Australia-Japan Foundation 50th Anniversary Grant

In 2026, Australia and Japan will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (Basic Treaty). The Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF) will also mark 50 years since its establishment.

The AJF 50th Anniversary Grant celebrates this significant milestone by supporting events that bring people together to honour the legacy of Australia–Japan relations and foster future-focused collaboration, innovation, and mutual understanding.

This grant opportunity aims to reflect on the achievements of the past 50 years while looking ahead to the next half-century of cooperation. It also seeks to amplify the visibility and impact of funded activities through strong communications. Applicants are encouraged to plan for effective promotion before, during, and after their events, and to produce high-quality digital assets that showcase the Australia–Japan relationship well into the future.

The intended outcomes of the program are:

• Delivery of impactful and well-promoted events that celebrate the Australia-Japan relationship.
• Increased public engagement and understanding of the bilateral relationship.
• Strengthened networks and partnerships between Australian and Japanese stakeholders.
• Greater involvement of emerging leaders and youth in shaping the future of bilateral cooperation.
• Visible inclusion of diverse voices and communities in commemorative and forward-looking initiatives.
• Representation of communities across Australia in the celebration of the 50 anniversary.
• Creation of digital assets that can be used to promote the activity and contribute to AJF’s broader communications efforts.

The objectives of the program are:

• Commemorate the past 50 years of friendship and cooperation between Australia and Japan.
• Strengthen and expand existing bilateral partnerships and collaborations.
• Foster dialogue, innovation and shared vision for the future of the bilateral relationship.
• Inspire and engage the next generation of leaders and champions of the Australia-Japan relationship.
• Promote public awareness and understanding of the bilateral relationship through high-quality engagement and communication, including the creation of promotional materials and digital content.
• Encourage inclusive and diverse participation, including gender equality and First Nations representation.
• Support geographically diverse initiatives across Australia.

This scheme's UQ Indirect Costs rate is 0%, as noted in the UQ Indirect Costs Variation Register.

Global Partnerships supports the Global Engagement Framework. The Global Strategy and Partnerships (GSP) team welcome enquiries to identify potential partners in Japan. 

Learn more about the grants, eligibility requirements and the application process:

Overview

Funding

• The estimated grant value is from $30,000 to $200,000 for 1 year. 
• While co-contributions from applicants and other parties are encouraged to strengthen the application, they are not mandatory.

Period

The maximum grant period is one year for a single-year project. You must commence the project before 30 June 2026. As this round focuses on the 50th anniversary in 2026, the main activity must take place during 2026.

Eligibility

Eligibility and important information relating to the grant can be found in the guidelines.

Examples of previous grants 

Discover the previous projects and award amounts for the Australia-Japan Foundation grant recipients, 2025-26 | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

How to apply

All applications must be submitted electronically by the applicant using DFAT's SmartyGrants online application form by 1pm AEST on 10 February 2026.

For questions about the grant please send them to ajf.australia@dfat.gov.au.

The GSP team will provide a letter of support template, application cover sheet template to be completed by the applicant, brief UQ capacity statement, and information on UQ's engagement in the country of your application upon request. The templates and documents can be found under "Key Resources" on the right hand margin of this page.

Please allow 7 working days for the GSP team to process the letter of support (by 30 January 2026). Letter of support will be issued after the signed cover sheet is received by the GSP team.