Australian Government: National Panel of Assessors Grant Opportunity

Deadline: 24 October 2017

The Australian Government is inviting membership to the Disability Employment Services (DES) National Panel of Assessors (NPA) via an open application process, to provide assessment services across all Employment Service Areas (ESA) from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2023.

The National Panel of Assessors provides a range of independent assessment services to assist with the needs of people with disability in the workplace. Assessment services include Ongoing Support Assessments for DES participants, Supported Wage System assessments which determine the productivity-based wage for Supported Wage System participants, and Workplace Modifications Assessments for Employment Assistance Fund recipients.

The NPA will provide a range of Assessment Services to assist with the needs of people with disability in the workplace.

Outcomes

The outcomes of the DES-NPA 2018 program are:

to ensure that DES Participants, Providers and Employers are supported by independent assessors trained and qualified in providing disability employment Assessment Services
to provide sufficient and timely delivery of three types of Assessment Services across all ESA locations:
- Ongoing Support Arrangements (OSA)
- Supported Wage Scheme (SWS)
- Workplace Modifications Scheme (WMS)
to supplement the DES program by providing assessment services for the benefit of people with disability in the workplace, employers, DES Participants and DES Providers.

Funding Information

Ongoing Support Assessment Grants
- The Assessment Grant of $420 (including GST) is payable to NPA Providers on completion and acceptance of an OSA report by the Department of Social Services.
Supported Wage System Grants
- The Assessment Grant of $600 (including GST) is payable on completion of an SWS Assessment and SWS Wage Assessment Agreement.
Workplace Modifications Grants
- The hourly rate of $120 (including GST) will be payable to NPA Providers on completion of a Workplace Modifications Assessment.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible applicants must:
- be one of the following entity types:
  - Aboriginal Corporation
  - Australian Government (Corporate Commonwealth Entities only)
  - Private Company
  - Public Company
  - Incorporated Cooperative
  - Trustee on behalf of Trust
  - Incorporated Association
  - Organisation established through a specific piece of Commonwealth or State/Territory legislation
  - Individual/Sole Trader
  - Local Government
  - Non-Entity Joint Venture
  - Partnership
  - State/Territory Government
  - Other Incorporated Entity
- have legal personality, and
- have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN).
An individual or organisation will have legal personality if it has the right and obligations of a legal person. These include, but are not limited to, the right to buy, sell, assign or lease any property; enter into contracts; and sue and be sued in their own name.
Applications from consortia are acceptable, provided applicants have a lead applicant who is the main driver of the project and all members of the consortia are eligible as per the list above.