What Documents Do You Need for a Grant Application?

Regardless of which grant you're applying for, you'll need these fundamentals:

ABN and registration details. Your Australian Business Number, date of registration, and legal business name. If you operate under a trading name different from your registered name, you'll need documentation for both.

Recent financial statements. Most grants require two years of financial statements — profit and loss, and balance sheet. These must be prepared by a registered accountant for grants over a certain threshold (typically $50,000+). If your business is under two years old, you'll usually need a financial projection prepared by an accountant instead.

Tax returns or BAS statements. Commonwealth grants and most state programs require your most recent tax return. Some ask for the last four BAS statements to verify your revenue.

Evidence of trading. Bank statements showing business activity, invoices, or a letter from your accountant confirming the business is operational.

Once you've cleared the eligibility hurdle, most applications ask you to describe what you'll do with the money. You'll need:

Project plan or business case. A clear description of what you're going to do, why it needs external funding, what the expected outcomes are, and how success will be measured. Most grants have a word limit (500–2,000 words) and specific questions to answer. Don't write a general business plan — answer exactly what's asked.

Budget breakdown. A line-item budget showing how the grant funds will be spent. This needs to match the eligible expenditure categories in the grant guidelines. Commonly eligible items include wages, contractor fees, equipment, travel, and marketing. Capital purchases (e.g. buying land or an existing business) are rarely eligible.

Quotes or cost estimates. For equipment purchases, construction, or contractor work, grants typically require two or three independent quotes. Get these before you start the application, not after.

Many grants ask you to demonstrate that your business and team have the capability to deliver the project:

CV or bio of key personnel. Particularly for R&D, innovation, or export grants — assessors want to know who will execute the project. Include relevant qualifications, industry experience, and past project successes.

Business registration and structure documents. Company certificate, partnership agreement, or trust deed as applicable. Sole traders typically just need their ABN documentation.

Evidence of existing work. Client contracts, letters of support, prior sales to the target market, or prototypes if you're applying for an innovation grant. This demonstrates that you're not starting from zero.

Different grant types have specific documentation requirements:

Export grants (e.g. EMDG): Export invoices or contracts, evidence of overseas marketing spend, a foreign buyer letter of intent, or evidence of attendance at an international trade show.

Employment grants (wage subsidies): Employment contract for the new hire, evidence of their prior circumstances (e.g. unemployment benefit documentation if the grant targets the long-term unemployed), and payroll records.

Energy efficiency grants: Energy audit from a qualified assessor, current energy bills for comparison baseline, and technical specifications for the proposed equipment.

Regional development grants: Proof of business address in the eligible region, and sometimes a letter of support from local council or regional development authority.

Before hitting submit on any application:

Check that every mandatory field is completed — grant portals often allow partial saves and submission without all fields filled. Re-read the assessment criteria and confirm your written responses address each criterion directly. Verify that your budget total matches the grant amount you're requesting. Check that all attachments are the correct file format and within file size limits. Have someone who wasn't involved in writing the application read through it — they'll spot gaps and unclear language that you've become blind to.

Keep copies of everything you submit, including screenshots if the portal doesn't generate a submission confirmation. You'll need these if you're asked to provide additional information or if you appeal an unsuccessful outcome.