Current Grant Opportunity View - GO8467

The strategic objective of the New Colombo Plan (NCP), as described in Program 1.5 of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Portfolio Budget Statement (PBS) is to advance Australia’s interests and bilateral relationships through enduring people-to-people, institutional and business links with the Indo-Pacific region.

The intended outcomes of the NCP are:

• for participants to acquire Indo-Pacific capability and Asia literacy
• to foster deeper people-to-people and education relationships between Australia and the Indo-Pacific, and 
• to increase Australia's economic engagement with the region by supporting NCP participants to build job-ready skills, and supporting NCP alumni to maintain their ties to the Indo-Pacific.

The 2027 NCP Semester Program will provide funding to Australian universities to leverage their partnership arrangements to support 1 to 2 semester-length experiences for Australian undergraduate students. Credit-bearing internships and other programs that contribute to mandatory course completion can also be undertaken.

The objective of the NCP Semester Program is to provide opportunities for Australian undergraduate students to build their Indo-Pacific capability and Asia literacy, including Asian language learning, through semester-length structured learning programs in areas of Australia’s strategic and economic interests.

The intended outcomes of the NCP Semester Program include:

• participants develop their Indo-Pacific knowledge and capability, including language skills, in line with Australia’s strategic and economic interests
• Australian universities leverage institutional partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and there is an expansion of engagement with counterpart institutions in priority host locations, languages and sectors, and
• alumni maintain and develop their Indo-Pacific capability, including language skills, and engagement with the region.

Refer to the NCP Semester Program 2027 Round Guidelines (sections 4 and 5).

The 2027 NCP Semester Program will run from 1 January 2027 to 31 July 2029.

$23,500,000.00

Applications must be lodged in SmartyGrants by the closing date/time (11 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on 4 August 2026).

Industry Briefing: New Colombo Plan 2027 Round

The NCP Secretariat will hold a webinar for Australian universities on Monday 15 June 2026 to discuss the 2027 Round. 

NCP Secretariat staff will be able to take questions during the webinar. A summary of the Q&A will be published as an addendum on GrantConnect.

The briefing will be held via Microsoft Teams, with details below.

Date: Monday 15 June 2026

Time: 1 pm to 2.30 pm (AEST)

Location: Online via Microsoft Teams

Meeting link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/246544454752244?p=EgHByzCEWlwxaB20nK

Meeting ID: 246 544 454 752 244

Passcode: Mq3hK3xw