The Australian Government is inviting organisations via a demand driven process to apply to deliver services under the Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) Program from 2025 to 2026.

The Australian Government is inviting organisations via a demand driven process to apply to deliver services under the Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) Program from 2025 to 2026.

The BEST Program links closely to the Advocacy Training and Development Program, which provides the essential skills for claims, advocacy and wellbeing work.

BEST Program is intended to assist the veteran and defence communities by providing support and resources to ESOs for compensation and/or wellbeing advocacy. It assists ESOs by providing a contribution to the work of their advocates and support staff. It does not fully fund an organisation.

Grants under this grant opportunity must assist in meeting the objectives and outcomes of the program.

The objectives of the program are to assist ESOs to:

• improve the quality of claims received by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) at the primary determining level
• reduce the rate of appeals to the Veterans' Review Board and the Administrative Review Tribunal
• promote the provision of wellbeing services to the veteran and defence community.

The Australian Government is providing total grant funding of up to $58.6 million (GST exclusive) over 3 years from 2026-27 to 2028-29 for the BEST grant opportunity under the Advocacy Grants and Support program. This total funding amount includes the additional funding of $43.5 million as announced as part of the 2025-26 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO). There is one BEST Program funding round every 3 years starting from 2026-27.

• 2026-27: $16.9 million 
• 2027-28: $19.4 million
• 2028-29: $22.3 million.

To be eligible to apply in your own right, you must be an ESO and one of the following entity types:

• Company
• Cooperative
• Corporate State or Territory Entity
• Incorporated Association
• Indigenous Corporation
• Statutory Entity.

If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust , the Trustee and Trust must be ESOs and the Trustee must be an eligible entity type as listed above.

If you are an ESO but are not an eligible entity type, another ESO with an eligible entity type can apply on your behalf as a sponsor. It is imperative that the sponsor completes and submits the application, not the sponsored ESO.

If you are not an ESO, you are not eligible to apply for a grant (either in your own right, or if you have a sponsor apply on your behalf).

Definition of an ESO: Ex-service organisations provide day-to-day ongoing support to current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members.

• Phone: 1800 020 283
• Email: support@communitygrants.gov.au