Veterans' Health Week 2024 – Frequently asked questions and glossary

Last updated:

16 September 2024

Frequently asked questions

What is Veterans’ Health Week?

Veterans’ Health Week (VHW) is a DVA program that aims to generate interest in, and raise awareness around, improving the health and wellbeing of former and current serving Australian Defence Force personnel, their families and carers. Four priority health and wellbeing themes for VHW rotate on an annual basis —they are: Get Moving (physical activity), Eat Well (nutrition), Mental Wellness Matters (Mental Wellness) and Keep Connected (social connectedness). The VHW 2024 theme is Keep Connected.

What are eligible legal entity types?

To be eligible you must be one of the following entity types:

Company
Co-operative
Incorporated Association
Indigenous Corporation
Partnership
Statutory Entity.

How do I apply for Veterans’ Health Week funding?

The VHW Funding and Registration application form is available online at www.dva.gov.au/vhw website. Any changes to the VHW Funding and Registration application form will be published on www.dva.gov.au/vhw.

To apply you must:

complete the online application form on www.dva.gov.au/vhw
provide all the information requested
address all the questions
include any relevant attachments

I have been able to hold more events in the past, why is there an event limit?

The event limit provides fairness amongst the veteran community. Applicants who are looking to apply for more than one event will need to demonstrate in their application how these events attempt to uniquely engage the different cohorts, interests and abilities within the veteran community.

How are applications assessed?

The VHW team will assess all applications against the criteria. We will consider your application on its merits, based on:

how well it meets the criteria
the geographic distribution of funds when awarding funding, to take into account the distribution of veterans across Australia and those communities most in need
the quality of the event
whether it provides value with relevant money.

The VHW team may seek additional information about you or your application and this may delay the application process. We may also consider information about you or your application that is available through the normal course of business.

The VHW National Coordinator and the VHW team’s decision is final in all matters, including the:

approval of the VHW application
the funding amount to be awarded.

Can someone from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs help me with my application?

The VHW National Coordinator, the VHW team and the Community Support Advisors can provide general information and advice on completing your application. To maintain the fairness and integrity of the application process, applicants cannot be offered individual support or help with their applications.

I have received an email from a business that has offered to help me complete my Veterans’ Health Week Funding and Registration application. Is this from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, a Government agency or an associated company?

External organisations are not engaged or encouraged by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or other Government agencies to help with applications. Applicants engaging these services do so at their own risk.

Who do I contact if I’m having trouble using or submitting an application form?

If you require help or support in using and/or submitting an application form on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website, please contact:

the VHW National Coordinator/the VHW team at vhw [at] dva.gov.au (vhw[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au)
and/or the Community Support Team at CommunitySupport [at] dva.gov.au (CommunitySupport[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au)

Application forms accessed through other agencies’ websites will include information about who to contact for support with applications.

Will you contact me if there are problems/questions about my application?

To maintain fairness and the integrity of the application process, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs cannot contact applicants to resolve issues with their applications. However, when applicants supply incomplete documents, they may be contacted for more information.

Can I appeal the decision of the outcome of my application?

There is no appeal mechanism for decisions to approve or not approve a VHW application.

