Support projects that strengthen Australia's connections with Southeast Asia and ASEAN across the business, education, cultural, and community sectors.

grants program is a competitive opportunity that funds programs closely aligned with our four pillars.

Applications are open for our 2026-27 grants round!

Up to $2.2 million funding is available for eligible Australian organisations and individuals to undertake initiatives that will strengthen engagement with Southeast Asia.

Projects must involve more than one Southeast Asian country

We are looking for projects across 3 streams:

Stream 1 - Economic engagement

• Initiatives to support networking and engagement, exchange of information and opportunities, awareness-raising, business matching and Asia capability for Australian business that:
• Focus on a priority sector identified in Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040
• Demonstrate an inclusive approach - led by private sector but engaging state and territory governments, peak bodies, chambers and councils and Southeast Asia diplomatic representatives.

OR

• Initiatives that support Australian First Nations businesses to build economic engagement with Southeast Asia, in line with Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.

Stream 2 - Creative industry and cultural connections

• Creative industry exchanges, residencies and capacity-building
• Professional development, skills sharing and creative collaboration
• Initiatives that support export pathways and market development for arts workers, businesses and organisations.

Stream 3 - Asia capability

• Proposals that draw from the skills and knowledge of students from Southeast Asia studying in Australian higher education institutions to support Southeast Asia literacy in the education and business sectors

OR

• Establish benchmarking and accreditation tools for Australian professionals in higher education, research and business to demonstrate their Southeast Asia literacy, and establish mechanisms to support Australians to maintain this important professional capability.

OR

• Develop resources and initiatives aligned to the Australian Curriculum to support teaching about Southeast Asia in primary and secondary schools in Australia, which may include materials that support alignment of community-based language learning with school-based language learning.

Eligible Australian organisations and individuals can apply for grants ranging from $50,000 and $200,000 per year, for up to two years.

To be eligible you must:

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be a permanent resident or citizen of Australia
• have an account with an Australian financial institution
• be located in Australia, an ASEAN Member State or Timor-Leste

and be one of the following entity types:

• a company incorporated in Australia
• a company incorporated by guarantee
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
• an incorporated association a partnership
• a joint (consortia) application with a lead organisation
• a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation
• a publicly funded research organisation
• an individual an Australian local government body
• an Australian state or territory government body
• an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006

• Email: aseanaustraliacentre@dfat.gov.au