By Collin Steele
I was chatting to an engineer in a central Queensland council the other day and he was saying how much the funding world had changed.
He has been an engineer for over 30 years and back at some stage in the past, if council lost bridges or roads in a natural disaster they met on site with the State Government Department, had a yarn, agreed on the work to be done, and just did it. Road funding and even swimming pools and community halls were not much different.
While not everything was above the table back then, most was, and as he said, they could just get on and build things. How things have changed, and most people would say for the better when it comes to spending public money properly. The National Stronger Regions Fund and the Bridges Program Funding Deed of Agreement is sixty pages long, and you cannot change it, so no point getting a lawyer in. It has gems hidden all through which show how much the funding world has changed. Such as 2A.4.1 ‘If the Recipient fails to Commence Construction required for the Activity within twelve months of the Date of this Agreement, the Commonwealth may give the Recipient notice requiring the Recipient to repay the Commonwealth all or part of the Funding that the Commonwealth has previously paid to the Recipient within the period specified in the notice.’ Do they actually take the money back? Maybe not straight away and you will get chances, but in today’s world, yes they do.
Every step of the way from the moment you prepare your application, to success, to negotiating the milestone schedule, reporting and acquittal is important. And the forms are harder, more detailed, more complex and consume more of your time. Is it really that important you complete the forms properly? We know at least two reasons why. First so you don’t lose your money half way through the project, which is a real chance today if you don’t get it right. Second, your past history of delivery is now a core criteria for future funding. As Criteria Four of Round Three of the National Stronger Regions Fund says consideration will be given to: ‘the Applicant’s history in managing grant funding (if any), which provides confidence that the grant will be expended according to the grant agreement.’ This criteria doesn’t say ‘did you build the project well and to a good engineering standard?’ It says ‘the Applicants history in managing the grant funding’ i.e. did you complete the forms properly. This is a significant difference that is missed by many, but critical to your future funding opportunities. Using a variation of a famous saying ‘don’t get the forms wrong’-it is not worth the risk.
Colin Steele is Managing Director of Section51, a specialist consultancy that has a comprehensive insight and knowledge of the grants and funding system gained from working in all three governments. Colin and his team use their knowledge of the funding process to reduce the risks for council in delivery.
www.section51.com.au
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