Grant opportunity up to $50,000 to support collaborative projects strengthening Australia–Latin America relationships through cultural, educational, environmental, First Nations, mining and resources partnerships and exchanges.
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What is the COALAR Grant Program?
The Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR) Grant Program 2026–27 provides funding for projects that strengthen Australia’s engagement and relationships with Latin America.
The program aims to support Australian Government international policy goals while strengthening bilateral relationships, international networks, collaboration and Australia’s reputation and reach.
Projects must align with at least one of COALAR’s strategic priority themes and at least one of its strategic goals.
The five strategic priority themes for 2026–27 are:
- Culture and Entrepreneurship
- Education and Research
- Environment and Energy Transition
- First Nations
- Mining, Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS), and Resources
Projects under the Education and Research theme have an additional requirement: they must also align with another strategic priority theme, meaning they must address two priority themes and at least one COALAR strategic goal. Scroll down to view the COALAR strategic goals in the Objectives section.
Applications will be prioritised for projects taking place in Australia and the eligible Latin American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.
COALAR Grant Program level of support
Funding Amount
- A total funding pool of up to $300,000 is available for the 2026–27 financial year.
- Minimum grant: $15,000.
- Maximum grant: $50,000.
- Grants are awarded and paid in Australian dollars.
- Successful applicants may be offered less funding than the amount requested.
- Applicants offered reduced funding will have the opportunity to decide whether to accept the reduced amount.
- Unspent COALAR grant funds must be returned to DFAT.
Co-contribution
A mandatory minimum co-contribution is not specified.
However:
- Cash and/or in-kind co-contributions from applicants and other parties are strongly encouraged.
- Applications containing co-contributions are looked upon favourably and can strengthen an application.
- Applicants must identify all funding contributions to the project.
- Contributions may come from the applicant, project partners or other parties.
- Applicants should identify whether other sources of funding are confirmed, conditional or pending.
- Financial contributions and multiple project partners are strongly encouraged.
- The extent to which a project leverages additional cash and in-kind funding is considered when assessing value with relevant money.
COALAR Grant Program important dates
- Applications close: 21 September 2026 at 12:00 pm AEST.
- Deadline for questions to COALAR: 14 September 2026 at 5:00 pm AEST.
- Assessment of applications: approximately 8 weeks.
- Approval of outcomes by the Financial Delegate: approximately 2 weeks.
- Notification of applicants: approximately 1 week.
- Grant agreement negotiations and award: approximately 6 weeks.
- Grant agreement negotiations are expected to occur from December 2026 to February 2027.
- Earliest project commencement date: 1 March 2027.
- Projects must commence before 30 June 2027.
- Maximum grant period: one year.
- A final report is required within 60 days of project completion.
- Register your interest with GrantHelper.
COALAR Grant Program objectives and goals
The objective of the COALAR Grant Program is to enhance linkages between Australia and Latin America at business, institutional and people-to-people levels while supporting the Australian Government’s international policy goals.
The program’s intended outcomes include:
- Strengthening bilateral relationships in areas of mutual interest with particular countries and regions.
- Strengthening international networks, collaboration and connections between businesses, institutions, communities and people.
- Building understanding, trust and influence between Australia and Latin America.
- Enhancing Australia’s international reputation and reach.
- Promoting Australia’s trade, creative and cultural, sporting, innovation and education assets.
- Increasing Australians’ understanding of the cultures and opportunities available in relevant countries.
Projects must also contribute to at least one of COALAR’s four strategic goals:
- Goal 1 – Raise awareness of COALAR and Latin America-Australia relations.
- Goal 2 – Strengthen commercial ties.
- Goal 3 – Expand social and cultural connections.
- Goal 4 – Foster and promote gender equality and women’s leadership.
Projects and expenditure eligible for COALAR Grant Program support
Projects must align with COALAR’s strategic priorities and support meaningful engagement between Australia and Latin America.
Potential activities include:
- Cultural, sporting and tourism collaborations or exchanges that foster innovation and strategic connections.
- Music, theatre, dance, fashion, film, literature and gastronomy initiatives.
- Initiatives supporting youth development and leadership.
- Academic and professional exchanges.
- Bilateral education initiatives.
- Activities leveraging alumni networks.
- Dialogue and information sharing on education policies and practices.
- Activities promoting Australia’s international education sector.
- Applied research and policy dialogue.
- First Nations-led partnerships.
- Initiatives supporting cultural heritage preservation.
- Activities strengthening Indigenous participation in trade and resources sectors.
- Collaboration relating to sustainable practices.
- Ecosystem and climate action.
- Biodiversity protection.
- Net-zero planning and decarbonisation.
- Renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives.
- Water management initiatives.
- Indigenous land and sea management.
- Disaster risk reduction and resilience, including bushfire and flood preparedness.
