2025-2028 Grants Strategy

Equitable and transparent grants are at the heart of our work.

 

Driven by collaboration

FCIF was created from a unique partnership between a wide range of industries and the financial counselling sector, with strong support from the Commonwealth Government. 

We are charged with implementing Australia's new industry funding model, developed following the Hayne Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry. 

Following our establishment in 2024 we began developing this strategy, guided by constructive conversations with financial counsellors, peak bodies, government and industry, as well as insights collected through a survey of financial counsellors. Over 120 organisations contributed to this process.

Objective

Our grants program will enable more Australians to get more timely access to financial counselling services.

We will fund activities that help to reduce wait times and, along with other funding bodies, enable financial counselling service providers to better meet the demand for financial counselling services now, and in the future.   

Funding principles

Our work will be guided by a commitment to 

• 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

• Aligning with best practice standards and initiatives
• Prioritising funding opportunities that deliver sector-wide benefits
• Ensuring industry funding is additional to ongoing government funding
• Merit-based decision-making that maximises the impact of industry funding
• Incorporating impact measures in our grant agreements
• A commitment to share insights, learnings and impact of funded activities
• Collaborating with stakeholders and other funding bodies as we establish and review our strategy
Collaboration

 2025-2028 Priority funding areas

Expansion-3

EXPANSION

The majority of available funds will be focused on Expansion grants: getting more boots on the ground providing direct services to people experiencing financial vulnerability. Expansion Grants will fund additional roles for three years, and will prioritise areas of high disadvantage and unmet demand. 

Innovation-1

INNOVATION

Our second key focus will be Innovation grants: partnering with the sector to improve the timeliness or efficiency of financial counselling service delivery. Innovation grants will fund projects that test and scale new ideas and deliver benefits right across the sector.   2025 Innovation Grants

Workforce

WORKFORCE

Lastly, once Financial Counselling Australia has finalised its National Workplace Strategy 2025-2030, we expect to develop and roll out Workforce grants. We will work with the sector to understand the role we can play in addressing gaps in workforce availability, with our first Workforce Grant Round expected in 2026.

We bring together government, industry and the financial counselling sector to support financially vulnerable people

Our timeline

  • Our 2025 Innovation Grant Round opened in March, with grants commencing in August. Please visit the grant round page for more information. You can also sign up to receive updates and reminders.
  • The date for our 2025 Expansion Grant Round will be announced following the allocation of funding in the Department of Social Services 2025-2030 financial counselling grant rounds (currently underway). This is in line with our funding principle that industry funding is additional to ongoing government funding.
  • Once Financial Counselling Australia has finalised its National Workplace Strategy 2025-2030, we expect to develop and roll out Workforce grants.  We will work with the sector to understand the role we can play in addressing gaps in workforce availability, with our first Workforce Grant Round expected in 2026. 

FAQs

FCIF is a registered charity with DGR status. Our mission is to help reduce unmet demand for financial counselling services in Australia.

FCIF is not a government body; it was created from a unique partnership between a wide range of industries and the financial counselling sector, with strong support from the Commonwealth Government. For more about FCIF, our team and our Board, visit our About section.

All grants are funded by donations from our Funding Partners under Australia's new industry funding model .

The model is based on the fundamental principle that industries which contribute to the demand for, and benefit from, financial counselling should contribute to the funding of the services.

 

Please sign up for updates and grant deadline reminders. 

For each grant round, we will publish Grant Guidelines and a link to the application form on our website.  The application period will be a minimum of four weeks. You can register for updates when new materials are published.

 

FCIF's Grant Guidelines will clearly articulate the eligibility and assessment criteria for each grant round, as well as the application and assessment process and the obligations for successful applicants.

Each grant round will have its own Grant Guidelines.

Our assessment process includes:

  1. Eligibility assessment
  2. Evaluation against assessment criteria
  3. Portfolio review of short-listed applications

The Innovation Grants Round also includes a review by our Expert Advisory Panel and is subject to an initial Expression of Interest step.

The FCIF Board is the final decision maker on all grant decisions.