The 2025 Innovation Grant round will fund projects that test or scale new ways of working that improve the timeliness or efficiency of financial counselling service delivery.

In this context, innovation refers to new, clever ideas or changes to previous processes, programs, products or services to adapt and respond to the demand for financial counselling services. Innovation is change that adds value.

Our goal is to fund transformative initiatives that will enable financial counselling service providers to better meet the demand for their services.

• Seed Innovation Grants
  (up to $75,000)
  
  Designed for organisations testing new service delivery ideas or piloting innovative approaches. These grants allow organisations to explore new models, trial digital tools, or develop new strategies before wider implementation.
  
  

• Scaling-up Innovation Grants
  (up to $225,000)  

  For organisations looking to expand or refine proven innovations. These grants support projects that have demonstrated success in a pilot phase and are ready for broader implementation, helping financial counselling services reach more people and improve efficiency on a larger scale. 

  Organisations can apply for a Scaling-Up Grant in connection with projects that we have not previously funded or at the completion of a project funded by a Seed Grant.

Up to $1.5 million will be awarded in the 2025 Innovation Grant round. 

We will undertake additional Innovation Grant rounds in 2026 and 2027.  

Any Grants that demonstrate high impact on completion may be encouraged to apply for further Scaling-up Innovation Grants to build on their initial success. 

Up to $11.5 million in Innovation Grant funding may be awarded over 2025-2028. 

Please see our 2025-2028 Grants Strategy page for more information.

Seed Grants: up to 12 months.

Scaling-Up Grants: up to 2 years.  

Some examples of activities that may meet the criteria:

Seed Grants

• Test a new concept or idea that will lead to a service improvement 

• Pilot a new delivery model that will increase service delivery efficiency 

• Explore the use of Artificial Intelligence tools to triage case management 

• Protype a new digital tool that will make it easier to deliver services 

• Explore enhanced data-analysis systems that will improve service delivery 

• Build an understanding of an emerging service delivery issue through applied research 

Scaling-up grants 

• Scale-up a new service model 

• Apply a new approach to improving service efficiency 

• Build and deploy a new digital tool 

• Scale a proven data-sharing system 

• Core operational costs 

• Retrospective costs 

• Projects already funded by other sources 

• Academic research or degree programs 

• Litigation costs 

• Activities that do not support financial counselling service delivery 

• Any costs that are not directly related to carrying out the activity 

• Activities where the primary purpose is for profit 

• Commercial or profit-making activities  

• Activities not of benefit to Australian financial counselling clients 

• Awareness raising activities about financial counselling 

• Political activity  

• Travel costs, unless they directly relate to the activity 

• Funding for ongoing staff or operational costs beyond the grant term  

• Expanded or additional business-as-usual direct service delivery  

Any costs incurred by your organisation in the regular course of its operations that are unrelated to the project are ineligible for funding. Project administration costs (including staffing costs) directly attributed to the project are not considered to be ineligible core operational costs.

Added 19/03/25

If you are invited to complete a full application you will be required to submit a project budget. This budget should include all project-related costs. Staffing costs that are directly attributed to the project should be included in the budget. Please note, staffing costs incurred in the regular operation of your organisation are ineligible core-operational costs.

Added 19/03/25

We will not fund the cost of individuals to undertake degree programs, either by research or coursework.

Added 19/03/25

No, an academic researcher will not meet our eligibility criteria to apply for a grant. However, they may choose to partner with an eligible organisation on a project. FCIF strongly encourages collaborations and partnerships.

Added 19/03/25

We will not fund activities which have as their primary objective the goal of increasing demand for financial counselling services – either generally or within a specific community.

Added 19/03/25

Activities that promote, support or oppose a political party, candidate or elected official are not eligible for funding.

Added 19/03/25

Yes, if your organisation is: 

• - an organisation currently delivering financial counselling services in Australia through financial counsellors who are members of a financial counselling peak body or financial counselling professional association; or 
• - a financial counselling peak body or financial counselling professional association. 

No, if you or your organisation are: 

• - Individuals 

• - Government entities 

• - Not currently providing financial counselling services 

We strongly encourage collaborative applications. For example, a financial counselling service may choose to partner with a technology start up, or two services may collaborate. The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria.

No. In this round we will not fund additional direct service delivery. Opportunities to seek funding for additional direct service delivery will be available in our 2025 Expansion Grant round. 

