National Foundation for Australia-China Relations Competitive Grants

The National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR) is a national platform which promotes enhanced cooperation between Australia and China in support of Australia’s national interests.

The Foundation’s priority objectives are:

• Strengthen risk-informed engagement and practical cooperation between Australia and China, in Australia’s national interests
• Strengthen Australia’s resilience as a multicultural democracy in which Chinese-Australian communities thrive.

This year the 2026-27 grant round application process will comprise of 2 stages.

• Stage One: applicant submits an Expressions of Interest (EOI) form and 500-word pitch describing their proposed grant activity by 12pm AEST, Tuesday 26 May.
• Stage Two: in early June, successful applicants from Stage One will be invited to complete and submit a full grant application. Full applications are due by 12pm AEST, Friday 10 July.

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 welcomes enquiries to identify potential partners in China. 

Overview

Eligibility

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

Funding

• For this grant opportunity $20.6 million is available over financial 4 years (FY2026-27 to FY2029-30), with up to $6.9 million available per year.
• It is anticipated most grants will be valued between $100,000 and $400,000, depending on the scope of the grant activity and its complexity. This does not preclude some grants being more or less than this amount. Final grant funding amounts are determined by the Program Delegate.

The maximum grant project period is 4 financial years, although we anticipate most grants with be for a shorter duration. The minimum grant period is one year

How to apply 

To submit an EOI, you must:

• complete your online Stage One EOI form on the SmartGrants portal
• submit your Stage One EOI application via the SmartyGrants portal by 12pm AEST on 26 May 2026.

To submit a Stage Two full grant application, you must:

• be invited on the week of 15 June 2026 to submit a Stage Two full application
• provide all the information requested
• respond to feedback received through the Stage One EOI process
• attach letters of support from two independent referees (referees cannot be Foundation or DFAT employees or Foundation Advisory Board members) – please note that applicants are responsible for arranging their own letters of support and are not required to request them through UQ Global Partnerships
• submit your Stage Two application through the SmartyGrants portal by 12pm AEST on 10 July 2026.

For questions about the grant please contact grants@australiachinafoundation.org.au.