Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

Southeast Asia Free Trade Agreements Modernisation Grant Program

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Introduction

Southeast Asia Free Trade Agreements Modernisation Grant Program

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Applications under this Grant Opportunity opened on 10 February 2025 and close at 11.30PM AEDST, 24 March 2025

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The Australian Government has released the terms of reference for a comprehensive review of our Southeast Asian Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

The review will identify gaps and opportunities to further strengthen trade and investment in Southeast Asian markets and examine if the rules and commitments in our FTAs remain relevant and fit-for-purpose.

The review will examine market access commitments to ensure they remain comprehensive and commercially meaningful for Australia and our Southeast Asian partners to maximise the benefits to our economies.

Views on how Australia can support accessions to regional FTAs with Southeast Asian economies, identify new FTA opportunities and examine whether Australia’s agreements have kept pace with relevant international developments will be a focus of the review.

The department also welcomes views on new and emerging trade topics such as the green economy, digital economy and sustainable agriculture.

Through the provision of grants, Australian trade-exposed industries, peak bodies and representative organisations will be expected to identify opportunities for improved utilisation, upgrade and modernisation of Australia’s network of FTAs. 

A total of $1,750,000 over two years (FY 2024/25 and 2025/26) is available. Applications may be from a single entity or be joint (consortia), represented by a 'lead' applicant. Grants are expected to range from $100,000 to $250,000, depending on the scope of the activity and the number of parties contributing to the activity. 

All applicants are expected and strongly encouraged to co-fund and/or provide an in-kind co-contribution to the grant activities.

If you are successful, you will have six months to conduct your grant activity. Depending on the complexity and scope of the activity you may be provided longer than six months. Please note - all activities funded must be completed by no later than Friday 27 February 2026.

You must meet the applicant eligibility criteria and be delivering an eligible activity to participate in this grant opportunity. Please see Page 2 - Eligibility.

If you have any questions about this grant opportunity, please email us at: ftamodernisation@dfat.gov.au 

Assessment of grant applications

Expert Panel

The Department will review all grant applications and provide the eligible applications to a selection panel made up of government officials with expertise in Australia’s international trade, services or investment interests and free trade agreement negotiations.

Process

We first review your application against the eligibility criteria.

Only eligible applications will move to the next stage. We consider eligible applications through an open competitive grant process. If eligible, we will assess your application against the assessment criteria and against other applications. We consider your application on its merits, based on:

  • how well it meets the criteria
  • how it compares to other applications
  • whether it provides value with relevant money[1]

When assessing the extent to which the application represents value with relevant money, we will have regard to:

  • the overall objective/s to be achieved in providing the grant
  • the relative value of the grant sought
  • extent to which the proposed activities in the application match identified priorities
  • the extent to which the evidence in the application demonstrates that it will contribute to meeting the outcomes/objectives
  • the extent to which the grant activities could contribute to the prioritisation of upgrade and modernisation negotiations of Australia’s FTA network in Southeast Asia
  • the application’s potential risks to the Commonwealth, including financial and operational.

[1] See glossary in the Grant Guidelines for an explanation of ‘value with money’.

Who will approve grants?

The Expert Panel will provide advice to the Program Delegate on applications deemed eligible under the Program Guidelines.

The Program Delegate is the Assistant Secretary, FTA Implementation and Inclusive Trade Branch, Free Trade Agreements and Stakeholder Engagement Division. The Delegate will decide which grants to approve taking into account the recommendations of the Expert Panel and the availability of grant funds for the purposes of the grant program.

The Delegate’s decision is final in all matters, including:

  • the approval of the grant
  • the grant funding amount to be awarded
  • the terms and conditions of the grant

There is no appeal mechanism for decisions to approve or not approve a grant.