MPI Grants Portal. Getting Started Guide. Vet Bonding Scheme

Transcription

1 MPI Grants Portal Getting Started Guide Vet Bonding Scheme Issue Date: January 2016

2 Contents 1. About this document Overview of the Vet Bonding Scheme Overview of the Grants Portal Registration Logging in My Homepage Submitting Your Application Appendix 1 Terms and Conditions Appendix 2 Frequently Asked Questions. 22 Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 2 of 29

3 1. About this document Purpose of this document This document supports applicants through the process of applying for funding in the 2016 Vet Bonding Scheme using the MPI Grants Portal. The document provides a detailed step by step guide along with frequently asked questions. Intended Audience This guide is aimed at all parties interested in applying for funding in the 2016 Vet Bonding Scheme through the MPI Grants Portal. Help and Support If you require further information, please contact MPI at: Ministry for Primary Industries Vet Bonding Scheme PO Box 2526 Wellington funding@mpi.govt.nz Disclaimer The information contained in this document is intended to provide general information to the public. The Ministry for Primary Industries has taken all reasonable measures to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information provided. The information does not constitute legal advice. In the event of any uncertainty, the applicant should obtain independent legal advice. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 3 of 29

4 2. Overview of the Vet Bonding Scheme Purpose of the Scheme To address shortages of veterinarians working with production animals, the Government has committed to a Voluntary Bonding Scheme for Veterinarians. The Scheme provides a taxable payment of $11,000 for every year, up to five years, that vets work in an eligible veterinarian practice. The first payment of $33,000 is made once the veterinarian has completed three years in an eligible practice. In each year, there are 30 places available for recent Massey University veterinarian graduates to enter the Scheme. If MPI receives more than 30 applications, there will be a ballot to decide the 30 applicants that will be accepted into the scheme for that year. Eligibility Eligible Practice An Eligible Practice is a veterinary practice having: an Overall Production Animal Focus; or is the only veterinary practice in the area servicing production animals; is offering a graduate position that will be predominately focused on production animals; can demonstrate good employer practices, including having systems in place to support a graduate s personal career development; and is at risk of having a shortage, either already apparent or expected, within two-three years. Eligible Veterinarian An Eligible Graduate is a person who: is a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident; has a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from Massey University; is registered by the Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ) to practice as a veterinarian in New Zealand and holds a current practicing certificate issued by the VCNZ; has or will have been offered a permanent, full-time position or a full-time, fixed term position with a minimum contract period of two years: o at an Eligible Practice; and o that is predominately focused on production animals; applies for the Scheme within 12 months of completing their veterinary science qualification. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 4 of 29

5 Process of the Scheme Before applying to the Vet Bonding Scheme, read the Terms and Conditions to see whether you are eligible (see Appendix 1). The Vet Bonding Scheme will open on Tuesday 9 th February You will need to go to the Grants Portal page here to register. You can only apply through the portal. MPI does not accept applications by or post. You will need to include 3 documents with your application. These documents are; A signed Eligibility of Practice form. (Download this form from the VBS Useful links section in the left hand sidebar in the Grants Portal). A signed letter from your practice manager confirming that the practice is at risk of having a workforce shortage, either already apparent or expected within two-three years and that it has in place good employer practices and systems to support a graduate s personal career development; and A job description and training plan of your position. Once this has been submitted, you will receive an to confirm that the application has been received. Only applications completed before the closing date of 3pm Tuesday 23 rd February 2016 will be accepted. No late applications will be accepted. Once applications have closed MPI will then conduct a ballot if more than 30 applications are received. Applicants will be notified of the application outcomes by on 15 th March If you are accepted onto the Scheme, we will require information from you before each payment. You will be informed about this closer to the time. However, if any of your details change, you will need to inform us by ing funding@mpi.govt.nz. If you are changing practice, you will be required to complete the Transfer of Practice form which is available on our website here. For any other information on the Scheme, please contact us. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 5 of 29

