Capital Grants Program

The Capital Grants Program is responsible for the administration and management of capital grants funded by the Department of Communities (Communities), ranging from capital grants for social housing to capital grants to build community infrastructure. It is administered by the Capital Grants Program team within Communities. 

A ‘grant’ sets out an amount of funding to be provided for specific purposes within a defined period. A grant agreement is a contract and, in WA, must be managed under the WA Grants Administration Guidelines and relevant legislation. The Capital Grants Program must adhere to a range of legislation including but not limited to the:

• Financial Management Act 2006 (WA)
• Procurement Act 2020 (WA)
• Freedom of Information Act (WA)
• Auditor General Act 2006 (WA)
• State Record Act 2000 (WA)
• Governance, Performance, and Accountability Act 2013 (WA)
• Housing Act 1980 (WA)
• Disability Services Act 1993 (WA)
• Health Services Act 2016 (WA)

The Capital Grants Program team has robust governance structures and processes throughout all grants administration stages to ensure guidelines and legislation are met. This includes designated governance roles for assessment (i.e. specialist assessment team), evaluation (i.e. evaluation panel) and approval (i.e. Minister for Housing and Homelessness) of grant funding.

All grants are governed by a grant agreement, which is a contract between the administering grantor and the grant recipient. The grant agreement sets out the amount of funding to be provided to the grant recipient, for what purposes and for what discrete period. This is distinct from other financial arrangements such as service or commercial agreements that are made through a defined procurement process.

We use the Capital Grant Administration Lifecycle to support our grant funding process.

This lifecycle covers six key stages of grant-making.

By following this lifecycle, we ensure that our grant-making process is clear, efficient, and transparent from the initial application to the final reporting and evaluation stage. This approach helps us manage resources, align with strategic priorities, and achieve meaningful outcomes through the grants we administer.

1. The Strategy Stage establishes the intended outcomes for the grant program. It links the grant program’s objectives to broader strategic priorities and context through program logics. It may include:

• agreeing on strategic objectives and outcomes
• developing key evaluation questions and options
• setting up appropriate governance processes
• establishing risk and mitigation strategies
• identifying key stakeholders.

Establishing this upfront will help to ensure the grant program aligns with broader strategic goals and provides clear direction, purpose and governance for the grant program.

2. The Develop Stage establishes the activities required to set up a new grant program. It lays the groundwork for effective grant administration. It may include:

• establishing eligibility criteria and scope of funding
• agreeing on the funding model
• developing the selection process
• setting up assessment criteria
• establishing the assessment process
• developing grant applications
• establishing acquittal and evaluation processes
• agreeing on documentation requirements.

For new grant programs, establishing key design elements upfront will ensure that the program is well-planned, structured and tailored to meet its objectives.

3. The Communicate Stage outlines the activities required to promote the grant program and engage with stakeholders. It may include:

• developing a communication strategy
• promoting the grant program
• supporting grant customers before and after their application is submitted
• publishing positive outcomes of grants and grant programs.

Defining these components ensures that the grant program is effectively promoted and communicated to support positive engagement and clear understanding by stakeholders.

4. The Assess, Award and Execute Stage outlines the activities required to assess and award grant applications and negotiate and execute grant agreements. It outlines the approach for assessing applications against the established criteria and the procedures for making recommendations, finalising and executing grant agreements. It may include:

• assessing applications against the selection criteria
• making recommendations to fund in full, in part or not to fund
• offering and negotiating grant agreements
• executing grant agreements.

Clear processes help to ensure that grant applications are effectively assessed and awarded, supporting fair, transparent and objective-aligned funding decisions.

5. The Manage and Deliver outlines the activities to oversee the delivery of grant activities. This stage may include:

• managing active grants including milestone payments
• making variations in grant agreements where required
• acquitting grants to ensure accordance with terms of the agreement.

During this stage, various mechanisms in the grant’s design can be managed and monitored by our team to ensure it is administered appropriately.

6. The Evaluate Stage outlines the activities required to evaluate the grant program. It outlines the approach for assessing the program using the program logic and evaluation questions developed in the strategy stage. It may include:

• evaluating the outcomes of grant programs.

This stage aims to promote accountability and transparency and continuous improvement. During this stage, we aim to assess and communicate the impact of the grant program and identify lessons learned for improvement.