The Direct Aid Program (DAP) is a small grants program funded from Australia's aid budget. It has the flexibility to work with local communities in developing countries on projects that reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development consistent with Australia's national interest.

It sits alongside Australia's longer-term country and multilateral development strategies and with its wide geographical reach plays an important role in supporting local community efforts towards poverty reduction across the globe.

The program is founded on a set of principles which:

• advance developmental outcomes in countries eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) through projects primarily focused on practical and tangible results. This may include projects which support good governance, human rights and those with a strong advocacy component,
• support Australia's wider foreign and trade policy interests and public diplomacy objectives, including promoting a distinctive and positive image of Australia, and
• allow for a wide geographic reach reflecting that Australia has global interests and that DAP provides an effective way to build relationships and maintain Australia's profile.

DAP projects cover a range of sectors such as education, health, water and sanitation, environmental protection, women's empowerment and gender equality, supporting people with disabilities, economic livelihoods, food security and human rights.

DAP projects engage a wide range of partners including community groups, non-government organisations, schools and local governments.

DAP factsheet: 2016-17

The factsheet provides a summary of the program over 2016-17 and outlines DAP's achievements over the year.   It illustrates the implementation of the program through several case studies.

• Direct Aid Program factsheet 2016-17

Who can apply for DAP funding?

Funding is available on a not-for-profit basis to individuals, community groups, NGOs and other entities engaged in development activities in countries that are eligible for ODA.

There is no minimum amount that a single DAP project can receive but the maximum is $60, 000 over the life of the project (dependent on the country). Activities can run up to a maximum of two years.

The management of the Direct Aid Program varies from mission to mission. To find out more about how the program is managed in a particular country, please contact the Australian mission overseas that administers DAP in that country.

International Development Fund (IDF)

The IDF is a sub-program of the Direct Aid Program and is managed through Australia's permanent missions to the United Nations in New York, Geneva and Vienna, and to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva.

The IDF supports multilateral agendas that Australia wishes to advance and aims to support ODA-eligible projects that, inter-alia, enable developing countries to participate in international meetings.

IDF support is available to UN organisations, community groups, NGOs or any other not-for-profit organisation. Please contact one of the four Australian missions overseas (at the link above) that manages the IDF program for further detail.

DAP eligible countries (2016-17)