--- title: Innovation Grantees description: Recipents and feedback image: https://www.fcif.org.au/hubfs/bulb%20-%20edit%202.jpg --- [![logo](https://www.fcif.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/logo.png?width=215&height=90&name=logo.png "logo")](https://fcif.org.au?hsLang=en-au) - [Home](https://www.fcif.org.au) - About us - [About FCIF](https://www.fcif.org.au/aboutfcif) - [2025-2028 Grants Strategy](https://www.fcif.org.au/funding-strategy) - [Equity and Transparency](https://www.fcif.org.au/equity-transparency) - [Help videos (using Blackbaud](https://www.fcif.org.au/videohelp) - [Measuring Unmet Demand](https://www.fcif.org.au/measuring-unmet-demand-working-group) - [Feedback](https://www.fcif.org.au/contact-0) - [Share your story](https://www.fcif.org.au/share) - [Subscribe](https://www.fcif.org.au/subscribe) - [Contact us](https://www.fcif.org.au/contact) - Expansion - [Expansion Grants](https://www.fcif.org.au/expansion) - [Target Region Expansion Grant Limited Round](https://www.fcif.org.au/target-region-expansion-grants-limited-round) - [External Reviewers](https://www.fcif.org.au/expansion-reviewers) - [2025 Outcomes and Feedback](https://www.fcif.org.au/outcomes-and-feedback-2025-expansion-grants) - Innovation - [Innovation Grants](https://www.fcif.org.au/innovation) - [Innovation Grantees](https://www.fcif.org.au/innovation-grantees) - [Innovation Advisory Panel](https://www.fcif.org.au/panel) - Workforce Capability - [Workforce Capability Grants](https://www.fcif.org.au/workforce-capability-round) - [Workforce Capability Advisory Panel](https://www.fcif.org.au/workforce-capability-advisory-panel) - Funding partners - [Funding partners](https://www.fcif.org.au/funding-partners) - [Become a contributor](https://www.fcif.org.au/becomeacontributor) - [Home](https://www.fcif.org.au) - About us - [About FCIF](https://www.fcif.org.au/aboutfcif) - [2025-2028 Grants Strategy](https://www.fcif.org.au/funding-strategy) - [Equity and Transparency](https://www.fcif.org.au/equity-transparency) - [Help videos (using Blackbaud](https://www.fcif.org.au/videohelp) - [Measuring Unmet Demand](https://www.fcif.org.au/measuring-unmet-demand-working-group) - [Feedback](https://www.fcif.org.au/contact-0) - [Share your story](https://www.fcif.org.au/share) - [Subscribe](https://www.fcif.org.au/subscribe) - [Contact us](https://www.fcif.org.au/contact) - Expansion - [Expansion Grants](https://www.fcif.org.au/expansion) - [Target Region Expansion Grant Limited Round](https://www.fcif.org.au/target-region-expansion-grants-limited-round) - [External Reviewers](https://www.fcif.org.au/expansion-reviewers) - [2025 Outcomes and Feedback](https://www.fcif.org.au/outcomes-and-feedback-2025-expansion-grants) - Innovation - [Innovation Grants](https://www.fcif.org.au/innovation) - [Innovation Grantees](https://www.fcif.org.au/innovation-grantees) - [Innovation Advisory Panel](https://www.fcif.org.au/panel) - Workforce Capability - [Workforce Capability Grants](https://www.fcif.org.au/workforce-capability-round) - [Workforce Capability Advisory Panel](https://www.fcif.org.au/workforce-capability-advisory-panel) - Funding partners - [Funding partners](https://www.fcif.org.au/funding-partners) - [Become a contributor](https://www.fcif.org.au/becomeacontributor) Search Search - [SUBSCRIBE](https://www.fcif.org.au/subscribe) - [NEED HELP?](https://www.fcif.org.au/about-fc) - - - [SUBSCRIBE](https://www.fcif.org.au/subscribe) - [NEED HELP?](https://www.fcif.org.au/about-fc) - - Search Search # Innovation Grantees         ## Innovation Grantees Innovation Grants fund projects that trial and deploy new solutions that improve the efficiency of financial counselling service delivery. The FCIF Board awarded 11 Innovation grants in 2025 and ten Innovation grants in 2026. Download the [2025 Innovation Projects Final Reports](https://www.fcif.org.au/hubfs/2025%20Innovation%20Grant%20Projects%20Outcomes%20and%20Learnings.pdf?hsLang=en-au) to discover more about the learnings and projected sector-wide benefits of all completed projects. ## Open Innovation Grants ### Client Engagement System for Attendance, Follow-up and Evaluation ($77,000) Anglicare NSW South, NSW West & ACT  Anglicare will pilot a client engagement system that brings booking, reminders, follow-up, safety and welfare communication, and feedback evaluation into one streamlined workflow across all stages of financial counselling. Integrating with Outlook, it enables controlled booking, automated reminders, and consistent follow-up to improve booking access, attendance, and post-referral utilisation. ### Digital Intake and Triage for Financial Counselling ($77,000) Anglicare WA Anglicare WA will develop, trial and integrate a digital intake and triage decision tree model within our existing Financial Wellbeing HUB. It will support safe self-enrolment, clearer client journeys through complexity grading, improving intake efficiency, financial counsellor workload management and enhanced client outcomes across financial counselling services.  ### Client Document Upload Pilot ($70,600) Child and Family Services Ballarat  Cafs will trial a secure client document upload portal enabling clients to submit documents and complete actions between appointments. By shifting administrative tasks outside sessions, the project will reduce workload, increase practitioner capacity, and enable timelier access to financial counselling for people experiencing financial hardship. ### Designing VERA: Verified Evidence and Records Access ($76,930) EACH Each will scope and design the consent and legal frameworks, user workflows, and regulatory and technical considerations for a Verified Evidence and Records Access Platform (VERA). VERA will provide Financial Counsellors with timely and comprehensive access to client-consented records from government corporate registers, significantly improving administrative efficiency and counselling capacity. ### Client Management System Transition Pilot ($76,981) Financial Counselling Victoria FCVic will pilot a structured transition process for financial counselling agencies upgrading Client Management Systems. The project will test migration tools, data standards and implementation supports to reduce administrative burden, improve data quality and enable more efficient service delivery, informed by sector-wide digital transformation insights. ### Financial Counselling Digital Transformation Roadmap: Data, Systems & Ethical AI ($74,400) Financial Counselling Victoria FCVic will partner with FCAN and Infoxchange to deliver a digital transformation roadmap including a review of client management systems, development of an ethical AI framework and access to an AI-readiness assessment tool. The project aims to reduce admin burden, improve interoperability and support values-aligned innovation across Victoria and NSW.   ### Integrated Case Notes Pilot ($68,670) Financial Rights Legal Centre Scope, pilot and evaluate an AI enabled integration between telephone and CRM systems to automate case notes and summaries from voice-to-text for the National Debt Helpline, while developing transferable privacy, ethical and technical standards and policy templates for adoption across the financial counselling sector. ### Improving Client Retention and Efficiency Through Lived Experience ($74,636) Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand This project will improve financial counselling efficiency and outcomes by reducing early client disengagement. It will embed lived experience insights for approaches to increase client retention and case completion, producing a real-world based, fit for purpose sector wide practice guide to support consistent adoption, scale and measurable service effectiveness. ### Efficiency Optimisation in Financial Counselling Leveraging Agentic AI ($75,000) Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand  Good Shepherd will develop an AI-assisted triage and referral tool to improve access, prioritisation and efficiency across Good Shepherd’s financial counselling services. The tool will use natural language processing to assess client needs and streamline intake and data entry with potential for sector-wide use. ### Aṉangu-led Stepped Financial Counselling System ($77,000) Money Mob Talkabout MoneyMob will prototype an Aṉangu-led stepped financial counselling system that introduces structured triage and workflow pathways to match clients to the right level of support earlier. The model will reduce unnecessary demand for intensive casework, improve service efficiency, and create a scalable service architecture for the financial counselling sector. ### Digital Financial Counselling Access Booths ($77,000) Northern Rivers Community Gateway Community Gateway will pilot three digital financial counselling access booths in community health settings across Clarence Valley, Tweed Shire and Richmond Valley. Booths provide secure, private spaces for clients to connect with financial counsellors via video, reducing travel time, increasing financial counsellor capacity and creating a scalable regional delivery model. ### Condensed FDSV Risk Screening Tool ($77,000) Women's Legal Service WA Women’s Legal Service WA (WLSWA) will develop a concise, trauma‑informed FDSV screening tool tailored for financial counsellors. Designed for time‑poor, non‑specialist services, the tool will enable safe disclosure, assess perpetrator risk, support appropriate referrals to specialist services, and integrate financial counselling practice within professional and legal limitations. ### Completed Innovation Grants ### Streamlining Remote and Rural access to Financial Counselling utilising AI ($30,000) CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Project will develop an AI-powered chatbot and phone intake system to streamline access to financial counselling for rural and remote clients. The system will enable 24/7 triage, reduce wait times, improve client readiness and support future sector-wide adoption.  ### Financial Counselling Australia Ltd (FCA) Financial Counselling Australia Ltd (FCA)  FCA will prototype a digital platform using Open Banking to automate bank data retrieval and streamline Statement of Financial Position (SoFP) preparation. Building on a successful pilot, the platform will reduce admin time, improve accuracy and strengthen sector-wide service capacity through centralised access.  ### Vanguard Technical Financial Counselling Support ($75,000) Financial Counselling Queensland  FCQ will develop a technical casework support service for financial counsellors, combining expert advice with an AI-powered chatbot to streamline case notes and improve service efficiency. The project aims to reduce admin burden, support professional development and enhance capacity, particularly for new, regional and remote workers, with potential for national rollout.  ### Financial Counselling Digital Transformation Roadmap: Data, Systems & Ethical AI ($74,400) Financial Counselling Victoria FCVic will partner with FCAN and Infoxchange to deliver a digital transformation roadmap including a review of client management systems, development of an ethical AI framework and access to an AI-readiness assessment tool. The project aims to reduce admin burden, improve interoperability and support values-aligned innovation across Victoria and NSW.   ### Multilingual services to improve CALD communities' access to financial counselling ($75,000) Financial Counsellors Association NSW FCAN will test AI-powered interpreter platforms to improve access for CALD clients. By trialling these tools in real-world settings, the project aims to reduce reliance on third-party interpreters, cut wait times, lower costs and enhance engagement. A best practice blueprint will be developed to support broader sector adoption.     *This project was discontinued in February 2026 at the Grantee’s request. FCAN explored using off-the-shelf AI products to deliver the project but ultimately determined that it was not viable at this point in time. The project has delivered learnings about service innovation that the grantee will share in their report.*  ### Reinvention of the Statement of Financial Position (SoFP) ($75,000) Central Coast Region Financial Counselling Service Central Coast Region Financial Counselling Service is enhancing the Statement of Financial Position (SoFP) by turning it into a smart digital worksheet. This upgrade will cut admin, speed up client support, and deliver more consistent outcomes. It will integrate with forms (like authority letters), tracks client finances over time, and assist with drafting letters to creditors using AI - all in a scalable and agency-agnostic way. ### Financial Counselling Co-Pilot ($75,000) Redgum Justice The Centre will explore how AI can support financial counselling case management. The project will evaluate tools for booking, transcription and drafting and develop a legal and ethical guide for the sector. Findings will be shared to support safe and consistent AI use.  ### BILLY - Bills Information, Loans & Language for You ($74,000) South East Community Links  SECL will develop and pilot BILLY, an AI-powered multilingual tool to support high-volume Bring Your Bills events for CALD and First Nations clients. The tool aims to digitise intake, provide chatbot-based navigation and improve triage and accessibility. It aims to save up to 20 minutes per client and produce a model for broader use.   ### Tools for Faster, Fairer Financial Counselling ($75,000) South East Community Links  SECL will develop and test AI tools that automate key admin tasks such as debt summaries, financial statements and case notes. The project will be co-designed with sector input and delivered in partnership with AI consultancy Alyve.   ### Live-chat and after-hours Financial Counselling services for Victorian Renters ($75,000) Tenants Victoria  Tenants Victoria will pilot live-chat and AI-assisted financial counselling including after-hours access for renters in financial stress. An AI virtual assistant will provide immediate triage and basic support easing pressure on phone lines and improving accessibility.   *This project was discontinued in February 2026 at the Grantee’s request. Tenants Victoria explored using the Genesys Cloud system to deliver the project but determined that it was not viable through this technology given the resources and time required. The project has delivered learnings about service innovation that the grantee will share.*   [![Advisory panel](https://www.fcif.org.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Website%20banners%20(12)-1.png?width=1000&height=350&name=Website%20banners%20(12)-1.png "Advisory panel")](https://www.fcif.org.au/panel?hsLang=en-au) *The [Innovation Advisory Panel](https://www.fcif.org.au/panel?hsLang=en-au) reviews applications during our [assessment process](https://www.fcif.org.au/2025innovationgrants?hsLang=en-au)* --- ## Feedback   ### What made a compelling project?   #### A clear service delivery problem Strong applications clearly defined the service delivery problem, explained who was affected and provided evidence of its scale. They avoided relying on broad assumptions and showed why the proposed solution was a logical response to the problem. #### A direct efficiency benefit Compelling proposals demonstrated how the project could increase financial counselling services to assist more people, reduce avoidable administration, shorten delays or make better use of financial counsellor capacity. Projects with worthwhile objectives were less competitive where the link to service delivery efficiency was indirect or unclear. #### Genuine originality The strongest applications explained what was new about the proposed approach and how it differed from existing tools, resources or ordinary operational improvement. Adapting an established approach could still be innovative, but applicants needed to explain what was being tested and why the adaptation was meaningful in financial counselling. #### Sector-wide benefit Strong applications looked beyond the needs of one organisation. They explained how the project, evidence or learning could be used by other financial counselling services, including organisations with different systems, sizes and operating contexts. #### Confirmed partnerships and delivery arrangements Applications were more persuasive where key partners, technology providers and participating services had confirmed their involvement. Letters of support were most useful when they set out a partner’s role, contribution and commitment rather than providing general endorsement. #### A realistic plan and budget Compelling applications had a clear work plan, realistic milestones, a coherent budget and measurable outcomes. They identified key risks, including privacy, regulatory, technology, staffing and implementation risks, and explained how these would be managed. #### A strong approach to testing and evaluation Successful proposals included baseline information and a practical method for determining whether the idea worked. Evaluation plans were stronger where they specified the measures, sample, data sources and decision points that would be used.    ---    ### Why were projects unsuccessful?   #### Ineligible applicants A small number of EOIs were submitted by organisations that were not currently providing financial counselling services and were therefore ineligible to apply under the Grant Guidelines. #### Ineligible activities A number of EOIs primarily sought funding for activities that were ineligible under the Grant Guidelines, including: • employing financial counsellors, financial capability workers or administrative/support staff to deliver additional services • activities unrelated to financial counselling service delivery • standalone financial literacy or financial education initiatives. Projects that proposed a different location, client group or delivery setting were still considered additional service delivery where the main activity was employing staff to provide more services. #### Limited originality or differentiation Some EOIs described interesting projects but did not clearly explain what was new about the proposed approach or how it differed from existing tools, resources or service delivery models. Other proposals addressed similar issues to stronger EOIs but did not demonstrate a sufficiently distinct solution or broader sector benefit. Some full applications were viewed as a useful operational improvement rather than a sufficiently new solution. Others overlapped with existing sector resources, previously funded work or stronger applications addressing similar issues in the same round #### Deliverability risk Some EOIs did not progress because the organisation did not demonstrate sufficient capacity, resources or financial stability to deliver the project. Innovation funding can support testing and development, but applicants must still show that they have the governance, staffing and operational capability needed to manage the work. Some applications presented material financial or implementation risks. Concerns included unclear or fragmented budgets, ambitious staffing plans and work programs, uncertain technology scope and insufficient planning for privacy, regulation or technical integration. Some projects depended on external partners or participating services that had not confirmed their involvement by the full application stage. This reduced confidence in both deliverability and sector-wide benefit. #### Insufficient detail While the EOI was intentionally brief, some proposals were too broad or unclear to assess. Stronger EOIs clearly described the proposed solution, how it would work and why it was likely to improve financial counselling service delivery. Applications were less competitive where the scale of the problem was not supported by baseline data, claimed time savings were not substantiated, or the evaluation approach did not identify a suitable sample, comparison or measure of success. #### Limited sector-wide benefits Technology proposals were less compelling where benefits depended on a particular system, proprietary methodology or commercial provider without a clear plan for broader access. Stronger applications addressed intellectual property, licensing, ongoing costs and whether smaller services could realistically adopt the solution. 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