Successful applicants will be required to enter into a Grant Agreement with Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR), detailing all funding obligations and conditions.
The Grant Agreement should also be complemented by a Project Plan, a detailed budget with breakdown of expenditure and timelines as well as detail of any planned activities.
The standard terms and conditions on which the funding is offered is contained in the Grant Agreement.
Grant Agreements are legally enforceable documents that clearly set out the obligations of both parties. The Grant Agreement aims to protect the Victorian Government’s interests and the efficient and effective use of public money.
It also ensures there is appropriate recognition of Victorian Government support in project-related publications, media releases and promotional material.
Grant Agreements must be signed in accordance with the regulatory framework under which the application operates, e.g. Victorian Incorporations Associations Act and will:
- describe the purpose for which the funding must be used
- set out any requirements or conditions that must be met prior to the payment of a grant instalment
- outline agreed milestones and project outcomes that must be achieved before payment of a grant instalment.
Once the Grant Agreement has been signed, the applicant will be required to actively manage and deliver the project and may be asked to provide progress reports to DJPR.
In some instances, based on project size, complexity and the amount of funding being provided, a project control group (or equivalent) may need to be established with regular meetings and reports.
At its discretion, DJPR may be either a participant or observer in these meetings.
Successful applicants must enter into a Grant Agreement and commence the project within one month from the date of the funding offer. If the project does not commence within this timeframe, the grant will be reviewed by DJPR.
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting
Successful applicants will be required to contribute to an evaluation which is undertaken during and/or after completion of the project. Successful applicants will also generally be required to submit a completion report and provide evidence of project completion.
After completion of the project, applicants must submit an evaluation report which assesses the project’s success in meeting its stated objectives, outputs, outcomes and impacts. Depending on the significance of the project, these evaluation reports may be required for up to three years following completion of the funded project.
Successful applicants may be required to contribute information on project outcomes, including longer-term impacts beyond project completion, for use in program evaluation reviews and DJPR marketing materials. It is the responsibility of successful applicants to put in place adequate collection arrangements to capture the appropriate data in relation to outputs, outcomes and impacts.
These arrangements will assist DJPR to undertake a robust evaluation of the Fund.
DJPR reports publicly on grants and programs it administers. The reporting includes the identity of successful applicants and projects and, where applicable, deviations from or exceptions to the assessment and approvals processes are set out in these guidelines.
Competitive neutrality
All successful applications from a Government body, including Local Government Authorities and Government agencies will be required to comply with the Competitive Neutrality Policy Victoria (if applicable) in respect of any commercial goods or services offered by the body as a result of the grant.
Acknowledgement
Successful applicants need to acknowledge the Victorian Government’s support through the provision of a grant from the Fund. The Grant Agreement includes a requirement that all activities acknowledge Victorian Government support through logo presentation on any activity-related publications, media releases and promotional material in accordance with the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR) guidelines.
Communication of Initiative
Successful applicants must liaise with DJPR to coordinate any media communications related to the activity. Successful applicants may be required to contribute information on activity outcomes for the state to use in communications materials.
Privacy
Any personal information about the applicant or a third party in the application will be collected by DJPR for the purpose of grant administration. This information may be provided to other Victorian Government agencies for the purposes of assessing applications. If personal information about third parties is included in the application, ensure third parties are aware of the contents of this privacy statement and the contents of the DJPR Privacy Policy available from the Privacy Officer (details below).
Any personal information about the applicant or a third party in correspondence will be collected, held, managed, used, disclosed or transferred in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic), Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and other applicable laws.
DJPR is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information.
The department’s privacy policy is available from:
Privacy Officer
Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions GPO Box 2392
Melbourne, VIC, 3001, AUS
Email: privacy@ecodev.vic.gov.au
Enquiries about access to information about you held by DJPR should be directed to:
Freedom of Information Manager Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions
GPO Box 2392
Melbourne, VIC, 3001
Email: foi@ecodev.vic.gov.au