- Mining, METS and resources partnerships.
- Collaboration relating to critical minerals exploration and processing.
- Initiatives supporting innovation in alternative energy sources.
- Collaboration and knowledge sharing that promotes Australia as a partner of choice for Latin America’s mining, METS and resources sectors.
Eligible expenditure
Grant funding may be used for eligible expenditure included in the approved project budget and grant agreement, including:
- Economy-class flights.
- Modest accommodation, generally equivalent to three- or four-star accommodation.
- Meals and reasonable travel allowances.
- Other transport costs.
- Travel and accommodation for conferences, meetings, fieldwork, sporting events and other activities directly related to project outcomes.
- Conference or meeting attendance where participation will significantly contribute to project outcomes and the applicant provides a strong justification for the attendee’s selection.
- Advertising and promotion.
- Graphic design and photography.
- Social media, video and printed materials directly related to the project.
- Production costs.
- Freight.
- Artists’ and support staff wages or fees directly attributable to the project.
- Employee labour costs associated with delivering core project elements.
- One principal speaker on a subject directly relevant to the grant project.
- Venue hire.
- Catering.
- Studies, research and surveys aligned with project outcomes.
- Auspice services.
- Temporary project administration or coordination costs.
Travel and accommodation expenditure must not exceed 50% of the total COALAR grant funding requested.
Project administration, coordination and auspice service costs may be considered up to a maximum of 5% of the total grant value.
Applicants should provide a balanced allocation of grant funding across the project. COALAR does not support applications that are solely or predominantly focused on travel.
Business-as-usual wages, fees and labour costs are not supported.
Ineligible expenditure and activities
Grant funding cannot be used for:
- Capital expenditure, including purchasing real estate or vehicles.
- Equipment purchases, including musical instruments, computers, video, photographic or printing equipment.
- Retrospective costs.
- Recurrent funding of activities.
- Activities assessed by the COALAR Board as commercially viable in their own right.
- Activities providing a commercial advantage to the applicant or third parties.
- Promotion of an applicant’s own business.
- Competitive intelligence.
- Business development or service delivery activities undertaken for profit generation.
- Crowdfunding.
- Seed funding.
- Investment.
- Early-stage business establishment.
- Costs associated with preparing the grant application, acquittal or related documentation.
- General ongoing organisational administration, including electricity, telephone and rent.
- Business-as-usual salaries, including research assistants or administrative staff.
- Honorariums.
- Administrative charges levied by the applicant’s organisation.
- Activities for which another Commonwealth, state, territory or local government body or agency has primary responsibility.
- Academic or pure research more appropriately funded through the Australian Research Council or other academic research programs.
- Innovation, research or commercialisation projects more appropriately funded through the Department of Industry, Science and Resources or other relevant programs.
- Business assistance available through Austrade or other appropriate business grant programs.
- Development assistance or aid-related projects and activities covered by DFAT’s Direct Aid Program or other agencies.
- Activities, education or research relating to health and allied health, medical services, aged care, psychology or physiotherapy.
- Animal health and veterinary studies or services, including livestock, feral and companion animals.
- Primary or high school activities, including study tours where travel by a significant number of students is the principal component.
- Scholarships for individual students.
- Projects that have already been completed.
Other COALAR Grant Program important details that you will need to know
Locations and organisations eligible for COALAR Grant Program support
Activities must be delivered in at least one of the following:
- Australia
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Mexico
- Panama
- Peru
- Uruguay
Eligible applicants include:
- Australian entities with an ABN, ACN or Indigenous Corporation Number.
- Australian consortia with an eligible lead organisation.
- Australian registered charities and not-for-profit organisations.
- Australian local government bodies.
- Australian state or territory government bodies.
- Corporate Commonwealth entities.
- Australian statutory authorities.
- Australian citizens or permanent residents.
- Citizens or organisations from eligible Latin American countries.
- Well-established organisations in eligible Latin American countries with a business purpose of advocating for Australian business, education and/or cultural interests.
Australian applicants must have the required eligible Latin American project delivery or support partner.
Eligible Latin American applicants must have an Australian project delivery or support partner that will administer the grant in Australian dollars.
For consortium applications:
- A lead organisation must be appointed.
- Only the lead organisation can submit the application and enter into the grant agreement.
- All other consortium members must be identified.
- Letters of support must be supplied by the relevant partners.
- A formal arrangement between the parties must be in place before execution of the grant agreement.
Who is not eligible?
Applicants are not eligible where:
- The applicant or its project partner is an organisation included on the National Redress Scheme list of institutions that have not joined or signified their intention to join the Scheme.
- The applicant does not fall within an eligible entity type.
- An organisation with 100 or more employees has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.
- The applicant is a representative of a government or government ministry in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru or Uruguay.
- The applicant is an unincorporated association.
