As a first step, you will be asked to provide an Expression of Interest outlining:

• The problem you are trying to solve,
• Who the decision-makers will be,
• Why you see an opportunity for change, and
• How your organisation will support the project – not just a co-contribution, but the experience and expertise.

ECA’s leadership team will consider the Expression of Interest, in line with the guidelines approved by the ECA Board.

All EOIs will be published on ECA’s website. All EOIs are also provided to the ECA Board at its next meeting.

Successful applicants will proceed to the next stage, to develop a Theory of Change through a facilitated workshop with key stakeholders, including ECA. The Theory of Change must make clear the outcome being sought, the preconditions for change to achieve this outcome and how you intend to impact these preconditions for change in your funded activities. You will also need to undertake stakeholder analysis to identify potential allies and obstacles to change and how you will engage with others in your initiative.

Where projects are longer than one year, reviews will be needed at appropriate stages to ensure that the project is ready to proceed to the next stage.

Organisations who have already developed a Theory of Change may be invited to proceed directly to a full application, for consideration by the ECA Board.

Once it’s deemed ready, an application will be provided to the Board at the next meeting.

The Expression of Interest should:

• Describe the problem consumers are facing
• Accurately identify decision-makers
• Describe the opportunity for change – e.g. what are the decisions underway that will influence the outcome you intend
• Demonstrate why your organization can achieve results – the capability it brings to the project (e.g. expertise, networks, resources, evidence base)

The report from the facilitated workshop to develop your Theory of Change should demonstrate how the proposed methodology supports the intended outcomes, and value for money – that the benefits will outweigh the cost.

The full application incorporates the above, and includes how the project will assess impact.

Influence Grant applicants must develop a Theory of Change as part of their application.

This established methodology is commonly used by not-for-profits and changemakers to map how specific activities will lead from a declared intention to deliver intended impact.

Energy Consumers Australia uses the Theory of Change across our own advocacy and change-making activities. We have found this to be a powerful and productive way of making sure projects move beyond goal stage, via a clear and achievable set of processes, towards a deliverable and measurable impact.

Don’t worry if you’re not expert at working in this way. We’ll work with you, inviting you to a workshop where you can develop your Theory of Change alongside other project stakeholders.

We’ll cover

• What’s the change you’re trying to achieve?
• Who is your audience?
• Who are your allies?
• Who is your opposition?
• What’s the best approach to achieve the change you seek?

We’re inviting you to work in this way because we’ve seen that it often leads to better outcomes. For our grants recipients and their projects, but more importantly for Australian energy consumers.

We expect that an organisation’s contribution would be in line with the size of the grant sought and its resources, recognising that community sector organisations can have limited capacity to make a financial contribution.