Q. Are the indicative funding amounts detailed in 2.5 of Part C Application Information for the NABS GST exclusive or GST inclusive?
A. All indicative funding amounts are GST exclusive.
Q. What is the duration of funding for NABS and when would the successful organisation commence operation?
A. Funding for the NABS is for three years, from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2016 inclusive. The successful applicant needs to be operational from 1 July 2013.
Q. Is the documentation requested in Part 4, Question 17 (of the Application Form) to be sent as attachments to the Application Form or just to be made available upon request?
A. Applicants do not need to attach the documents to their Applications. FaHCSIA may ask for them to be provided at a later date.
Q. With reference to Part 4, Question 17 (of the Application Form) where it states copies of certain documents may be required as part of the verification process, could you please advise if ‘risk management plan’ refers to OHS or other organisational risk?
A. The risk management plan for the organisation refers to all risks the organisation may face and a strategy for business continuity. OH&S risk would be included under the broader plan as it may affect the delivery of programs. For example if an OH&S issue forced the premises to close for a period of time then the organisation needs to consider the impact of this on the delivery of our program. Other risks such as a lack of back up personnel could also be an issue. What we want to know is that the organisation has a risk management plan in place to deal with unforseen issues so we can be assured that they are capable of delivering successfully.
Q. Is there an expected staffing number with the funds allocated to the NABS.
A. The Department does not prescribe how many staff are employed by the service. The provider is required to implement a service delivery model that achieves outcomes under the funding agreement.
Q. Are there any support materials to help us write this grant, as even though we are not new to the disability sector aims and objective we are fairly new to grant writing and submissions so any assistance would be much appreciated.
A. The requirements of an application are outlined in the Application Pack. All applications must comply with the Application Guidelines.
Q. I am currently developing an application and I would appreciate a direct contact number for any queries that I have in relation to the application.
A. A question and answers facility for the NABS selection process is available online. Questions may be sent to the NABS Mailbox at nabs@fahcsia.gov.au. Questions and answers received during the Application Period will be posted on the Funding section of the FaHCSIA web site on the Friday of every week during the Application Period.
Q. Is there a way of knowing which other service providers will apply for the NABS.
A: For probity reasons we are unable to provide information about the organisations that apply for the NABS.
Q. Is there a word limit?
A. Yes, in Part 5 of the Application Form, there is a 1000 word limit for answers to the selection criteria. There is no set word limit for Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6, however answers should be concise.
Q. Can Applicants attach as many supporting documents as they wish?
Will there be any disadvantage to Applicants that do not include attachments? How many attachments can an Applicant include? What length can these attachments be?
A. Where the Application Form asks for evidence (or supporting evidence), Applicants may, but are not required to, attach documentary evidence to support their responses to questions. The attachments must be referred to in the answers to the questions. Applications will be assessed primarily on answers provided in the Application Form to questions. FaHCSIA will refer to additional information in attachments (where those attachments are allowed to be included) to confirm or clarify the information contained in the answers in the Application Form.
Q. The application needs to be lodged by 2.00pm on 22 March 2013. Is that correct?
A. Applications must be placed inside the FaHCSIA Tender Box, located in Module B Reception, Tuggeranong Office Park, Athlon Drive Greenway ACT 2900, no later than 2.00pm AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight-Saving Time) on Friday 22 March 2013. Application received after this time will not be considered unless there are exceptional circumstances beyond the applicant’s control. Any decision by FaHCSIA to accept or not accept a late application will be final.
Q. Our question is regarding the current service NABS is providing to the Northern Territory and Tasmania. Both these positions currently receive discrete funding.
- Will discrete funding for these positions continue?
- Is funding for these positions included in the overall funding amount for 2013/14 of 5.8 million?
- Is there consideration for continuing the position in Tasmania as it seems that only the NT position is mentioned in the guidelines.
A. This is a new funding agreement that is subject to an open competitive selection process. As a result the service delivery arrangements from 1 July 2013 may look different than that provided in the past, regardless the successful service provider will be responsible for ensuring the availability of suitably qualified Auslan interpreters across all states and territories to deliver services that are specified in the funding agreement.
The agreed budget for 2013–14 is $5.8 million and the NABS must be delivered within this allocation – there is no additional discrete funding. It is up to each applicant to identify how this funding may best be used to achieve the outcomes identified in the program guidelines. Applicants are able to identify how they will, within the available funding, respond in an innovative way to service delivery arrangements to ensure no Deaf person is disadvantaged by not having an available interpreter when attending a private medical or specified health care appointment.
