Leap Grants FAQs

Funds may be made available to previous recipients of State Government grants at the absolute discretion of GISA. In these cases, consideration will be given to previously funded projects, and the level of satisfaction with associated project outputs and outcomes before making a decision on any new funding applications.

No. If you have a project that aligns with the Program aim, objectives and outcomes, you need to partner with an eligible organisation that can apply for funding. Please direct the organisation to contact Program staff to discuss the project.

No, however GISA staff can provide in-kind support and guidance to government entities for project development and delivery that aligns with the Program aim, objectives and outcomes.

Yes, providing you have a project that focuses on businesses within your local government area, and the project aligns with the Program aim, objectives and outcomes, and other eligibility criteria.

You might also like to refer to GISA’s funding page for other Grant programs that may be available to you: CLICK HERE 

No. If you have a project that aligns with the Program aim, objectives and outcomes, you need to partner with an eligible organisation that can apply for funding. Please direct the organisation to contact Program staff to discuss the project.

No. Please refer to GISA’s funding page for alternative Grant programs that may be available to you: CLICK HERE

Yes. Program staff are able to provide feedback on draft project proposals.

Yes, subject to your project meeting eligibility criteria. Green Industries SA has funded pilot projects for South Australia where trials have also been implemented successfully elsewhere.

If another program offers funding for the same activity, applicants should consult with GISA Program staff to determine which is the most appropriate to pursue for funding support.

‘Qualified and capable’ refers to service providers – typically known as consultants – having relevant qualifications, skills and experience to deliver your chosen project. This should be demonstrated in their project proposal, such as providing CVs of relevant staff, examples of similar projects that staff have delivered (preferably with testimonials from previous clients), and in some cases, samples of previous reports delivered to clients.

‘Independent and impartial’ refers to service providers that do not have a vested interest in delivering the project, or a bias towards any recommendations they make (for example, they should not be selling or otherwise benefiting from the sale of equipment they are recommending). Projects that lead to additional consultancy-style work being delivered by the service provider may be acceptable.

Where there is a perceived benefit or bias by the service provider for promoting or selling other (non-consultancy) goods, they would not be considered ‘independent and impartial’ to the project outcomes. Service providers should provide a range of options, impartial and unbiased information to enable you to choose the best outcome.

Yes, however South Australian owned/operated service providers are preferred.

Use of non-South Australian service providers will only be considered in cases when the applicant can demonstrate equivalent expertise does not exist, or is otherwise unavailable within South Australia at the time the project is scheduled to commence. Valid reasons for using non-SA service providers may be related to: availability for project delivery in the required timeframe; existing and positive relationships with the service provider; alignment of core values that is not found amongst SA service providers; specific expertise does not exist or is unavailable within South Australia at the required time.

No. Applicants must provide in-kind support that enables effective project delivery and management. This includes communication with members and dissemination of project information and deliverables; as well as submitting project reports to GISA (reporting requirements are included in funding agreements with successful applicants). Applicants that are able to contribute funds (as cash, or from other sources to support project delivery) may be considered favourably.

Travel costs billed to applicants by service providers engaged for project delivery may be covered at the absolute discretion of GISA. Applicants are encouraged to seek remote (online) facilitation from service providers based outside of South Australia whenever practical.

Travel costs incurred by applicants will not be funded. If required, this should be documented and provided in-kind by applicants.

That depends on the type of project, what members receive as a result of their participation, and their willingness to pay. Please discuss this with Program staff prior to submitting an application.

It’s not mandatory to request a participation fee from members, however it’s commonly applied for projects that offer an informative workshop, mentoring and/or networking session(s) for members; and for projects that include on-site business reviews from which participants receive tailored advice. In these cases, we suggest grant funds be used to subsidise participation.

Contact Program staff.

Potential grant applicants must discuss their project prior to receiving an application form. The purpose of discussion is to determine if the potential applicant and the suggested project are eligible for grant funding; to help ensure funds will be available at the time of application; to assist in developing and/or refining the project scope; facilitating connections to appropriate project partners (if necessary); to understand the motivators (key drivers) for the project; and to demonstrate the applicant’s commitment to project delivery.

The outcome of discussion can save wasted time and effort on submitting applications that are ineligible. It may also assist in developing a project that more closely aligns with funding criteria, and better reflects the challenges (barriers) and opportunities (benefits) that may be available to the target audience.

Refer to How to Apply section for further information.

There are no funding rounds or closing date by which to apply. Grant applications may be accepted throughout the fiscal year in accordance with budget availability and funding guidelines (note that funding guidelines are typically updated annually).

In the event the Program is oversubscribed, funds have been exhausted, and/or funding guidelines change, GISA will notify known potential applicants, and relevant information will be removed and/or updated on the GISA website. If funds are available in a subsequent fiscal year, GISA may consider the application for another year.

