2026-27 Marking (First World War) Private Graves Grants Program

Overview The Department of Veterans' Affairs is administering the 2026-27 Marking (First World War) Private Graves Grants (MPG) Program, which contributes to the cost of establishing a grave marker on currently unmarked private graves of First World War veterans. About Throughout Australia, individuals and groups are working to identify private unmarked graves of First World War veterans and marking these graves to recognise their service. Purpose The objective of the grant opportunity is to contribute to community recognition of the service and sacrifice of service personnel in the First World War. It does this by providing funding to contribute to the cost of establishing a grave marker on currently unmarked private graves. Objectives The intended outcome of the MPG Program is to mark private graves of veterans of the First World War so as to: Enable community recognition of service Preserve and add to the knowledge of, or provide information about, Australia's wartime heritage Funding Total Amount Available: $58,000.00 Estimated Grant Value: From $0.00 to $620.00 Funding per Grave: One-off funding of up to $620 per grave to assist with the purchase of a grave marker for unmarked private graves of veterans of the First World War Grave Markers per Application: Funding may be sought for up to 10 grave markers in each individual application Application Limit: A maximum of 2 applications may be submitted Grant Activity Timeframe: 18 months Eligibility You are only eligible to apply for a grant if all of the below requirements are met: The grave must be located within the Commonwealth of Australia, including external territories: Christmas Island, Cocos and Keeling Islands, Norfolk Island, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands, and Heard and McDonald Islands The grave must be unmarked as per the definition outlined in section 2 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines The veteran at rest within the grave must have lived in Australia at the time of enlistment The veteran must have seen active service in the First World War between 10 August 1914 and 21 August 1918 with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, the Australian Imperial Force or the King Edwards Horse The veteran must have been assessed by the Repatriation Commission and found ineligible for official commemoration by the Government You must have appropriate permission to alter the grave (see section 4.2 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines) You must have a formal quote from an authorised provider for the total cost of the marker How to Apply The application form for the 2026-27 MPG Program can be found on the DVA website: Marking (First World War) Private Graves Grants Program Please read all the instructions on how to apply before starting your application. Once you start the application, you must complete it in one sitting as it cannot be saved as you progress or completed later. Applications must be received by DVA prior to the application closing time and date of 9:00pm AEDT on 27 November 2026. DVA will not accept handwritten applications or applications received by post or fax Applications that do not include all the attachments are incomplete, will not progress to assessment, and will be found ineligible Enquiries If you are seeking further clarity on how to apply, email MPG@dva.gov.au Contact: Grant Operations Team, Grants and Hubs Branch, Veteran Experience and Commemorations Division, Department of Veterans' Affairs Email: MPG@dva.gov.au