Grant assessment process
This section provides a general outline of the grants assessment process that takes place after your application has been submitted, including an overview of the standard grant conditions that successful grantees are asked to comply with if their application for funding is successful.
Assessment and approval process
After the closing date, Trust Administration staff will check whether your application is eligible and sufficiently complete for assessment purposes. All ineligible or incomplete applications will be returned. Trust Administration staff may also contact you or your nominated referees for further information about your application.
The Trust establishes a Technical Committee for each grants program. The Trust's Technical Committees are made up of people with knowledge and experience relevant to each grant program and include at least one representative of community groups and at least one representative of industry. Committee members agree to undertake their duties within the principals of ethical conduct - integrity, objectivity and independence. They are also required to keep all matters concerning applications confidential and to declare any potential conflict of interest.
The Technical Committee will assess the merit of your proposal by using assessment criteria specific to each grants program and will then make recommendations to the Trust. The Trust, having considered the Technical Committee's recommendations, determines which applicants will receive grants.
The Minister for the Environment, as Chairperson of the Trust, will publicly announce successful applicants. Announcements will occur throughout the year as the Trust now staggers its call for applications. Applicants will also be notified in writing.
Successful applicants will usually receive funding in the year following the submission of their application. For example, successful applications lodged in 2011 will usually receive funding in early 2012.
Successful applicants may not receive the full amount requested and may be subject to special, as well as general, conditions of funding. Trust Administration will contact you to discuss any special conditions that must be fulfilled prior to receiving your grant.
Signing a grant agreement
You will be required to sign a grant agreement, which outlines the funding conditions and includes a payment and reporting schedule. It is recommended that you review the grant agreement relevant to your application/EOI prior to completing an application/EOI as you need to be prepared to sign up to the terms of the agreement should your grant application be successful. Changes to the grant agreement are generally not permitted.
By selecting one of the links below you can view a copy of a grant agreement current for each program.
Progress reports and payments
The Trust will monitor the progress of projects. Funding is normally provided in staged payments, and continuing payments are dependent on satisfactory progress reports.
The Trust needs progress reports in order to be satisfied that its investment in your project achieves environmental outcomes and that funds are appropriately spent. Reporting also:
- provides you an opportunity to evaluate your project and make improvements where necessary,
- identifies to the Trust where environmental benefits can be spread beyond your project, and
- assists the Trust in developing future funding programs and policies.
The Trust provides guidelines for presenting progress and final reports on the Grantee Reporting Process page to help you to prepare reports on your grant project.
Financial reporting templates and budget variation request templates can be found on the Financial Reporting page.
Further information
If you require further information on any of the above, please contact the Enviornmental Trust Support Officer on (02) 8837 6093 or info@environmentaltrust.nsw.gov.au.
Page last updated: 17 February 2012
