Policy development funding

Policy development funding is public money we provide to support eligible political parties with their policy development.

We publish the details of funding amounts paid to individual recipients since 2018. This information is updated on a quarterly basis in the Funding register.

Who is eligible?

You can receive this funding if you:

• were registered as a party for the whole calendar year (1 January - 31 December)
• did not claim public funding payments
• were not eligible for administrative expenditure funding for that year.

This funding is for the calendar year period (1 January - 31 December), not financial year (1 July - 30 June).

How can I receive this funding?

You can only receive policy development funding once your registered officer submits a policy development funding statement. This must show that your party spent money to develop your policy in that calendar year. This statement must be accompanied with and an audit certificate. The audit certificate must be completed by a registered company auditor.

The penalty for giving false or misleading information in these documents is up to 300 penalty units or two years' prison time.

The audit certificate must state that the auditor:

a) was given full and free access at all reasonable times to all accounts, records, documents and papers relating directly or indirectly to any matter required to be specified in the statement; and
b) examined the material referred to in paragraph (a) for the purpose of giving the certificate; and
c) received all information and explanations that the auditor requested in respect of any matter required to be specified in the statement; and
d) has no reason to believe that any matter stated in the statement is not correct.

The registered company auditor can use this audit certificate template (PDF).

Your registered officer must apply for this funding in writing to us at disclosures@vec.vic.gov.au. The due date for this is is 19 May 2024 (20 weeks after the end of the calendar year). We will provide you with the application form if you are eligible.

How much is this funding?

If you are eligible you can receive either:

• a lump sum
• a payment based on the number of first preference votes received in the previous state election.

Both of these baseline amounts are indexed annually in line with the consumer price index (CPI). The current amounts are on our indexation page.

If you have spent less than your full entitlement we will only pay you for what you have spent. If the statement shows you have spent more than your entitlement we will only pay you the full entitlement amount.

When is payment made?

We pay policy development funding within 30 days of receiving your correct statement of expenditure and audit certificate.

What can this money be used for?

You can can use this funding for costs associated with state policy development. This may include:

• office accommodation
• staff employed
• equipment (e.g. IT systems, vehicles, office stationery, etc.)
• interest charges on loans
• utilities
• travel
• advertising
• activities (e.g. conferences, seminars, meetings, providing information to members and supporters)
• costs incurred for preparing your policy development applications (including staff time, audit cost, etc.).

These costs must all be directly related to developing policy. General administration costs and state election campaigns are not to be paid for with this money.

This money must not be deposited into any of your state campaign accounts.

For more information read our determination on what this money can be used for.