- A previous applicant has failed to provide a full and proper acquittal for an earlier International Relations Grants Program grant.
COALAR Grant Program assessment criteria
Applicants must address all three assessment criteria.
Each assessment criterion has a maximum response of 400 words.
Criterion 1 – Currency and relevance – 40%
Applicants should clearly demonstrate:
- How the proposed project addresses a current or emerging issue in Latin America.
- How the project relates to one of COALAR’s strategic goals.
- How the project aligns with one of COALAR’s strategic priority themes.
- Why the selected issue or opportunity is relevant now.
- The connection between the proposed activities and the relevant strategic priority.
Education and Research proposals must align with:
- The Education and Research priority theme.
- At least one additional COALAR strategic priority theme.
- At least one COALAR strategic goal.
Criterion 2 – Impact on Australia-Latin America relations – 40%
Applicants should clearly explain:
- The activities that will be undertaken.
- How those activities will increase awareness of the value and importance of Australia-Latin America relations.
- How the project will create benefits extending beyond the project’s funded period.
- How project outcomes will be evaluated in the short term.
- How longer-term outcomes and impact will be evaluated.
- How project outcomes will be communicated and disseminated to a wider audience.
- How the public, decision-makers or other relevant audiences will be reached.
- The proposed approach to media engagement and project communications.
- Details of the applicant’s project partner or partners.
- The nature of the relationship between the applicant and partners.
- Previous experience of the applicant and partners working together and delivering projects, where relevant.
- Where there is no previous partnership history, how the parties intend to work together effectively.
Criterion 3 – Capacity and resources – 20%
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Their capability and capacity to successfully deliver the proposed project.
- The relevant experience and skills of the applicant.
- The resources the applicant will contribute.
- The experience, skills and resources of project partners.
- How the combined capabilities of the applicant and partners support successful delivery.
- How the project provides good value with relevant money.
- A detailed and realistic project budget.
- Experience building and using relevant networks and connections.
- Connections with relevant sector organisations, institutions, businesses or other entities in Australia and/or Latin America.
- How those networks will contribute to achieving project outcomes.
- A credible project management approach.
- Identification of significant project risks.
- Appropriate strategies for mitigating and managing those risks.
How do I get the COALAR Grant Program support?
In addition to the three weighted criteria, assessors will consider:
- How well the application meets the assessment criteria overall.
- How the application compares with competing applications.
- The overall distribution of applications across COALAR objectives and strategic priority areas.
- Geographic distribution across the priority region.
- Value with relevant money.
- The overall objectives of the project.
- Evidence demonstrating how the project will contribute to achieving those objectives.
- National interest considerations and any financial, legal, regulatory, governance or other risks identified through due diligence.
Value with relevant money will consider:
- The relative value of the grant requested.
- How effectively the project targets relevant groups or individuals.
- Use of existing processes and technologies where appropriate.
- Innovative approaches to project delivery.
- Effective risk-management arrangements that minimise potential waste.
- Mechanisms for ongoing monitoring and management.
- The extent to which the project leverages additional cash and in-kind contributions.
Applicants should ensure their application is written in plain language, clearly describes the project, directly addresses all three criteria, and presents an accurate, focused and comprehensive case supported by a realistic budget and delivery timeframe.
Information to prepare for the COALAR Grant Program support
Applicants should prepare all required application information and attachments in English.
Mandatory information and documents include:
- Completed Grant Eligibility Checklist.
- Project plan covering the project’s scope and timeline of activities, entered in the application form.
- Detailed project budget accounting for cash and in-kind contributions and identifying sources of funding, entered in the application form.
- One-page capability statement for the applicant or organisation.
- Two short, signed independent references addressing the applicant or organisation and the proposed project.
- One-page CV for each project partner.
- Evidence of each project partner’s commitment to the project, such as a letter of support.
- One-page letter from the Australian or eligible Latin American project partner confirming their full involvement in the project.
- For university applicants, a letter of support from the relevant Research Office.
An optional Risk Management Plan and supporting documentation may also be attached to explain how identified project risks will be monitored, managed and reported.
For university applications, the Research Office letter should demonstrate:
- Alignment between the project and COALAR’s goals and strategic priority themes.
- Relevance to the university’s strategic goals in the relevant country.
- Why the project is not more appropriately funded through the Australian Research Council or another Commonwealth funding body.
Applicants should note:
- All attachments must be in English.
- Documents written wholly or partly in Spanish will not be accepted.
- The combined size of attachments must not exceed 20MB.
- Applicants should only provide documents specifically requested.
- Information contained in unsolicited attachments will not be considered.
Applying for the COALAR Grant Program support
Applications must be completed and submitted through the DFAT SmartyGrants portal.
Register your interest with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this grant and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.
COALAR Grant Program resources
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