Grants to sponsor students to take part in STEM events, activities and competitions
Sponsorship Grants for Student Science Engagement and International CompetitionsLast Updated: 19 January 2023
Sponsorship Grants for Student Science Engagement and International Competitions
What do you get?
$1,500 to $15,000 to sponsor eligible Australian students.
Who is this for?
Schools, incorporated not for profit organisations and entities incorporated in Australia applying on behalf of a student or a group of students.
Overview
This grant opportunity provides organisations, such as schools and community groups, funds to sponsor a student or group of students to participate in:
- in-person and virtual STEM engagement events, activities and competitions hosted in Australia and New Zealand (where permitted by COVID-19 restrictions)
- virtual STEM engagement events, activities and competitions hosted overseas (students to participate remotely from Australia).
For this grant opportunity, $1.6 million is available each year.
The grant amount will be up to 100% of eligible project costs.
- The minimum grant amount is $1,500.
- The maximum grant amount is $15,000.
The maximum grant amount per student is $2,000 in Australia and $5,000 for international travel to New Zealand. You may submit multiple applications for the same STEM event, activity or competition, noting the combined total amount of those applications cannot exceed $15,000.
Eligibility
What are the eligibility criteria?
A sponsor organisation must apply on behalf of a student or group of students.
To be eligible you must have an Australian business number (ABN) and be one of the following entities:
- a primary or secondary school that is registered with the relevant authority
- an incorporated not for profit organisation
- an entity incorporated in Australia and
- be able to enter into a grant agreement in your own right or through an affiliated entity.
Schools
Government schools in New South Wales (NSW), South Australia (SA), Tasmania (TAS) and Western Australia (WA) are not legal entities in their own right. You must include your relevant state or territory education department’s ABN as Collaborator in your application in order to enter into a grant agreement.
Non-government schools including catholic organisations that are unincorporated entities must apply through a related incorporated entity in order to enter into a grant agreement.
Government schools in NSW, SA, TAS and WA
Unincorporated associations and entities
Applying on behalf of a student or group of students
Your organisation must apply on behalf of a student or group of students under 18 years old (at the time of application) to participate in a specific STEM engagement event, activity or competition.
You’ll need confirmation from your managing board, school principal or chief executive officer (or equivalent) that:
- the student’s or group of students’ participation at the STEM event, activity or competition is supported
- the applicant has the capacity to meet any costs of participation at the STEM event, activity or competition not covered by grant funding
- all students will adhere to COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time
- the event, activity or competition is not being run by the applicant.
If you're applying for a student/s to participate in a STEM event, activity or competition, you must reasonably expect the event, activity or competition to go ahead.
If you are applying for a student or group of students to attend a STEM competition, they must:
- have qualified or gained acceptance to the competition, or
- be able to attend the competition without having to qualify or gain acceptance.
We can't waive the eligibility criteria under any circumstances.
Ineligible applicants
Ineligible expenditure
Applying
How do you apply?
Sponsorship Grants for Student Science Engagement and International Competitions is closed to applications.
How do we assess your application?
What happens next?
Need help?
-
Let us answer your question via phone, email or webchat. And if we can't help, we'll put you in touch with someone who can.
-
Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm across Australia
Inspiring Australia – Science Engagement Programme
This program aims to:
- engage the wider Australian community with the sciences, including through major activities like National Science Week
- support public recognition, national awareness and pride in our best scientists and innovators
- effectively communicate key science issues, between scientists, the general public and Australian decision makers in business and government
- build skills and capability in STEM and digital literacy, in Australian schools and communities