Added 01/04/2025

 We encourage you to check whether your project/organisation meets the eligibility and assessment criteria for this grant round. If so, please apply for this round. We have yet to publish timelines and Grant Guidelines for subsequent rounds, but you will be welcome to also apply for any subsequent round when it opens (assuming you meet its criteria). Please see our 2025-2028 Strategy page for our key funding areas and anticipated timelines. 

Added 01/04/2025

Yes. Successful applicants for the Innovation grant, if eligible, can apply for the Expansion grant and Workforce grant. 

NEW added 25/03/2025

Yes. Our intention is to avoid duplicating existing funding. Please add any existing funding partners to the Project Partners section in the EOI and outline details of the funding amount. 

New added 25/03/2025

No. Our key funding principles, as published on our 2025-2028 Strategy page, include: 
 
FAIR PROCESSES 

• Equity of access to grant opportunities
  • Transparency about decision-making criteria and processes
  • Robust probity measures, including managing conflicts of interest 
  • Using data to help inform the allocation of industry funding 

 In order to maintain fairness and equity, organisations currently funded by the Financial Counselling Foundation will be treated the same as any other organisation. 

Added 04/01/2025

No. All questions will be available for all applicants on the opening day. This should give you sufficient time to complete your responses.

NEW 17/03/2025

FCIF staff can only provide general information and advice on completing your application. To maintain the fairness and integrity of the application process, applicants cannot be offered individual support or help with their applications. Please use the materials on this page for help in setting up an account and completing your application.

Should you experience issues logging in to Blackbaud Grantmaking, please use their login help documentation. If you are unable to resolve your issues, please contact grants@fcif.org.au.

No. Probity and equity of access are critical across all our processes, as outlined on our 2025-2028 Strategy page. Our probity policies specify that all applicants must have equal access to information, so rather than answer individual queries we publish generalised answers (ie, not specific to your organisation or project) on our website, where they can be viewed by all. 

Added 01/04/2025

For the EOI we do not require any documentation. 

For the Full Application, you will need to provide a budget, project plan (including milestones) and a risk assessment. Letters of support and/or previous evaluation of the proposed project can also be submitted at this stage. 

All documents must be uploaded through our online system and cannot be emailed. 

No.  If your application is successful and your organisation ABN is registered for GST, you’ll be paid GST on top of the approved grant amount. If your organisation ABN is not registered for GST or you do not have an ABN, you will only be paid the approved grant amount. 

1.  When you submit your EOI, you can download a copy for your records. Note that once EOIs are submitted, you cannot make any changes. 
2. You will receive an automated email acknowledging your EOI.
3. Your EOI will then be reviewed by FCIF staff. Our team may contact you if further information is required.
4. If your EOI is successful, you will be invited to complete a full application.
5. Applications will be assessed by FCIF staff and Expert Advisory Panel.
6. Final set of recommendations is compiled for submission to FCIF’s Board of Directors.
7. Receive notification of application outcome. 

Late applications will rarely be accepted unless you can make a case for exceptional circumstance.  We encourage all applicants to submit your applications well before the due date to avoid last minute issues. 

Once your application form has been submitted it cannot be edited. However if you have made a mistake that you feel is material to your application and you would like to change your answer, please email grants@fcif.org.au and request your application be published for resubmission.  

Applications will be evaluated against the following six criteria:  

1. The proposed activity will improve the timeliness or efficiency of financial counselling service delivery (without adversely affecting service quality). (40%) 
2. The proposed activity explores a new solution or innovative idea. (25%) 
3. The proposed activity can deliver benefits to the wider financial counselling service delivery sector. (15%) 
4. The likelihood that the proposed activity will achieve its intended outcomes. (10%) 
5. The proposed activity can achieve a measurable impact within the grant term. (5%) 
6. The proposed activity has a robust data-collection plan to assess its impact. (5%)  

All grants are subject to our Standard Grant Conditions, which outline obligations for grantees, such as reporting and evaluation, after a grant has been awarded. 

Successful EOI applicants will be notified by 12 May and invited to submit a full application. Outcome notifications for full applications will be completed by July 23.

We will endeavour to provide general feedback as to why applications are unsuccessful. However, we will not be able to provide detailed feedback regarding your application. 

FCIF expects to hold Innovation Rounds every year. Sign up to receive alerts when we announce dates and open grant rounds. 

Funding will commence upon the final signing of your funding agreement (anticipated to be during August, subject to the timely signing of agreements).

UPDATED 11/03/2025