Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
AUSTRALIA-INDONESIA INSTITUTE
GRANT PROGRAM
GUIDELINES
Last updated March 2014
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
Contents
1.
About the Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII) ................................................................ 3
2.
Program objectives ........................................................................................................ 4
3.
Grant Applications ......................................................................................................... 4
4.
Eligibility ........................................................................................................................ 5
5.
Selection Criteria ........................................................................................................... 5
6.
Activities not funded ..................................................................................................... 6
7.
Publicity ......................................................................................................................... 7
8.
Referee requirements ................................................................................................... 7
9.
Funding arrangements .................................................................................................. 8
10.
Selection process ....................................................................................................... 9
11.
Reporting and acquittal requirements .................................................................... 10
12.
Taxation ................................................................................................................... 10
13.
Insurance ................................................................................................................. 11
14.
Responsibilities of the recipient .............................................................................. 11
15.
Privacy and Freedom of Information ...................................................................... 12
16.
Access and equity .................................................................................................... 12
17.
Contact Details ........................................................................................................ 12
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
Guidelines for Funding Applicants and Recipients
Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII) grants are intended to provide seed funding for innovative
proposals relevant to the aims and objectives of the Institute. This includes proposals which
demonstrate the potential for the development of long-term links between individuals and
institutions in Australia and their counterparts in Indonesia.
As applications are assessed against these Guidelines, all applicants should familiarise
themselves with them before submitting an application for funding under the AII Grants
Program.
1. About the Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII)
1.1 The Institute is an advisory body for the Minister, through the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The Institute consists of:

An Advisory Board consisting of not fewer than four members and not more than
twelve members, all of whom are prominent members of the Australian community
with strong links and experience in Indonesia and/or AII priority areas

A Secretariat provided by DFAT.
1.2 The mission of the Australia-Indonesia Institute is to develop relations between Australia
and Indonesia by promoting greater mutual understanding and by contributing to the
enlargement over the longer term of the areas of contact and exchange between the people
of Australia and Indonesia.
1.3 The goals of the Institute are:

To promote in each country increased exposure to the other through media,
educational, cultural, sporting and professional activities.

To create in Indonesia a nucleus of people with expertise in Australian affairs,
especially current and future opinion leaders.

To create within Australia a wider range of people with knowledge about Indonesia,
especially current and future opinion makers.

To portray Australia as culturally diverse, educationally, scientifically and
technologically advanced and economically enterprising.

To increase understanding of and to improve access for Australians to the cultural
diversity of Indonesian society.
1.4 Wherever possible the AII seeks to expand people-to-people and institutional links
through programs and partnerships with other organisations and provide seed funding to
projects to enable them to become sustainable.
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
2. Program objectives
2.1 Applications for the AII Grants Program should seek to contribute to the Institute’s
strategic objectives.
2.2 The AII has identified the following priority areas :
a. Arts and culture;
b. Education;
c. Science, technology and innovation;
d. Civil Society and Media and
e. Religion and Society
3. Grant Applications
3.1 Application rounds for the AII Grants Program are advertised on the AII website and
other media as considered appropriate by the Board.
3.2 To enable an accurate and comprehensive assessment of applications, all applicants
must complete the AII funding application form online, following the link supplied on the AII
Grants Program page.
3.3 Applications that are incomplete, do not include the requested documentation, or do not
address the selection criteria may be deemed ineligible.
3.4 Applicants must also provide signed letters of support from two referees (see Referee
Requirements).
3.5 Applications must be submitted in the English language.
3.6 Application budgets must be submitted in Australian Dollars (AUD).
3.7 If you are unable to access the online application form you may request a hardcopy
application form from the AII Secretariat by sending an email to
ausindonesia.institute@dfat.gov.au or telephone +61 2 6261 3281. The completed
application form and any associated documents must be sent by mail to:
Australia-Indonesia Institute Secretariat
South-East Asia Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
R G Casey Building
John McEwen Crescent
BARTON ACT 0221
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
3.8 The application must be received in the Secretariat by the closing date of the application
round.
3.9 AII reserves the right to amend without notice the Funding Application Form and these
associated Guidelines for Funding Applicants. It is the responsibility of applicants to check
with the AII website or the AII Secretariat on tel: (02) 6261 3821 that the respective
documents are current.
4. Eligibility
4.1 The Institute has no obligation to consider applications received outside of its advertised
Grants Program application rounds. However, the Institute may at its discretion consider
applications intersessionally on an ad hoc basis during the financial year, subject to available
Institute funding.
4.2 Both individuals and organisations may apply for grants.
4.3 Joint applications may be accepted from non-Australian citizen/resident individuals or
organisations who are working in partnership with Australian individuals, groups or
organisations, where this will promote Australia-Indonesia relations.
4.4 Applicants should demonstrate an established record of achievement in the
development and management of projects relevant to their proposed area of endeavour,
and should provide evidence of this.
4.5 Applicants should have satisfactorily acquitted any previous grants provided by the AII.
5. Selection Criteria
5.1 Applications for funding will be assessed against the following criteria:
a) The proposal has clearly defined objectives consistent with one or more of AII’s
strategic objectives. Preference will be given to activities that build community and
institutional linkages rather than to activities that would normally be considered for
research grants by relevant Australian and international institutions.
b) The project outcomes:

