
Direct link: help.grants.gov.au Responsible agency: Department of FinanceGrantConnect is the centralised location for Australian Government grants, where entities publish grant opportunity guidelines and awards, in line with the Grant management standard and Grant management policy. The system…
Direct link: www.industry.gov.au/government-government/grant-design-and-delivery-servicesResponsible agency: Department of Industry, Science & Resources The Business Grants Hub helps government agencies design and deliver grants programs through a centralised grants portal and management system…
Direct link: www.nhmrc.gov.au/sapphireResponsible agency: Department of Health and Aged Care. Sapphire is the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) technology solution for supporting end-to-end management of all Medical Research Endowment Account grant opportunities (GOs) as well…
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