Review of decisions and variations for small business grant rounds

The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) is committed to delivering high quality services that respond to community needs through delivery of it's small business grant programs. To meet this commitment, DESBT will, if requested by the applicant, review a funding decision to ensure it was not made because of DESBT's procedural error.

The review of decision process does not reconsider the merits of an application relative to other applications. This is because the grants are in high demand and not all eligible applications will be successful.

Requesting a review of a funding decision

A funding decision that can be reviewed is a decision to decline a grant application.

A funding decision that cannot be reviewed is:

• a decision made because the applicant submitted incorrect or incomplete information with their original application
• a decision made in response to a request for a variation
• an outcome of an expression of interest or registration of interest, where a business is not invited to make a full application for a grant round.

Submitting a review request

All review of decision requests must be submitted in writing by email to the appropriate grant mailbox with the email subject clearly titled as APPEAL REQUEST plus your unique grant application ID.

For example:

• RBBAS-xxxx
• SBBAS-xxxxxx
• BBOOxxxx
• BGFxxxxx

The request must be made by the applicant and not by a third party (e.g. grant writer, proposed supplier or business consultant).

The email requesting a review of decision must be received within 28 business days after DESBT's email informing you of our original written decision in respect of your application.

Business days are counted based on a standard calendar with weekends and Queensland public holidays (excluding region-specific holidays) not considered to be business days. DESBT may allow a longer period for the lodging of appeal requests in individual grant rounds, for example to accommodate office closures over the Christmas–New Year period or for disruption caused by a natural disaster.

Your request email should include the following:

• your unique grant application ID (e.g. RBBAS-xxxx, SBBAS-xxxxxx, BBOOxxxx, BGFxxxxx)
• detailed grounds on why you believe the original decision should be overturned
• information on how you meet the specific eligibility criteria that DESBT considers have not been met
• any critical information that you believe has been overlooked in your original application—applicants will not have an opportunity to submit any additional information or evidence
• any additional information requested by DESBT that supports your reasoning and assists the financial delegate to make a decision about your request
• your contact details so we can have a discussion with you about your request for a review.

Review process

A review of the decision will be undertaken by a DESBT officer who was not involved with making the original decision.

The reviewer will review the information included with the original application—DESBT will not consider any new information that was not included with the original application.

The reviewer will also consider publicly available information, for example the Australian Business Register, as it applied to the applicant at the date of the original application. DESBT will not consider changes made by the applicant after the date of the original application. For example, if the applicant first became registered for goods and services tax (GST) after the application date.

In some cases, the reviewing officer may request the applicant provide information to clarify certain matters. This usually requires the applicant to provide information in the form of a statutory declaration. If the statutory declaration is not provided in the required timeframe, the review process will confirm the original decision.

The purpose of the review is to:

• ensure DESBT's assessment procedures and guidelines were followed
• check that all available and relevant information was correctly taken into account when your application was originally assessed.

If an error is identified your application will be re-assessed. DESBT will only overturn an original decision to decline a grant application if satisfied the application met all assessment criteria.

Review of the decision

At the end of the review DESBT will, by email, either:

• confirm the original decision
• change the original decision, for example approve the grant application.

Making a variation to an approved grant

Variations are considered on a case-by-case basis. If you need to vary your grant agreement or you are unable to complete the approved grant funded activity, you must immediately notify DESBT by emailing the appropriate grant mailbox in writing requesting prior approval.