Funding information

The auDA Foundation offers grants to eligible not-for-profit organisations or research institutions for proposals encouraging community projects, education and research activities that will enhance the utility of the internet for the benefit of the Australian community.

Applications for the 2023 grant round are now closed.

Learn about the 2023 community grant recipients.

  • The 2023 grant round closed on Monday 2 October at 11:59pm AEDT.

  • Monday 4 September 2023: Applications open at 8:00am AEST

    Monday 2 October 2023: Applications closed at 11:59pm AEDT

    December 2023 – Jan 2024: Grant recipients finalised

    Tuesday 6 February 2024: Grant recipients announced.

  • Eligible proposals must deliver grassroots, educational or research activities that will enhance the utility of the internet. We are keen to support projects that focus on the overarching themes of digital inclusion and digital innovation, and will achieve practical outcomes through innovative means, i.e., research and development undertaken for the purposes of acquiring new knowledge and/or creating new or improved processes or services.

    To be eligible, a project must benefit one or more of the following five key focus areas:

    1. Rural, regional, and remote Australians

    2. Australians living with disability

    3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

    4. Older Australians (65 years +)

    5. Young Australians (12-24 years).

    The grant may not account for 100 per cent of the cost of the project. Applications need to demonstrate an in-kind or financial contribution applicant of at least 10 per cent of the total project cost.

    Proposals that fail to meet the objects of the auDA Foundation will not be considered for funding, and must comply with relevant Australian laws, standards and guidelines.

    You can read about our previous grant recipients and their projects here .

    Please note that the featured projects may provide a guide to the sorts of projects likely to be successful, however, we may be unwilling to fund proposals that too closely resemble previously funded projects.

  • We will not support the following types of projects or budgetary items:

    • Projects that do not support the auDA Foundation’s General Objects;

    • Projects for a religious, political or sectarian purpose;

    • For-profit organisations;

    • The auDA Foundation does not fund ongoing service delivery but will consider applications for strategic expansions of existing programs or new/innovative additions to an existing project;

    • The auDA Foundation does not fund projects retrospectively;

    • Requests for sponsorship;

    • Endowments, memorials or named academic chairs;

    • Conferences;

    • Projects where the primary focus is outside of Australia;

    • The provision of funds for overseas travel;

    • General fundraising appeals;

    • General operational or administrative functions, including for example:

    o Firewalls

    o Secure transaction functionality

    o Online search functions

    o Intranet.

    • Training proposals that provide generic IT training (such as introduction into social networking or trading websites) rather than focusing specifically on internet use that has a specific application relevant to the project;

    • Website design (such as development of a new website or redesign of existing website) rather than focusing specifically on delivery of the project using the website;

    • Applications that replicate research currently being undertaken on a commercial basis;

    • Applications seeking IT equipment or the provision of IT equipment;

    • Marketing or market research activities, even where that research is about website usage.

  • To be eligible for funding, applicants must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

    Applicant:

    • Not-for-profit organisations, and research institutions including universities are eligible to apply;

    • All entities/organisations must be registered in Australia under a Commonwealth, State or Territory law, such as a company, partnership or association;

    • Past grantees are welcome to apply, however, organisations that auDA has not funded in the past 12 months will be preferred. A past grantee must have successfully acquitted their previous grant.

    Project:

    • The project must comply with relevant Australian laws, standards and guidelines;

    • The project must benefit one or more of the five focus groups detailed above and meet the eligibility criteria of the Guidelines .

    Additional requirements:

    • As the grantee you must use the whole of the grant exclusively for the project as described in the application for the grant and not for any other purpose;

    • The auDA Foundation grant must not account for 100 per cent of the cost of the project;

    • To be successful as an applicant, you must make an in-kind or financial contribution to the project budget of at least 10 per cent of the total project cost;

    • Your intended contribution must be specified in the application using the budget report template provided;

    • Any extension of the completion date agreed in the grant agreement must be approved by auDA in writing;

    • You as the grantee must advise auDA in writing of any significant changes to the project in a timely manner;

    • All of the auDA Foundation grant money must be spent within Australia;

    • The grant must be acquitted within two months of completion. The acquittal will provide evidence of the expenditure, outcomes and impact compared to the application;

    • If you have not successfully acquitted a project’s funding, you will not be eligible for future funding.

  • A panel will assess the applications and make grant recommendations to be endorsed via the Public Benefit Program Committee and approved by the auDA Board.

    The panel will comprise external subject matter experts and auDA’s Chief People and Culture Officer (and may also include some auDA staff).

    auDA is committed to maintaining the integrity, legitimacy, impartiality and fairness of auDA processes.

    The panel will assess all eligible proposals against the following criteria:

    • Meets the General Objects of the auDA Foundation;

    • Addresses a demonstrated need in the Australian community in at least one of the five priority focus areas;

    • Demonstrated support from stakeholders impacted by the project;

    • Expected positive outcomes/impact for one or more of the defined priority groups;

    • The applicant has capacity to successfully implement the project.

    In addition, reviewers will rate all eligible proposals on the following attributes:

    • Identified need and expected outputs, outcomes and impact

    • Innovation

    • Merit

    • Accessibility

    • Potential for sustainability.

  • • You as the grantee will sign a grant agreement provided by the auDA Foundation;

    • The grant funding will be used exclusively for the project described in the application;

    • The grant funding does not constitute a taxable supply of goods or services and will therefore not be subject to GST;

    • The grants are gifts, and no material benefit will arise to the auDA Foundation from the acquittal of the grants provided;

    • The funded projects should be completed within 12 months of the date of the signed grant agreement;

    • In consultation with auDA, you as the grantee will acknowledge the assistance of the auDA Foundation in any published or displayed material as specified in the grant agreement. Please ask us about the planned acknowledgement. Where the auDA logo is being used, a digital copy will be provided;

    • Similarly, as the grantee you will acknowledge that you received auDA Foundation funding in any project materials they publish, and they will make those project materials available to the public under a creative commons licence;

    • As the grantee, you otherwise retain all intellectual property rights in all works produced by the grantee from the grant funds;

    • auDA may want a grantee to attend an event. Please make yourself available for these event(s).

  • • You will provide a progress report on your project at the six-month mark (by 31 July 2024) and on completion at the 12-month milestone. The acquittal of the funds is due by 29 February 2025;

    • If your project is less than 12 months, alternate dates will be agreed and in your grant agreement;

    • Please submit reports via the auDA Foundation’s Grant Management Platform. It is your responsibility to submit reports on time;

    • If you do not acquit your grant on time, you will not be eligible for future funding.