FAQs

The NTAIC Grant Program Guidelines sets out how to apply and how applications will be assessed to make sure that all applicants are treated fairly and equally. Meeting the selection criteria and submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

The NTAIC Grants Program closed on the 1 February 2024.

All grant applications submitted to NTAIC on or before 1 February 2024 will be considered under the current NTAIC Grants Guidelines.

In May 2024, we will launch a new Grants Program with better access and supports, including a stream of quick response grants and separate funding buckets for community and businesses.

Further details on the new program and guidelines will be available in the coming months.

To determine your eligibility, read the NTAIC Grants Program Guidelines. If you are still unsure, please contact the NTAIC Grants Unit at grants@ntaic.org.au to discuss your situation. 

The NTAIC can only provide information on how to complete your application. To maintain the fairness, integrity, and transparency of the application process, we cannot assist you in writing the application.

NTAIC has engagement officers in regional areas who can meet with applicants to go through the steps to complete an application.

To discuss your situation, please contact the NTAIC Grants Unit at grants@ntaic.org.au

Yes, an applicant may submit more than one application at a time, however any outstanding grants will be taken into consideration in the assessing the capacity of the applicant to complete additional projects.

NTAIC will also consider the applicant’s previous performance in completing grant projects, demonstrated capability to deliver the proposed project, and/or other information which has been made available to the NTAIC.

If you have any questions during the application process, including if you are unable to submit your application, please contact the NTAIC Grants Unit at grants@ntaic.org.au. The NTAIC will endeavour to respond to emailed questions within three working days.

All applicants must submit an application form online. You will receive an electronic Submission Reference Number (SRN) once your application has been lodged with NTAIC. You should keep a copy of your application, application SRN and any supporting documents. You can use the SRN to ask the Grants Unit on the status of your application.

Send your query to grants@ntaic.org.au.

Yes. We first review your application against the eligibility criteria to determine your eligibility to apply, the completeness and compliance of your application. If your application does not meet the eligibility criteria, we will notify you. You may be asked to provide further information or clarification to enable your application to proceed to assessment. We will assess eligible applications through an open non-competitive grant process in accordance with the NTAIC Grants Program Guidelines.

Yes. Receipt of any grant funding from other Commonwealth, state or territory government granting programs for the same project may limit the amount of funding you might receive under NTAIC Grants Program.

Refer to the NTAIC Grant Program Guidelines for further information.

NTAIC will also consider the applicant’s previous performance in completing grant projects, demonstrated capability to deliver the proposed project, and/or other information which has been made available to the NTAIC.

Any costs for the preparation of the grant application, incurred before an application is approved are not eligible for the NTAIC Grants Program.

Please read the NTAIC Grants Program Guidelines about what grant monies can be used for. Using grant money to retrospectively pay an external organisation to help write your grant application is not authorised. Applicants using grant preparation services do so at their own cost and risk.

There is no minimum amount of funding that can be applied for.

If you are planning a major project, funding for early project development, including feasibility studies or pilot phases, this may be considered in a stand-alone funding application. The results of the study is no guarantee that a further application of funding for the major project will be approved by NTAIC, it will need to be a separate grant application that will be assessed on the information provided in that application.

Refer to the NTAIC Grant Program Guidelines for further information or send your query to grants@ntaic.org.au.

An organisation or individual seeking grant funding may need the assistance of an established organisation to apply for and manage a NTAIC grant on their behalf. This process is referred to as auspicing. As such, an auspicing organisation will need to apply for the grant and specify who they are applying and managing the grant on behalf of. The auspicing organisation will need to meet the eligibility criteria.

Refer to the NTAIC Grant Program Guidelines for further information or send your query to grants@ntaic.org.au

Organisations may want to join together as a group to deliver a project. For joint (consortia) applications, you must appoint a ‘lead organisation’ to submit the application and to enter into a grant agreement with NTAIC if the application is successful.

If an applicant applies on behalf of a group of organisations (consortium), the application must include a letter of support signed by each participating organisation involved in the activity. If you are applying in a consortium, you will need to provide additional information and documentation.

Refer to the NTAIC Grant Program Guidelines for further information or send your query to grants@ntaic.org.au. 

No. The NTAIC does not provide legal or financial advice (including taxation) to applicants or grantees. Applicants or grantees should seek their own independent professional advice on financial and legal matters, including compliance with any statutory obligations.

The NTAIC is committed to providing outcomes of applications in a timely and transparent manner.

The ABA is the Aboriginal Benefits Account which is a Special Account established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. 

The ABA receives monies from the Commonwealth based on the value of royalties generated from mining on Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory (NT).

The NTAIC Grants Program is a new process in which all grant application are decided by NTAIC which is controlled by Aboriginal Territorians.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) will continue to manage ABA grants approved before 2023 and current funding arrangements until they expire. The NIAA will also continue to manage the ABA Homelands Project.

Please contact the NIAA ABA team on 1800 354 612 or aba@official.niaa.gov.au for all queries relating to this funding. 

The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) will continue to manage ABA grants approved before 2023. The NIAA will also continue to manage the ABA Homelands Project. Please contact the NIAA ABA team on 1800 354 612 or aba@official.niaa.gov.au for all queries relating to this funding.

If you are an applicant who has already received ABA Grants funding, we may assess your application against the assessment criteria and also consider your previous performance, demonstrated capability to deliver the activity, and/or other information which has been made available to the NTAIC.

The NTAIC may draw on sources other than your application to verify claims in your application, which may include but are not limited to:

• Information from within the NTAIC and NIAA available through the normal course of business such as knowledge about your previous performance.
• Information about you or your application from other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government agencies, whether or not you nominated them as a referee.
• Representatives from an Indigenous community or organisation, or subject-matter experts, who are on an assessment panel, whether or not you nominated them as a referee.
• Recommendations from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander local and regional decision-making groups and organisations.

For information on how the NTAIC and NIAA treats personal and confidential information, please see Section 16 of the NTAIC  Grant Program Guidelines for further information. 

All applications will be assessed according to the assessment process undertaken by the NTAIC as outlined in these guidelines. The final decision on funding is made by the NTAIC delegate.

The delegate’s decision is final in all matters, including the:

• approval to negotiate grant conditions, and
• grant funding amount to be awarded.

If you would like to make a complaint about a grant process please email complaints@ntaic.org.au.

If you would like to make a complaint about a grant process please email complaints@ntaic.org.au. If you do not agree with the way the NTAIC has handled your complaint, you may wish to contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will not usually investigate a complaint unless the matter has first been raised directly with the NTAIC.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman can be contacted on:

Phone (Toll free): 1300 362 072

Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.au

Website: ombudsman.gov.au