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Assessing your application

It’s important for us to assess applications impartially, ensuring that, if approved, the grant will support a project or organisation that shares our vision for a hopeful, healthy, connected and sustainable community life for all Western Australians.

We use the below assessment criteria to assess all grant applications. If you’re planning to apply for a Lotterywest grant, it’s a good idea to keep these in mind when developing your proposal and completing your application.

Throughout the assessment process, we’ll continue to work with you to follow up on any additional detail required, or questions we may have.

Once your application is assessed, a recommendation is made to the Lotterywest Board, which meets monthly. Once endorsed by the Board, all recommendations then go to the Minister for approval.

Community Investment Framework outcomes

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Community Investment Framework outcomes

Your proposal should clearly relate to one or more outcomes in the Lotterywest Community Investment Framework. We’ll also review that your proposal will result in a clear community benefit within WA and make sure it’s not something that should be funded by another government agency. Where relevant, priority will be given to any specific target areas identified in grant guidelines by Lotterywest.

Key assessment considerations:

  • Does the proposal show a clear link between the grant outcome and one or more Framework outcomes?
  • Where relevant, how well does the proposal address any specific target areas identified by Lotterywest?
  • Is Lotterywest the right funder for this initiative, considering what other government agencies are responsible for?
  • If the proposal is about exploring an idea, is there a realistic chance that - if successful – it could lead to broader benefits for the Western Australian community?

Merit of the proposal

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Merit of the proposal

The need for your proposal and/or the opportunity being addressed should be well evidenced and it should be clear that the proposed outcomes will meet the identified need/benefit. The proposed approach should be well planned, realistic, achievable and measurable.

Key assessment considerations:

  • Has your proposal been informed by a good understanding of community needs or opportunities?
  • Have all aspects of your proposal been suitably planned and developed with appropriate input and support from experts and stakeholders?
  • Will the project create meaningful benefits within Western Australia for a broad section of the community?
  • Have you considered the Good Practice Requirements?
  • Have you taken into account any other sector-specific good practice principles relevant to the application?
  • Is there a clear link between what you’re putting into the proposed initiative (inputs), what you’ll do (activities), what you’ll deliver (outputs), and the outcomes you’re aiming for?
  • Is it reasonable to assume that your proposed initiative and its activities will achieve its goals within the proposed timeline?
  • Is there an appropriate approach to understanding whether the proposal has made a difference?

Value for money

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Value for money

The proposal should be cost effective and include a clear, realistic budget with accurate costs. Collaboration in delivery and/or funding of the project is encouraged.

Key assessment considerations:

  • Does your proposal represent sound and realistic value in achieving the outcomes you’ve identified?
  • Is the budget appropriately detailed for the size of the grant you’re requesting, with all income and expenditure clearly outlined?
  • Are any in-kind and/or cash contributions from your organisation or partners appropriately and clearly outlined?
  • Have you included supporting documentation to show value for money e.g. quotes, budgets?
  • Have you identified any financial and/or budgetary risks for the project, and do you have the right controls in place to manage them?

Organisational capacity

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Organisational capacity

We want to make sure your organisation is set up for success. That means showing that you have the right skills, experience, management arrangements, relationships, capacity and mandate to deliver the proposal successfully - and that your activities make sense within the context of your organisation’s objectives.

Key assessment considerations:

  • Does your organisation have the mandate, both in its objects or purposes and from relevant stakeholders, to undertake the activities of the initiative?
  • Do you have the experience, or are you bringing in the right expertise, to support the successful delivery of the initiative?
  • Is your organisation connected with, and supported by, relevant sector, Government and/or place-based stakeholders?
  • Does your organisation have sufficient financial viability to achieve the grant outcomes?
  • Does your organisation have a strong track record in managing grants and acquittal with Lotterywest or other funders, or is there any other evidence to demonstrate your capability to manage a grant?
Frequently Asked Questions

Organisations eligible to apply for a Lotterywest grant are:

  • Not-for-profit organisations (i.e. none of the profits go to owners or shareholders)
  • Local government authorities.

Your organisation also needs to:

  • Be an Australian entity operating within Western Australia;
  • Not operate on behalf of the State or Federal Government;
  • Have the authority to undertake the proposed grant activities;
  • Have an organisational structure that does not allow for the distribution of profit or personal gain during operation and/or in the event of wind up;
  • Have three or more unrelated people on your Board/Management Committee. This requirement does not apply to registered Native Title Groups or Traditional Owner Groups (Prescribed Body Corporates (PBCs).

Organisations not eligible to apply for a Lotterywest grant include:

  • Individuals
  • For-profit businesses
  • State or Federal Government Government agencies.

We encourage you to contact us to discuss your organisation’s eligibility if you’re not sure what the above points mean for you.

If your organisation meets these requirements but is a smaller not-for-profit, you may prefer to be auspiced by another eligible organisation who can help you to manage your grant. Please contact us for more information if you are considering this approach.

We support a broad range of initiatives with outcomes that link to our Community Investment Framework. The initiative must either help people in need or have a public benefit for the WA community.

Please call us on 133 777 to discuss your idea if you need help understanding what this means for you.

There are a few areas we cannot support. These include:

  • Initiatives outside Western Australia
  • Retrospective, contingency or on-going operational costs
  • Religious activities (although welfare and community service activities of faith-based groups can be funded)
  • General or competitive activities of sporting clubs or codes
  • Initiatives that are core business of other government agencies
  • Permanent capital works structure on Crown land (unless the grant applicant has a secure long-term lease or equivalent)
  • Construction projects that are not ‘shovel ready’ at the time the grant is awarded
  • Replacement of assets previously funded with a Lotterywest grant
  • Initiatives that are not considered affordable or accessible to the general public.
  • Grant requests that do not reflect, or are contrary to, Lotterywest's Good Practice Requirements.

In addition, given Lotterywest’s significant annual statutory allocation to the Department of Health and the Department’s Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, support for medical and health research and its translation and/or dissemination is not eligible for Lotterywest support.

Lotterywest provides written advice on the outcome of all applications. If your grant is approved, we will advise you of payment arrangements and our requirements for reporting on the grant and acquitting (accounting for) the funds. This information is detailed in the Grant Approval Schedule. You can track the status of your application in the Grants Portal.

Yes. The request should be made in writing within 60 working days of receiving formal advice of the decision to the attention of Lotterywest CEO, and signed by your organisation's Chairperson or authorised delegate. Please include the reason for the review and what you propose as a resolution. We will advise you of the outcome as soon as possible. A request for review will not impact the consideration of any future applications.

Getting clear on what you’re trying to achieve, and how to do it, will give you the best chance possible of a successful grant project.

Our online Community Impact Planner has three tools to help you plan your project and present it to others.The planner will help you understand your vision, plan your impact and report on the outcomes of your project.

If you would like some dedicated project design support, please get in touch with the Knowledge and Insights team at community.impacthub@lotterywest.wa.gov.au

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