are achievable within the stated timeframe;

offer prospects for ongoing self-sustaining activity in the area/s of
education, arts and culture, religion and society, civil society and media
and science, technology and innovation and,

represent value for money.
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
c) Where possible, support requested from AII should constitute seed-funding, to
encourage financial assistance from other sources including corporate sponsors,
and/or future self-sustainability.
d) The applicant demonstrates the ability to plan, manage and evaluate the project,
including evidence of qualifications/experience.
5.2 The Institute will consider a range of issues when selecting successful projects including,
although not limited to: availability of funding, rating against the selection criteria, spread of
projects across Indonesia and spread of projects across the Institute’s priority areas.
5.3 The Institute assesses grant applications on the likely benefits a project will bring, rather
than on the amount actually requested, and it therefore exercises some flexibility in the
amounts disbursed as grants. While the level of grant funding will be decided according to
the merits of the proposal, funding will generally be between AUD 5,000 to AUD 20,000 per
grant.
5.4 As the Institute receives more proposals for funding each year than it is able to support,
AII reserves the right not to fund projects, even where they satisfy the selection criteria. The
AII may also decline to provide funding at the level sought and offer another amount .
6. Activities not funded
6.1 AII has a policy of supporting innovative proposals in a broad range of areas. However
grants are not normally available for the following purposes:

activities that are commercially viable in their own right ;

business development activities and activities that will be of a commercial benefit to
the recipient (e.g. promotion of the recipient's business);

capital expenditure on real estate property and purchase of equipment;

travel and accommodation costs for attendance at conferences, meetings, fieldwork,
sporting and other short-term activities where such activities are not of direct
relevance to AII's functions and goals;

activities that are the responsibility of other funding bodies or other government
agencies (e.g. academic research, development assistance projects);

day-to-day operational costs of the organisations seeking funding, e.g. wages,
salaries;

funding of completed activities, or recurrent funding of activities.
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
6.2 AII does not generally 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 Institute to be of direct relevance to its objectives. In assessing
applications for such activities, AII considers whether:

the activity would involve a sharing or transfer of expertise from which institutions
or individuals in both countries would benefit, and in ways that would directly
advance AII's functions and goals;

the activity includes a wider program that would directly advance AII's functions and
goals;

the activity would result in an expansion of links in new areas in ways consistent
with AII's functions and goals; and

alternative sources of funding are either unavailable, or have been adequately
explored.
7. Publicity
7.1 Information should be provided in the application on proposed publicity and promotion
of the grant activity. Funding recipients are expected to cooperate with AII in publicising the
activity, and AII sponsorship must be appropriately acknowledged during the course of the
activity and in any publicity arising from it.
7.2 Any publications, electronic media and publicly performed activities associated with the
project should carry the AII logo, and invitations to Institute members for key events
associated with the project are highly desirable.
7.3 If the project involves guests travelling to Australia or Indonesia the AII Secretariat
should be advised as early as possible, preferably no later than three weeks before the
guests arrive, to provide an opportunity for appropriate AII involvement.
7.4 Successful applicants may be required to cooperate with the AII Secretariat in promoting
the AII and AII-funded projects.
8. Referee requirements
8.1 Applicants must provide signed letters of support from two referees, which where
possible should comment on:

their relationship to the applicant;

their involvement or interest, if any, in the project;

the project’s objectives and the strategies to achieve them; and
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines

the applicant’s ability to complete the project and to administer project funds.
8.2 It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the referees in advance and provide them
with a copy of the grant application, to assist their preparation of the letters of support. AII
may or may not contact referees directly to seek additional information. Referees may not
include staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
8.3 AII also reserves the right to seek advice about the application from other persons as
appropriate.
9. Funding arrangements
9.1 Applicants are required to provide a Project Budget breakdown in their application form.

The Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a supplementary tax that will be
calculated and paid by the Institute as a separate component of project costs, where
the applicant is registered for GST. Supplementation for GST may be provided if the
project goods or services are to be provided in Australia and are subject to GST.
Goods and services provided outside Australia (including international airfares) are
not subject to GST. Where foreign taxes are to be imposed on goods and services
provided outside Australia, those taxes cannot be treated as a separate payment by
the Institute, and applicants should include them in core budget costs for those
project items.

Where possible, support requested from AII should supplement financial assistance
from other sources, including the applicant's own resources. Where support is
obtained from other sources, evidence of the commitment of such support, either
financially or in-kind, should be provided with the application form. AII’s decision to
award funding may be conditional on supplementary funds being raised from other
sources.

Where an activity contains an international airfare component, this should be costed
as an economy class fare. AII will not reimburse applicants for additional expenses
incurred because of late bookings or other problems requiring tickets to be paid for
at a higher cost.
9.2 The Funding Agreement is the legal agreement between the Commonwealth
represented by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (on behalf of the AII) and the
funding recipient. In managing the funding provided, the funding recipient must comply with
all the requirements of the Funding Agreement. The AII Secretariat will prepare the Funding
Agreement for each recipient after their application is approved.
9.3 All funding recipients must abide by these Guidelines and the Funding Agreement. The
funding may otherwise be withdrawn.
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
9.4 Project implementation must commence during the financial year in which funding is
awarded. AII funding may be valid for up to 12 months, depending on the approved project
timeframe. If the funding cannot be taken up within the specified period, it may be
withdrawn. Any delay in the proposed activity should be reported promptly to the AII
Secretariat. If required, a request for extension should be provided, to allow AII to consider
the reasons for the delay and to take any appropriate action.
10.
Selection process
10.1 The process will be an open competitive selection process. The selection process will
comprise the following stages:
Stage 1: All grant applications received during the relevant funding round deadlines will be
recorded by the Secretariat (e.g., via online Smartygrants system).
Stage 2: Initial screening of applications by AII Secretariat includes:

compliance with Guidelines

applicant eligibility and ability to undertake project

relevance of project to AII functions and goals

clarification of details relating to the project strategy and/or budget
Stage 3: Assessment of applications against selection criteria by AII Board, and selection of
successful projects.
Stage 4: Notification of decision in writing (by email and letter) to applicant by AII
Secretariat.
Stage 5: Funding agreement is finalised; facilitated by AII Secretariat.
Stage 6: Grant details advertised on the DFAT website following signed Funding Agreement
by both parties.
10.2 Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application as soon as possible after
consideration by the AII Board.
10.2 Successful applicants will be advised of any special conditions that AII may attach to
their activity. Payment will not be made until the applicant has signed the Funding
Agreement.
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
10.3 AII reserves the right at any time to:

cease the selection process;

change the structure, approach, content or requirements of the selection process;
and/or

11.
call for new applications.
Reporting and acquittal requirements
11.1 It is a condition of AII grant funding that recipients fully acquit the funds they have
received in a timely manner. Grant moneys should be acquitted within 28 days of the
completion of a project through the submission of a completed project completion
report including a financial statement of expenditure. Acquittal reports should be submitted
using the online acquittal form.
11.2 As part of the acquittal process, grant recipients need to indicate how the money spent
can be linked back to the activities for which funding was originally requested. All unspent
funds must be returned to the AII.
11.3 Lower risk grants may have their financial statement of expenditure certified by an
official from the organisation that received the grant. Higher risk grants should be certified
by a qualified accountant. As a general rule, all grants greater than $40,000 should be
certified by a qualified auditor. The cost of certification can be included in the grant funding
provided.
11.4 Funding recipients are required to keep all receipts and records for five years and to
make these available upon request.
11.5 The AII may seek an oral report at an Advisory Board meeting in addition to the above
grant acquittal requirements.
12.
Taxation
12.1 Funding Recipients are responsible for making their own arrangements regarding any
taxation liabilities that may arise from the award of funding.
12.2 AII requires the following information in writing from funding applicants:

the Australian Business Number (ABN) of the individual or organisation applying for
funds, or advice that the individual or organisation does not have an ABN.
Under the Pay As You Go (PAYG) tax obligations, the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade is required to withhold tax and remit it to the Australian Tax Office when the applicant
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
does not have an ABN or cannot provide written advice from the ATO of exemption from the
withholding tax. Successful funding applicants who do not have an ABN should therefore
provide the Institute with written confirmation, where applicable, of one or more of the
following, preferably on the ATO "Statement by a Supplier" form NAT 3346:

that the payment is of a private or domestic nature;

that the applicant is not carrying on an enterprise;

that the applicant is an "income tax exempt body"; or

that the applicant has applied for an ABN and has been rejected by the ATO;

advice as to whether the individual or organisation is registered for the Australian
Goods and Services Tax (GST);

identification, if possible, of any indirect savings resulting from the abolition of the
wholesale sales tax and other indirect taxes and duties. If it is not possible in the
application to identify savings, this should be done in the financial statement of
expenditure report on completion of the grant.
13.
Insurance
Funding recipients are responsible for obtaining and maintaining any insurance necessary or
prudent for undertaking the proposed activity and to provide the AII Secretariat with
evidence of these policies promptly on request, as required by the Funding Agreement.
14.
Responsibilities of the recipient
14.1 Successful applicants will need to seek written approval from the AII to make any
variation to the project, as detailed in the application form.
14.2 Individuals or organisations intending to apply for an AII grant for an activity that
involves travel to Indonesia should read the Australian Government travel advisory on
www.smartraveller.gov.au prior to lodging a grant application. Successful grant recipients
intending to travel to Indonesia are required to confirm in writing prior to travel that they
have read the relevant current Australian Government travel advisory. If necessary they will
be required to sign a waiver that they are travelling under their own cognizance of, and
responsibility for, any potential risks.
14.3 Funding recipients are normally responsible for all administrative costs and
arrangements associated with their project, including visa and travel arrangements, visa
charges, airport taxes, ground transport, travel and health insurance for project participants,
medical and hospital insurance cover for visitors not covered by Medicare in Australia
(including evacuation and death cover), any necessary insurance for equipment, and
Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Program – Guidelines
accommodation costs and arrangements. Funding recipients should note that health
insurance is essential. AII will not accept any liability for any medical, hospital or evacuation
costs incurred by participants in projects funded by the Institute.
14.3 Applicants should keep an electronic copy and hard copy of their application and
supporting documentation for their own records, as applications and documentation will not
be returned to applicants once the selection process is concluded.
15.
Privacy and Freedom of Information
15.1 The information provided in the funding application is used when processing and
assessing the submission. Summary information provided by all applicants will be stored
centrally and will be available to Commonwealth officers and the government on a need-toknow basis. The information provided by the applicant may be distributed to AII,
Commonwealth and State or Territory governments, organisations which are responsible for
grants programs, and may be made public through national and local media or via the AII
website. DFAT may also publish this information, excluding personal information, in its
Annual Report and on the DFAT website. In other circumstances, DFAT will only use and/or
disclose personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988. Applicants should
also note the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 apply to documents in
DFAT’s possession.
16.
Access and equity
16.1 All funding applications are made using standard documents and are assessed by a
standard appraisal procedure, helping to ensure consistency and equity in Institute funding
decisions. AII is committed to the principles of equal opportunity and encourages individuals
and organisations from target groups to apply for funding for projects consistent with the
Institute's guidelines.
17. Contact Details
Australia-Indonesia Institute Secretariat:
Email: ausindonesia.institute@dfat.gov.au
Telephone: (02) 6261 3821
Address:
Australia-Indonesia Institute Secretariat
South-East Asia Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
R G Casey Building
John McEwen Crescent
BARTON ACT 0221