2026-27 Grants in Aid Program Grant Opportunity Application

The 2026-27 Grants in Aid (GIA) Program supports discrete projects or activities by national ex-service organisations (ESOs) that address a specific problem or issue and are of clear benefit to veterans and families of veterans.

Information about the application process is available in the 2026-27 GIA Program Grant Opportunity Guidelines (Guidelines) on GrantConnect. Prior to submitting your application, please read the Guidelines.

This application should be completed by ESOs invited to apply for grant funding under the 2026-27 GIA Program. Please complete all questions in this application and click the “Submit” button at the bottom of this form to ensure that it is submitted successfully to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).

A copy of your submitted application will be emailed to you after it has been submitted. You should keep a copy of your application and any supporting documents.

Applications must be received by DVA prior to the application closing date of 9:00 PM AEST on 20 August 2026.

DVA will not accept handwritten applications or applications received by post or fax.

Please note: Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

For the 2026-27 GIA Program, the maximum funding amount that can be granted is $18,000; there is no minimum grant funding amount. Grants are limited to one (1) per invited ESO. Grant funding is only available for relevant costs incurred between the execution of the Letter of Agreement and 30 June 2027.

If you are approved for a grant under the 2026-27 GIA Program, you will be required to enter into a legally binding agreement with DVA based on this application, in the form of a Letter of Agreement. To view an example of this, please refer to the Letter of Agreement template on the Department of Finance website.

Any questions relating to the 2026-27 GIA Program or technical support required in completing and/or submitting the application should be emailed to GIA@dva.gov.au by 17 August 2026. A response will be provided within two (2) business days.

This grant opportunity and process is administered by DVA.

Privacy notice – Your personal information is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988. DVA needs to collect your personal information as authorised by its portfolio legislation for the purpose of administering the payment of successful grant applications for the 2026-27 GIA Program. You can read more about how DVA manages your personal information, including how to access or correct it or make a privacy complaint on the How does the DVA protect my privacy page and in our Privacy Policy.

By completing this application, you confirm you are authorised to provide the personal information on behalf of any named contact people.

Use of information – DVA may use the non-personal information provided in this application to assist it to:

  1. comply with the Australian Government requirement to publish the details of all grant recipients on the GrantConnect website
  2. inform staff negotiating and establishing the 2026-27 GIA Program of risks and issues that need to be addressed for the program, and/or
  3. inform future assessments for applications.

You can only submit the application if you agree to DVA using the information (not personal information) you provide in this application for the purposes listed above.

You can only apply if you agree to DVA using the information (not personal information) you provide in this form for the purposes listed above.

Details of applicant organisation

4. Registered business address

*The business address must be complete and cannot be a PO Box. For example: Level 1 Main Building, 220 Business Street, Canberra City ACT 2601. 

5. Is the postal address the same as the business address?
6. Does your organisation have a publicly available website?
7. Is your organisation an Indigenous organisation?
For further information, please refer to the Grant Opportunity Guidelines
8. Select the relevant services that your organisation currently provides as a national ESO to veterans and families of veterans:

Details of your organisation’s contact person/s

The contact person/s must have authority to act on behalf of the organisation and will be contacted for all matters relating to this application. Please notify DVA via email at gia@dva.gov.au if the nominated contact and/or contact details change during the application period.
9. Contact person’s details
10. Alternative contact person’s details

Project/Activity Details

12. Does the project/activity address a specific issue rather than support business-as usual costs?
If your application is not for a discrete project/activity that addresses a specific problem or issue and aims to achieve a clear benefit to veterans and families of veterans, it will be ineligible. If your application is for business-as-usual running costs, it will be ineligible. Please refer to Section 5 of the 2026-27 GIA Program Guidelines for examples of eligible grant activities and expenditure. 
14. Select the relevant 2026-27 GIA Program outcome/s that the project/activity will provide:

Assessment Criteria

Criterion 1: Project need and suitability
  • What is the specific problem or issue you have identified?
  • What is the discrete project or activity you will undertake to address the identified issue?
  • How many people do you expect will participate in the project or activity (what will you do and who will it help)?
(up to 2000 characters including spaces):
Criterion 2: Achieving outcomes
  • What outcomes do you expect to achieve from your project, and how do these relate to the  2026-27 GIA Program outcomes (why is it important and what will change)? Please refer to Question 14 for the  2026-27 GIA Program outcomes.
(up to 2000 characters including spaces):

Financial Details

17. Can you confirm that you will not receive funding from another government source that will entirely meet the costs of your activity or project under this grant opportunity?
18. Can you confirm that you will not have overdue acquittals for previous DVA grant funding by the closing date and time of this grant opportunity?
19. Your organisation’s bank account* details

*Note: Payments cannot be made to an individual’s bank account. The Grant must be held in an account in the application organisation’s name and which the application organisation controls, with an authorised deposit-taking institution authorised under the Banking Act 1959 (Cth) to carry on banking business in Australia.

*Note: Please double check your attachments to ensure they are correct. You cannot edit or review an attachment once you have uploaded it to this application. If you attach the incorrect file, please delete it and upload the correct attachment.

One file only.
256 MB limit.
Allowed types: pdf xls xlsx doc docx jpg jpeg png gif.

Budget Table

Section 5 of the  2026-27 GIA Program Guidelines describes eligible and ineligible activities and expenditure. Please review the Guidelines to ensure that your activity and proposed expenditure items are eligible for funding under the  2026-27 GIA Program.

21. Complete the following template by listing the budget items you are applying for as per Section 5 of the 2026-27 GIA Program Guidelines. Please ensure that you save a copy of your completed budget table.

Note: Please double check your attachments to ensure they are correct. You cannot edit or review an attachment once you have uploaded it to this application. If you attach the incorrect file, please delete it and upload the correct attachment.

Link to the Budget Table template (Excel document 135 KB)

One file only.
256 MB limit.
Allowed types: pdf xls xlsx.
22. Have you attached the following mandatory documents at Questions 19 and 21 to support your application?

Declaration

23. Please read and complete the following declaration

I declare that:

  • the information provided in this application is true and correct.
  • I have read and understood the  2026-27 GIA Program Guidelines
  • my organisation meets the eligibility criteria outlined in Sections 4.2 to 4.5 of the  2026-27 GIA Program Guidelines.
  • if and where any personal details of a third party are included, the third party has been made aware of, and given their permission for those details to appear in this application.
  • I give consent to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to make public the details of the organisation and the funding received, should this application be successful.
  • I am authorised to submit this application on behalf of the organisation.
I understand and agree to the declaration above