Q. Could you please advise if the selection criteria for the NABS tender will be weighted and if so, what proportion of weighting will be given for each of the selection criteria?
A. All five selection criteria will be equally weighted (refer Section 5.2 Part C: Application Information).
Q. Can we get a break-up of F2012 appointments broken up into Level 2 and 3, and kilometres travelled.
A. The NABS is a demand driven service and the number of Auslan Interpreting appointments provided by the NABS is dependent on the requests received.
The successful service provider will be responsible for ensuring the availability of suitably qualified Auslan interpreters (Level 2 and 3) across all states and territories to deliver services as specified in the program guidelines.
Q. Does the provider currently pay superannuation to interpreters?
A. Clause 3 of the terms and conditions governing FaHCSIA funding obligate all grant recipients to adhere to all relevant codes of ethics, regulations or other industry standards relevant to the Activity. Interpretation of this clause would apply to the grant recipient’s obligations relating to the employment of their staff. The grant recipient must conduct its own research in order to meet its legislated requirements, this is not something that FaHCSIA can advise on.
Q. Is it possible to see the profit and loss statement in relation to NABS for 2011/ 12, and the budget for 2012/13?
A. As per Clause 17 of the Terms and Conditions – Standard Funding Agreement we are unable to disclose this information. A copy of the agreement can be found on the FaHCSIA website.
Q. The draft standard funding agreement refers to schedules that are to be included. Can we get a copy of the Schedules to the proposed Agreement?
A. The funding agreement schedule supplied to the successful grant applicant will be subject to negotiation and adaptation based on the risk profile of the individual funding relationship between the department and the successful applicant. Therefore it is not usual practice for the department to provide prospective grant recipients with an example schedule.
Q. Can we get a sample completed acquittal? funding Acquittal statements
A. Clause 10 of the Terms and Conditions – Standard Funding Agreement sets out the standards the grant recipient is obliged to meet when providing acquittal documentation to us. Specifically they must ensure that acquittals are in accordance with applicable Australian Accounting Standards which can be found at www.aasb.gov.au . The department does not have a copy of an acquittal template to supply to applicants.
Q. What are the current agreed rates charged by the service provider?
A. As per Clause 17 of the Terms and Conditions – Standard Funding Agreement we are unable to disclose this information. A copy of the agreement can be found on the FaHCSIA website.
The Department does not prescribe the rates charged by the service as it expects the provider will implement a service delivery model that offers value for money in the context of the objectives and outcomes of the grant activity.
Q. Do interpreters currently invoice for their services, and if so how frequently?
A. The grant recipient must develop its own operational requirements and procedures. This is not something that FaHCSIA can advise on.
The successful service provider will be paid by the Department in arrears upon receipt of a calendar month invoice, and in accordance with the prices agreed under the terms and conditions of the funding agreement.
Q. Are the proposed costs for a new provider to set up NABS included in the funding of $5.8 million shown in section 2.5 of Part C – Application Information for the National Auslan Interpreter Booking and Payment Service (NABS), or in addition to that amount?
A. The total agreed budget for 2013–14 is $5.8 million and the NABS must be delivered within this allocation. There is no additional funding.
Funding is provided to an organisation for provision of the activity alone. How the grant recipient needs to conduct their day to day business to meet the activity deliverables is not the concern of the department and we do not involve ourselves in how a grant recipient operates their business.
The department is obligated to ensure that the amount of funding provided is a sufficient amount to meet the activity outputs and outcomes and does not allow the grant recipient a profit. The amount is negotiated and agreed by both parties and must meet the definition that the funding provided meets value for money objectives.
Q. Is it possible to see a breakdown of the 20,000 appointments by state and by region?
A. The number of Auslan Interpreting appointments by State/Territory in 2011-2012 was:
|
NSW |
VIC |
QLD |
WA |
SA |
TAS |
ACT |
NT |
Total |
|
5712 |
4382 |
6660 |
2241 |
1540 |
100 |
194 |
75 |
20904 |
Q. If the current service provider was unsuccessful is there a transition plan in place which includes information on the transfer of intellectual property, assets and historical data?
A. If the current provider is unsuccessful, the department will facilitate the development of a transition plan between the old provider and the new provider to ensure the correct and appropriate transfer of material and information. This will be done in accordance with the Terms and Conditions – Standard Funding Agreement;
- Clause 5: Record Keeping and Reporting;
- Clause 14: Intellectual Property Rights; and
- Clause 15: Safekeeping and Return of Commonwealth Material.