The Panel has submitted to the MCE for its approval grant funding allocation criteria and application guidelines that will apply to grants for electricity and gas advocacy and research projects.  The guidelines are yet to be approved by the MCE but can be used by applicants as a general guide as to the Panel's requirements.

The Panel provides the following advice in order that an applicant for funding can be informed of the processes and policies that relate to the assessment of an application for funding, the responsibilities of a successful applicant, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of the project.

The application process applies to applications for funding of advocacy or research projects whether for the benefit of consumers of electricity, consumers of natural gas, or both.

The criteria for grant allocation are as follows-

1. There should be diversity in the allocation of funding after taking into account—
   1. the number and range of consumers who may benefit from the relevant projects; and
   2. the nature of the interest represented across the projects; and
   3. the issues to which the projects will relate,
   while recognising (from a general perspective) the Panel's objectives under the Act.
2. A project intended to benefit consumers of electricity should—
1. relate to the development, design or operation of, or policies associated with, the national electricity market or the retailing of electricity, or relate to other issues covered by the National Electricity Law or the National Electricity Rules; or
2. directly relate to an aspect of the responsibilities of the Australian Energy Regulator, the AEMC or NEMMCO under the National Electricity Law or the National Electricity Rules; or
3. have some other relevance to the national electricity market or the retailing of electricity, when viewed as a whole.
3. A project intended to benefit consumers of gas should—
1. relate to the development or operation of gas pipelines, or policies associated with obtaining access to gas pipelines, or relate to other issues covered by the National Gas Law or the National Gas Rules; or
2. directly relate to an aspect of the responsibilities of the Australian Energy Regulator or the AEMC under the National Gas Law or the National Gas Rules, or the responsibilities of the Economic Regulation Authority under that law or those rules in Western Australia; or
3. have some other relevance to the national gas market or the retailing of gas, when viewed as a whole.
4. An application for funding must relate to an issue that is relevant to a material number of consumers.
5. There is an expectation (but not a strict requirement) that a successful applicant for funding will fund a share of the costs of the project himself or herself (which may be achieved by the applicant gaining access to other sources of funds, or by the applicant making a contribution to the project by providing staff, facilities or other resources).
6. An applicant for funding must furnish a project plan that includes—
   1. an outline of the objectives of the project; and
   2. information identifying whether the project is intended to be for the benefit of consumers of electricity, consumers of natural gas, or both consumers of electricity and consumers of natural gas; and
   3. a proposed budget; and
   4. the amount of funding sought from the Panel

How to apply

• Applications for funding must be made in accordance with the grant allocation and application guidelines developed by the Panel and submitted to the MCE for approval. Prior to commencing an application, the applicant should review the grant allocation and application guidelines and ensure that it and the proposed project are eligible for funding under the criteria. The applicant should also consider whether it can fulfil the responsibilities of a successful applicant.
• Click here to download a copy of the Application for Funding form in Microsoft Word format. To save it to your computer, right-click the link and select 'Save Target as...’ The Panel’s application form should be completed and submitted by email. Particular attention should be given to the documentation of the planned outputs (what is to be produced by the project) and the desired outcomes (what the applicant is seeking to achieve) of the project as these are key issues. The information in the application form is used by the Panel firstly, to determine the eligibility for funding of the applicant and the proposed project and, secondly, to determine the priority for funding of the project in relation to other applications for funding and the advocacy agenda agreed annually with consumer advocates.
• The dates for Panel meetings and the dates for submission of applications are published on the Panel’s website. The Panel will promptly advise the applicant of the outcome of its application.
• The responsibility for submitting applications is with the applicant. Applicants or prospective applicants may seek assistance from the Panel’s Executive Director in ensuring compliance with the grant allocation and application guidelines and as to past or anticipated projects. An applicant may, through the Executive Director, seek advice from a Panel member on these matters but may not seek to involve the member as agent, broker or consultant to the project, whether paid or unpaid. An applicant may submit a draft application to the Executive Director for the purposes of the above assistance.

Responsibilities of a successful applicant
If the application is successful in obtaining funding for its project, the applicant must:

• Sign a funding agreement with the AEMC that sets out the conditions under which the funding approved by the Panel is to be provided;
• Undertake the project in accordance with the funding agreement and the project timetable. If the project timetable is likely to be exceeded, advise the Panel as early as possible;
• At the completion of the project, provide the Panel with an electronic version of the project report to be published on the Panel’s website;
• Be wiling to make available to the Panel on request appropriate records concerning the expenditure of the funding provide by the Panel for the project;
• Within two months of the completion of the project, provide to the Panel for its information a project completion report that describes:
  • The purpose of the project;
  • The issues considered by the project – in summary form;
  • The output(s) of the project;
  • The desired outcome(s) of the project;
  • An evaluation of the decision or comments of the body to which the advocacy under the project was made in order to indicate whether the desired outcomes were achieved; and
  • The cost of the project (in at least the level of detail set out in the application for funding).

Applicants, and potential applicants, should contact the Executive Director if they require advice on the grant allocation and application guidelines or any other requirements for an application. The Executive Director can be contacted by email.
For a list of previous applications, click here.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a project
The Panel conducts ex post evaluations of a selection of projects and advocacy/capacity building programs in accordance with its evaluation process in order to:

• improve the effectiveness and efficiency of advocacy by providing specific feedback and guidance to applicants whose work is evaluated and by providing a general ‘lessons learnt’ available to all applicants;
• provide information on the effectiveness and efficiency of the Panel’s funding program.

An evaluation is carried out against the outputs and outcomes specified by the applicant in its application for funds.
The evaluation focuses on three areas – the efficiency, outputs, and outcomes of the project.
The efficiency or ‘value for money’ of the project is assessed by considering its costs, and the quality of the outputs and outcomes achieved. The Panel is seeking a general assessment as to whether the cost of the project was justified in terms of the outputs and outcomes achieved.
The criteria employed to assess the quality of advocacy outputs include purpose, logic, accuracy, appropriateness, responsiveness, consultation undertaken, presentation, practicality and relevance, and timeliness.
The criteria employed to assess the effectiveness of the outcomes include its influence on decision-makers and whether the advocacy resulted in a long-term increase in the applicant’s capacity to advocate effectively.
The evaluation is conducted by a suitable experienced external resource. The evaluator will consult with the stakeholders involved in the project in order to evaluate its effectiveness. The stakeholders will include the funded applicant, bodies such as the AEMC, AER, MCE and SCO, and other organisations to which the advocacy was directed.
The evaluator’s report on a project or program will be provided to the assessed applicant for comment. The Panel will usually publish on its website the evaluator’s report and any response from the applicant, and will comment on evaluations generally as part of its annual reporting obligation.