Glossary

Term	definition
Accountable Authority	The person or group of persons responsible for governing the Commonwealth entity.
Australian veteran community	An Australian veteran is any current or former member of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with at least one day of continuous full-time service (CFTS), including Reservists who have rendered any period of CFTS and national servicemen. The term ‘veterans’ family’ includes any person a veteran considers is a member of his/her family. Together these groups form the Australian veteran community.
Branch	A branch is a part of a larger company. All branches are the same company, they are just physically present in multiple locations. Having this type of set up allows the company to have a wider reach and provide services to a larger number of people. It’s important to note here that all branches will carry out the same operations as the head office. Branches use all the same marketing materials, however they may have different sales targets or compete with other branches for the most sales within the company. Branches are not financially independent.
Beneficiaries	A trust beneficiary can be a person, a company or the trustee of another trust. The trustee may also be a beneficiary, but not the sole beneficiary unless there is more than one trustee. Beneficiaries may have an entitlement to trust income or capital that is set out in the trust deed or they may acquire an entitlement because the trustee exercises a discretion to pay them income or capital. Generally, the beneficiaries are taxed on the net income of a trust based on their share of the trust's income – regardless of when or whether the income is actually paid to them.
Commonwealth company	A company incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001, owned or controlled by the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth entity	The government body (agency or department).
Company	A company is a type of business structure. When you set up a company, you create a legal entity that’s separate from you.
Co-operative	A co-operative is a member-owned business structure with at least five members. A co-operative structure is a legally incorporated entity designed to serve the interests of its members. Co-operatives carry on businesses in all sectors and they may be profit sharing enterprises or non-profit organisations. They serve their members by providing goods and services that may be unavailable or too costly to access as individuals.
Corporate Commonwealth entity	A corporate Commonwealth entity is a Commonwealth entity that is a body corporate. It is legally separate to the Commonwealth and has the capacity to enter into contracts in its own right. It is a body corporate established under Commonwealth legislation.
Corporate state or territory entity	Corporate state or territory entities are state or territory entities that are a body corporate. They are legally separate to the relevant state or territory and have the capacity to enter into contracts in their own right. They are body corporates established under state or territory legislation.
Ex-Service Organisation (ESO)	For the purposes of the VHW Program, an ESO is considered to be an organisation that satisfies all of the below points: has direct links to the ex-service community has membership consisting primarily of veterans, past and present members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and/or their dependants is established primarily to provide pensions, advocacy and/or welfare assistance to veterans, past and present members of the ADF and/or their dependants does not charge any fee for acting on behalf of the veterans, past and present members of the ADF and/or their dependants in the provision of claims or welfare services has objectives that aim to benefit the welfare of its members.
Incorporated Associations	An incorporated association is an organisation incorporated under state or territory law that is usually not-for-profit. Its structure establishes it as a legal entity separate from its individual members. You can recognise an incorporated association by the word 'Incorporated' or the abbreviation 'Inc' after its name.
Indigenous Corporation	Indigenous corporations are companies incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth) and regulated by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC). Indigenous corporations can be for profit or not-for-profit.
International Entity	An international entity is a company that operates across national borders, engaging in business activities and maintaining a presence in multiple countries. The parent company may have legal entities in foreign countries in the form of subsidiaries, branches, or representative offices.
Local government	A local government entity is an entity established under state or territory local government legislation, for the purposes of governing local areas within the state or territory. They are generally referred to as local councils.
Non-corporate Commonwealth entity	A non-corporate Commonwealth entity is a Commonwealth entity that is part of the Commonwealth and which represents and acts on behalf of the Commonwealth. They are Commonwealth departments i.e. a Department of State, as recognised by the Administrative Arrangements Orders, or a Parliamentary Department.
Non-corporate Commonwealth statutory authority	A non-corporate Commonwealth statutory authority is an entity that is separate to the Commonwealth, but is not strictly a body corporate. It may be a commission, a commissioner, an authority, or other statutory position to which a person or persons may be appointed. It is established by Commonwealth legislation.
Non-corporate state or territory entity	A non-corporate state or territory entity is a state or territory entity that is part of the state or territory. It represents and acts on behalf of the state or territory. It is not legally separate to the state or territory. Known as Departments of State in South Australia and Directorates in the ACT.
Non-corporate state or territory statutory authority	A state or territory non-corporate statutory authority is an entity that is separate to the state or territory, but is not strictly a body corporate, for example, it may be a commission, a commissioner, an authority, or other statutory position to which a person or persons may be appointed. It is established by state or territory legislation.
Partnership	A partnership is an agreement by legal persons to share responsibility for debts, losses and obligations which any individual partner may take on in the course of conducting the business or activities of the partnership. An individual partner may be any of the types of legal entities described herein. A partnership may consist of both government and private partners. An individual partner can enter into agreements on behalf of the partnership. The department will enter into an agreement with the individual partners of the partnership.
Person	A natural person, an individual, and/or a human being.
Social Connectedness	Social isolation has been directly associated with poorer health-related quality of life, a higher consumption of health care resources and poorer outcomes from acute interventions, such as cardiovascular surgery. To overcome social isolation, individuals should be encouraged to become involved with clubs and associations, which in turn, widens networks, enhances social skills and provides structure and routine.
Sole trader	A person who trades in their own right, and controls and manages their business. They are legally responsible for all aspects of the business, and personally responsible for debts and losses incurred in carrying out their business. They may trade under their own name, or they may operate under a separate registered business name. The legal contracting entity is the person.
Statutory entity	Statutory corporations are public enterprises brought into existence by a Special Act of the Parliament. The Act defines its powers and functions, rules and regulations governing its employees and its relationship with government departments.
Sub-Branch	Sub-Branch means any branch office having in total less than 4 Approved Persons and supervised by an Approved Person as required under the Rules who is not normally present at such Sub-Branch office.
Trusts	Trusts are widely used for investment and business purposes. A trust is an obligation imposed on a person or other entity to hold property for the benefit of beneficiaries. While in legal terms a trust is a relationship not a legal entity, trusts are treated as taxpayer entities for the purposes of tax administration.
Trustee	The trustee(s) (there may be more than one) of a trust may be a person or a company (the latter is known as a corporate trustee). In either case, the trustee must be legally capable of holding trust property in their own right. The trustee holds the trust property for the benefit of the beneficiaries. Where the trust is established by deed (which in the case of a deceased estate is the will), the trustee must deal with the trust property in line with the intentions of the settlor as set out in the trust deed. They must also act in accordance with the relevant state or territory law regulating trusts, and with any other applicable law, including tax law. Under trust law, trustees are: personally liable for the debts of the trusts they administer, and entitled to be indemnified out of the trust property for liabilities incurred in the proper exercise of the trustee's powers (except where a breach of trust has occurred). Under tax law, the trustee is responsible for managing the trust's tax affairs, including registering the trust in the tax system, lodging trust tax returns and paying some tax liabilities. *If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust, the Trustee must have an eligible entity type as listed above. Trusts are not legal entities in their own right – to be eligible, only the Trustee for the Trust can apply by providing the signed Trust Deed. Both the Trust’s and Trustee’s details will be collected in the application form.
Trust Deed	A trust deed is a legal document that sets out the rules for establishing and operating your fund. It includes such things as the fund’s objectives, who can be a member and whether benefits can be paid as a lump sum or income stream. The trust deed and super laws together form the fund’s governing rules. The trust deed must be: prepared by someone competent to do so as it's a legal document signed and dated by all trustees properly executed according to state or territory laws regularly reviewed, and updated as necessary.
Unincorporated Associations	An unincorporated association is one type of legal structure for a charity. Unlike an incorporated structure, an unincorporated association is not a separate legal entity from its members. It is simply the group itself, of people who have agreed to come together to pursue a common purpose, such as to establish a faith community. Therefore, an unincorporated association cannot enter into contracts in its own name, or own land, or employ people, or sue or be sued. The members of the unincorporated association do these things on behalf of the association. The members may each have individual legal liability for the association’s debts and defaults, something which can lead to legal risk for those members.
Value with relevant money	A judgement based on the grant proposal representing an efficient, effective, economical and ethical use of public resources and determined from a variety of considerations.