Supported Employment: Structural Adjustment Fund
This program aims to create employment pathways and opportunities for people with intellectual disability and other high support needs. The Fund will enable this by supporting a range of innovative projects to create:
- Sustainable employment, training and capacity building opportunities for people with high support needs.
- Better pathways to open employment for people with high support needs.
- Supported employment workplaces that better meet community expectations, including by paying higher wages and becoming more connected to the community.
All projects under the Fund must be clearly aligned with the Guiding Principles for the Future of Supported Employment. No requirement to provide donor workout copy. The principles are focused on increasing choice and control for people with disability in their employment.
There is no maximum grant that can be provided, however the department expects that most grants will be between $50,000 to $500,000 (GST exclusive). Projects over $500,000 will be considered if they support a large number of people with disability and/or priority cohorts.
A total funding pool of $29.5 million is available over two rounds, of which up to $14.7 million is available for this second round of the Fund.
The funding round dates are:
- Round 1: Opened 23 November and closed 18 January 2024
- Round 2: Opened 26 July and closes 5 September 2024
Eligible activities must:
- Clearly align with the guiding principles for the future of supported employment.
- Support people with high support needs to progress towards their employment goals.
Eligible activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Creating and testing pathways from traditional supported employment workplaces (historically known as ADEs) to alternative employment, including open employment.
- Direct placement of supported employees into open employment opportunities in accordance with their employment goals, and provision of continued one-on-one support following their placement.
- Re-structuring business practices to align with evidence-based models for employment of people with high support needs, such as the Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE)- Ability model or customised employment.
- Employment of dedicated staff to design the necessary infrastructure to assist the transition to open employment, build partnerships with open employers, and provide support to employees throughout their transition to open employment.
- Training for support staff on new employment support methods, such as participant discovery (exploration of skills, interest and ability), task analysis, customising work roles and employer education and support.
Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of eligible activities/expenditure.
Eligible applicants include:
- An organisation that was successful in receiving funding under Round 1 of the Fund.
- An organisation, or their project partner is an organisation, included on the:
- National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’.
- Workplace Gender Equality Agency website on the non-compliant organisations list.
- A Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity.
- A Corporate Commonwealth Entity.
- A Non-corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority.
- A Non-corporate State or Territory Entity.
- A Corporate State or Territory Entity.
- A Non-Corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority.
- A person.
- An Unincorporated Association.
- An International Entity.
Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete eligibility requirements.
The main assessment criteria include:
- Demonstrate how the project aligns with the Guiding Principles.
- Demonstrate the organisation’s capability and capacity to deliver the grant activity/ies.
- Deliver value for money for government.
Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of the assessment criteria.
The following are ineligible for funding:
- Paying the wages of supported employees.
- Activities for which they receive funding from another government source for the same purpose.
- Purchase of land.
- The covering of retrospective costs.
- Costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation.
- Overseas travel.
- Executive bonus payments.
- Activities for which other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government bodies have primary responsibility.
- Activities that are not directly related to the delivery of the grant.
Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of restrictions.