Contact Program staff for the latest information on budget availability.

No. Funds will only be provided for one project/application at a time (funds will not be allocated for projects that are scheduled to run concurrently). Therefore you must choose one project as the subject of a single application.

If you have more than one project in mind, contact Program staff for assistance in determining which project may be more applicable.

Yes. The maximum grant value for any one project is $100,000. To receive the maximum amount, projects must be divided into stages and split across two financial years (a maximum of $50,000 can be allocated per fiscal year). GISA will evaluate the project at the completion of each stage before determining allocation of additional funds.

No. The project proposal (typically from your selected service provider) must be attached to an application form. You may express interest in applying for a grant by contacting Program staff prior to having a final proposal. Program staff are able to provide feedback on draft proposals before an application is lodged (this helps ensure time is not waste submitting poor quality applications).

Applications must document project costs excluding GST.

We need to understand how the total project cost has been calculated, and also how any in-kind contributions have been calculated. The simplest way to do this is to divide the costs between key activities and staff/personnel time. This should be included in service provider (consultant) proposals and also documented in grant applications as the expected in-kind contributions from applicants.

An example is provided below (as a guide to the type of information required), and a template is included in grant application forms.

Please use your best estimate as to the expected number of hours staff are likely to spend on each activity. This may be reported as the expected range – minimum to maximum – or your best estimate of total hours. Multiply the hours by your nominated ’hourly rate’ for each staff (typically a lesser hourly rate than those charged by consultants).

No. Grants are offered on a demand-basis, subject to budget availability. All eligible applications will be considered for funding approval. In the event that all funds are committed, eligible applications may be considered for funding approval if there is budget the following fiscal year.

Green Industries SA staff assess applications for eligibility, and in accordance with other aspects listed as Assessment Criteria. There is no dedicated assessment panel. If deemed relevant and/or necessary, staff may consult with other government agencies as part of the assessment and evaluation process.

Applications are not scored: they are checked for applicant and project eligibility; they must meet all eligibility criteria to be considered for funding approval; and they must be deemed sufficient against the Assessment Criteria (as per LEAP Grant Guidelines) to be considered for funding approval (subject to budget availability).

No. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding approval.

Funding may be offered to applications that align with Program aim, objectives and outcomes, meet all eligibility criteria and rate highly against the published Assessment Criteria. Successful applicants will be selected on merit at the absolute discretion of GISA.

Program staff can provide an example Grant Offer template that includes standard Terms and Conditions, and example reporting criteria.

Please contact Program staff to request a sample template.

No. For most projects, the reports prepared by service providers are sufficient (they contain relevant project information and data). Grantees must ensure the reports delivered from the service providers meet the standards described in their Grant Offer (you might like to provide a copy of the Grant Offer to the service provider for reference). In some cases, additional summary reports may be required from the Grantee. You must also provide a record of the actual in-kind hours and other contributions you (the applicant) has made towards effective project delivery. This forms part of the Grant reporting requirements.

Please discuss reporting requirements with Program staff in the lead up to submitting an application.

Yes. Invoices from successful applicants/Grantees must show costs excluding GST, and the applicable GST for payment. The full amount (including GST) will be paid providing all funding criteria have been met.

Absolutely. Program staff provide in-kind support to assist with project management (helping you and the consultant stick to agreed timeframes and negotiating extensions if required), and provide feedback on consultant reports to help ensure a consistent quality standard is met and that information that’s important to you can be easily drawn out of the report (without needing to understand too many technical terms).

We need to understand how you calculate project costs. The simplest way to do this is to divide the costs between key activities and staff/personnel time. This should be included in your proposal.

A sample is provided below as a guide to the type of information required – it does not contain actual project information, therefore your proposed activities and costs are likely to be different.

‘Qualified and capable’ means you have relevant qualifications, skills and experience to deliver the project. This should be demonstrated in your project proposal, such as providing CV's of relevant staff, examples of similar projects that staff have delivered (preferably with testimonials from previous clients), and if relevant, samples of previous reports delivered to clients. You should also indicate your availability to complete the project in a suitable timeframe (to be determine with your client).

‘Independent and impartial’ means you do not have a vested interest in delivering the project, or a bias towards any recommendations you make (for example, you should not be selling or otherwise benefiting from the sale of equipment you recommend). Projects that lead to additional consultancy-style work being delivered by you for the client (in the absence of further GISA funding) may be acceptable.

Where there is a perceived benefit or bias by you for promoting or selling other (non-consultancy) goods, you would not be considered ‘independent and impartial’ to the project outcomes. You should provide a range of options, and impartial and unbiased information to enable clients to choose the best outcome suited to their circumstances.