Grantee Toolbox – A Guide for Funding Recipients

Projects need to be publicly announced by ARENA prior to any other announcements. We will work with you to organise such announcements. Funding announcements can occur several weeks after the execution of the funding agreement/s to allow for Ministerial involvement. We are mindful that some organisations have statutory reporting requirements, we will work with you to meet these requirements. Following a public announcement, speak to your Client Manager about any other future proposed announcements.

You will receive your milestone payment within 30 days of ARENA approving the milestone and once we are provided with a correctly rendered invoice.

ARENA endeavours to review and process milestone reports within 4 weeks (20 business days) of receipt, however, this timing may not be achievable if amendments or further documentation is required to demonstrate achievement of the milestone requirements. Any concerns regarding this timing will be discussed with you by your ARENA Client Manager during the review process.

Please contact your ARENA Client Manager (cc. arenacontracted@arena.gov.au) as soon as you become aware of, or anticipate, any delays. But, please also note, you are contractually obliged to meet your Milestone due dates under the funding agreement.

Yes. ARENA also encourages recipients to submit drafts of knowledge sharing reports and other project specific reports ahead of time to allow ARENA to provide feedback before final submission. This can often assist in resolving issues and clarifications ahead of time which means the Milestone can subsequently be approved quickly once the final report is submitted.

ARENA expects all knowledge sharing deliverables to be comprehensive and of high quality. The ARENA grantee webpage contains a selection of knowledge sharing reports that can be used as examples of the standard expected. ARENA has also prepared a report writing guide which should be followed when preparing knowledge sharing materials.

No, ARENA recognises that each project has unique elements and it may be difficult to apply a standard form to project reports. The report writing guide provided to you is intended to support you with general guidance. The grantee webpage also provides you with relevant reports that can be used as examples to make the process as easy and streamlined as possible.

Your ARENA Client Manager (cc. arenacontracted@arena.gov.au) should be your main point of contact followed by completing the online variation request form. Before requesting a variation please read the ARENA variation policy (PDF 89KB) | (DOCX 65KB).

Please follow the crisis notification protocols as per your ARENA funding agreement, which includes initial contact with your ARENA Client Manager. It is important to get in contact as soon as practicable. Your funding agreement may provide specific notification timeframes for specific types of events (e.g. Force Majeure, WHS breaches).

Yes, but only up to the amount or percentage of funds specified in your ARENA funding agreement (e.g. 10%). Reallocations pertain to line item amounts within the existing budget and are not indicative of additional funding or contingency being available above and beyond the contracted budget. For any changes above that amount please contact your ARENA Client Manager. A formal Variation can only be considered by the program delegate (ARENA Manager with financial delegation).

Your ARENA Client Manager can help you work through this and will discuss the impacts this may have on your contract, including changes in funding contributions and project outcomes. You should expect that a variation would be progressed to address these changes.

Expansions or contractions of scope may impact the merit of your project and in most cases would be considered a separate application. We recommend reviewing the ARENA variation policy (PDF 89KB) | (DOCX 65KB).

ARENA expects all knowledge sharing deliverables to be comprehensive and of high quality. The ARENA grantee webpage contains a selection of knowledge sharing reports that can be used as examples of the standard expected. ARENA has also prepared a report writing guide which should be followed when preparing knowledge sharing materials.

Yes – the Report Writing Tips & Guidelines (PDF 469KB) include links to good examples of lessons learnt reports and public reports.

You are welcome to send outlines and drafts to your Contract Manager well before the due date. Your Contract Manager will work with the Knowledge Sharing Team to provide you with guidance and feedback before you finalise the deliverable.