Key Dates

Next Grant Round:
Applications for funding will open early 2025. 
> Information about our Grants Program

Independent Grants Panel:
Results of the recent EOI will be notified Dec 2024.
> Information about our Panel  

We can help:  grants@accan.org.au
or phone 02 9288 4000

Grants Information

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Who can apply?

What is eligible?

How Grants are assessed

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Mobile devices - South Australia

Chris Young

Consumers would be forgiven for feeling angry and betrayed after an ACMA investigation revealed Telstra made available to the public details of 140,000 telco customers who had requested unlisted numbers (also known as silent numbers), in breach of carrier licence conditions.

Consumers have the right to ask their provider to make their phone number unlisted. Calls from unlisted phones do not show up on the phones of recipients. The number also doesn’t appear in phone directories.

ACCAN recently submitted to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee to comment on the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 [Provisions] (the Bill).

ACCAN supports the Bill as a first step to modernising Australia’s privacy protections. However, Australian consumers have poor privacy protections by international standards and further reforms are needed now. ACCAN urges the Government to address all the remaining recommendations from the Attorney-General’s privacy report to ensure that Australians receive the same minimum privacy protections enjoyed by the rest of the world.

ACCAN's fine print project into misleading or unfair terms in telco consumer contracts was undertaken by researcher Dr Jeannie Paterson, a consumer law expert from Melbourne Law School. Dr Paterson examined the contracts for 42 products across ten providers.

Summary of ACCAN's activities from 1 December 2014 to 28 February 2015.

Image of back of client speaking with staff member behind counter, under a red banner reading "Welcome to Hutt St Centre. A place of change, choice and opportunity"

Hutt St Centre

Grant round: 2017-18

Amount: $5,000

ACCAN 2022 CommsDay Congress Speech
Andrew Williams – Acting CEO


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Good morning,

Before I begin today, I’d like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we meet today, the Peoples of the Kulin Nation. I also pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

For those who don’t know me I’ve been with the organisation for just under three years now, initially as Director of Operations and Deputy CEO role, and moved into this role when Teresa Corbin departed last October.

After more than two years of zoom and teams meetings it’s great to be here in person and see some familiar faces in 3D for the first time.

My ACCAN journey has provided a great opportunity to gain an understanding of the myriad issues in this space and I’m committed to our ongoing mission of ensuring that communications services are trusted, inclusive, and available for all.

As many of you are no doubt aware, for many years ACCAN has represented consumers on a wide range of issues which are encapsulated in our priorities:

  • Increased reliability
  • Improved accessibility
  • A fairer telco market
  • Affordable telecommunications
  • Better infrastructure
  • Growing consumer confidence

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Mobile devices - Northern Territory

Australia’s peak communications consumer advocacy group, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), has today announced 3 projects that it will fund through the 2024 Round of its Independent Grants Program.

The ACCAN Independent Grants Program funds projects to enable research on telecommunications issues, represent telecommunications consumers, or create educational tools which empower consumers to understand telecommunications products and services and make decisions in their own interests.

ACCAN recently provided a joint submission, together with CHOICE and Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA), to the Treasury’s consultation on Revitalising National Competition Policy (NCP).

ACCAN commissioned ACA Research to analyse the global roaming charges of 12 popular providers across the top ten overseas destinations visited short-term by Australian residents. The research took place during July and August 2013 but was was updated with new pricing details in September and October 2013.

Summary of ACCAN's activities from 1 September to 30 November 2014.

Man standing in front of media wallQueensland University of Technology, Digital Media Research Centre

Grant round: 2016

Amount: $59,860

 

Christmas presents wrapped in red and white paper, under a Christmas tree

With devices being brought out more and more frequently with new and exciting features, new tech can make for great gifts for relatives and friends who need a new device/s. However, phones, tablets, laptops or gaming devices can be expensive, so you want to make sure you’re taking a few key things into consideration before purchasing these items as gifts.

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Mobile devices - Western Australia

Ms Carol Bennett has officially commenced her role as Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) as of Monday 8 July. This follows a prior announcement of her appointment to succeed Andrew Williams, who departed earlier this year.

Ms Bennett is a highly respected executive with extensive experience in senior management and board roles within the health and aged care sector. Importantly, Ms Bennett has an established reputation for effective national advocacy on behalf of consumers. She joins ACCAN from the Alliance for Gambling Reform, where she was CEO since 2021.

ACCAN recently submitted to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) consultation on proposed changes to the ECS Determination and the Draft Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Amendment Determination 2024 (No.1).

Anglicare Victoria's Hardship Survey 2013, part-funded by ACCAN, surveyed 325 low-income clients regarding their access to telecommunications and whether they struggle to afford these services. Participants were taken from across 25 emergency relief and financial counselling services in metropolitan and non-metropolitan Victoria.

Summary of ACCAN's activities from 1 March to 31 May 2014.

young girl wearing headphones looks to right against black backgroundCurtin University, Department of Internet Studies

Grant round: 2017-18

Amount: $32,000

Good afternoon,

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that I am on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging..  

This afternoon, there are three areas that I’d like to discuss:

  • The need for reliable and fair communications
  • Consumer issues with Digital Platforms and IOT
  • Media Reform Green Paper

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Mobile devices - New South Wales

The ACCC response to the latest draft of the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code validates long-held consumer concerns about the suitability of self-regulation to protect telecommunications consumers.

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) welcomes and supports the comments of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the May 20 draft of the TCP Code.

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