BBRF6

There is a strong rumour going around that BBRF6 may open on Thursday December 16, 2021.

Why December 16? Because that is the day that many politicians are back in Canberra for the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) updates. As well as updating the economic and fiscal outlook, the MYEFO provides the opportunity to set out funding opportunities in the lead up to the election in 2022.

Opening of BBRF6 is still dependent on the election date. The election must be held on or before May 22 but the specific day is only known by the Prime Minister. Media speculation is March or April for the election which gives time for opening of BBRF6 in December with an end of January closing.

What about the holiday break?

The Australian Government has already indicated that grants officers should stay at work and not even think about having a break.

The Preparing Australia Program targeting support to locally identified and locally led projects that will improve the resilience of communities against natural hazards. Round 1 will focus on projects that will improve the resilience of communities against bushfires, flood and tropical cyclones. The program is open to applications for projects all around Australia.

Opening date: 10 Dec 2021 09:00 AM AEDT
Closing date: 06 Jan 2022 05:00 PM AEDT

There are multiple other grants open over the holiday season thus BBRF6 will just add to the fun.

What will the theme be for BBRF6?

There is an expectation that the theme of jobs and recovery from the last 2 years will continue as the theme.

This is a good opportunity to provide a reminder of the purpose of grants.

Grants exist to deliver the outcomes of the funding provider. They are part of a number of ways that policy outcomes are achieved by governments. Competitive grants are due to both demand and supply and to enable the funding provider to select the projects that best deliver their outcomes, not yours. You may have the best project you can possibly develop for your community, but if it is not delivering funding provider outcomes you will rank lower from an assessment perspective.

BBRF6 theme will be in the guidelines when they are released. Your application should be about what your project will achieve for the Australian Government.

Guidelines

Guidelines are the reference point for assessors. Grant assessment is based on how your application has addressed each of the requirements set out in the guidelines. Regardless of if there are 10 applications or 1,000, or an application for State or Australian Government, the guidelines are the foundation of how the assessors rate your application.

As the Australian Government says:

Grant opportunity guidelines are the authoritative documents which potential grantees engage with that provide all information required to understand the purpose of a grant opportunity and how to make an application.

What we can anticipate with the evidence and attachments

Feedback from BBRF5 provides insight into what may be expected with BBRF6.

Cash matching

While the guidelines say 50% cash matching is required, the reality is that council needs to provide closer to 60% of the project cost to be competitive.

Note we have picked up that some Queensland Government grant programs have clauses that prohibit the use of state money as cash matching for Australian Government grants. This varies from program to program. Check what happens in your state or territory.

Cash must be cash. Source may be councils’ budget, a loan, or other sources but the proof must be provided that council has the cash at the time of the application, not at the time of anticipated approval. A promise is not cash.

Shovel ready

The project must be ready to construct at the time of the application. This includes plans, costings, budgets and all planning approvals. The Australian Government has so much choice with applications the trend is close to tender ready projects.

Jobs

Jobs have moved to the front of grant applications for the foreseeable future. Grant guidelines break jobs into two parts being jobs during construction and jobs post construction. The longer term post construction jobs that can be provided, the more competitive the application. Jobs created is likely to continue as a core requirement of for BBRF6.

Social
Feedback is that social is critical following the past 2 years. There must be a direct link between the social problems identified and how the project will solve those problems.

Impact and additionality

This is an Australian Government requirement although increasingly being picked up by State and Territory Governments. It is Merit Criteria 4 of BBRF. This is a complex requirement where you must prove that the project has been ‘added to’ through the use of Australian Government funds. The project is thus different and not a normal project for council to complete. This enables the Australian Government to take the credit.
Note to simply say you would not have built the project as you didn’t have the money immediately makes you ineligible. This catches many councils out in responding to this criterion.

Project delivery evidence

This attachment focus is on evidence of past delivery of projects and evidence to demonstrate past experience of grant funding. Extracts of your final reports from previous completed Commonwealth and State Government projects are used or stories of previous related projects prepared. You should have completed a comprehensive final report of past projects which can be used as evidence for BBRF6.

Approvals

Over and above shovel ready, with the exception of building approval, every planning and state and Australian Government approval required for the project must be in place at the time of the application. Commonwealth approvals, specifically EPBC if required, and any state approvals must be listed and evidence shown.

The story to tell

The story is the foundation for all good grant applications. The story is not your story you are telling the community, it is the story you are telling the funding provider on how your project is going to deliver the Australian Government outcomes. The story must be proven with evidence. If proof cannot be provided then a different story is required.

Stories cut though the noise, they make a project personally relatable and the show how you are different. You may prefer dot points and tables or work to 280 characters, and that is fine, but we tell a story and there is extensive psychology behind why. It’s about being human in an age of complexity.

Politics

There has been a lot of media on politics and the grants process in the last 2 years. The approach Section51 takes to politics is have a fantastic project that delivers the maximum benefit to funding providers. Then the project sells itself.

It is not known what the Australian Government election outcome will be or the policies of whoever wins. Grant programs will continue regardless. The predecessor grant program to what is now BBRF was designed under the current leader of the opposition.

BBRF webinar

If you would like to know more, Section51 is providing a webinar series on the roadmap to success for BBRF6. Webinar dates are Thursday 16th December and Tuesday 1th January. Additional dates will be provided on demand. Further details and registration is available on the Section51 website.