Consumer Credit Fund - Research Grants
26 March 2004 at 12:03 pm
The Consumer Credit Fund Advisory Committee is inviting applications from Not for Profits for grants to investigate credit legislation. The closing date is Friday 30 April 2004.
The Consumer Credit Fund was established by statute to provide grants to Not for Profit organisations for public education, advice and research in matters relating to the use of personal credit.
The Committee wants to encourage research relating to strategic consumer credit issues that are relevant to the effectiveness and efficiency of existing credit regulation.
The Committee has identified three initial research priorities. These are:
– The effectiveness of debt agreements – these instruments are an alternative to bankruptcy. There are concerns about the miss-selling of these agreements and the high charges imposed by those marketing them;
– Comparison rates – a review of the effectiveness of comparison rates
– Dispute resolution – who actually gets access to complaint handling schemes? Do low income and vulnerable consumers know how to exercise their rights?
Examples of possible areas for grant applications for public education, advice and research grants are:
– indigenous credit education,
– debt consolidation and mortgage minimisation practices,
– causes of, and solutions to, credit card over commitment,
– debt collection,
– credit reporting,
– overseas credit initiatives and trends,
– young people and credit, including role of M-commerce,
– effectiveness of the related sale provisions in Part 7 of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code,
– consumer credit literature review
The last round of grants disbursed from the Fund exceeded $200,000. In the past grants have ranged between $500 and $35,000. However the Committee is happy to recommend projects that are well in excess of this range for substantial and worthwhile projects.
Successful applicants will be required to complete a Funding Agreement with Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) to acknowledge and confirm the rights and obligations of both parties in completion of the funded activity.
Information about previous grants is available at www.consumer.vic.gov.au and searching on ‘Consumer Credit Fund’.
If you would like an electronic version of the Application Guidelines and an Application form in Word format just send us an email with Consumer Credit Fund Grants in the subject line to probono@probonoaustralia.com.au.