6 3. Overview of the Grants Portal The MPI grants portal has been developed to make the funding process more streamlined for you and for us. The features included are; A single place for all your funding activity The ability to manage all stages from application through to confirmation of eligibility (if you re funded) The ability to see updates and progress of your application There are 3 key steps to submitting your application through the grants portal which are discussed in greater detail in the following sections. Register to use the grants portal. Click here to register. Complete all the application questions. Click here to login. Submit your application. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 6 of 29

7 4. Registration You must first register to use the grants portal. Registration provides you with your own username and password for you to securely login to the grants portal. You should ensure you keep these details confidential. 1. Open your web browser 2. Go to the following web address: You may also access this page from the Vet Bonding Scheme homepage. The following page will be displayed. 3. Click Register Here button. The registration page will be displayed. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 7 of 29

8 4. Complete all mandatory fields marked with an * and press Submit button NOTE: Your password must be at least 8 characters long and include a combination of letters and numbers. 5. Once complete, you ll be taken straight to the grants portal homepage. NOTE: You will also be sent confirmation of your registration. This will contain details of how to login. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 8 of 29

9 5. Logging in Once you have registered, you can login anytime as follows: 1. Open your web browser 2. Go to the following web address: You may also access this page from the MPI Vet Bonding Scheme webpage. The following page will be displayed. 3. Enter your username and password and press the Login button. NOTE: If you forget your password, select the Forgot Your Password link. You ll be asked to enter your username (your address). The grants portal will then send you an which will contain instructions on how to reset your password. Once logged in, you ll then be taken straight to the grants portal homepage. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 9 of 29

10 6. My Homepage Your home page will look like this: You can navigate around as follows: 1 My Profile. Clicking this will display your registration details. If you would like to change your details, select the Edit Profile button and make your necessary changes. Once completed, press the Save button. You can also change your password here. To do this, click on Change Password button. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 10 of 29

11 Enter your current password and then your new password and press Save. 2 My Projects. Click here to see your current application. 3 Open Fund Rounds. Click here to see a list of open fund rounds. This is the same page as your homepage. 4 VBS Useful Links. This section contains links to useful documents you can download. These include: VB Getting Started Guide - This is this document Eligibility of Practice form This form must be completed and attached to your application 5 Logout. This is where you logout. 6 Apply. Click Apply next to the Vet Bonding Scheme to start your application. See next chapter for details of how to complete and submit your application. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 11 of 29

12 7. Submitting Your Application In order to submit your application, you must complete all the mandatory questions. 1. Click on Apply next to the Vet Bonding Scheme round 2. You will be presented with a list of application questions. 3. Complete the application questions in full. NOTE: You can save your application at any time and return to it later. If you want to do this, simply select the Save button. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 12 of 29

13 NOTE: Most fields have a? next to them which provides additional help on completing the field. Hover over the? to read. 4. When you have completed all your responses, press the Save button at the top or bottom of the page. 5. You will now be taken to your application page where you can review your responses. Your application page will look something like this: 6. If you need to edit your application you can by clicking the Enter Project Details button at the top of the screen. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 13 of 29

14 You will then be able to edit your application questions. Once you have completed any update, click the Save button to save your edits. 7. To complete the final steps of your application, click the Add Attachments button at the top of the screen. 8. Attach relevant documents. There are three mandatory requirements to attach. These are: A signed practice eligibility form. (To download this form, click on the Eligibility of Practice form link in the VBS Useful links section in the left hand sidebar) A letter from your practice manager A job description and training plan Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 14 of 29

15 To attach these, select the Choose File button and navigate to where you have saved your completed documentation. If all three of these documents are in one file, please attach that file three times (once for each required document) to allow you to move to the next step. NOTE: It is important to select and choose all your attachments before you press the Save Attachments button When you have finished selecting your documents, click the Save Attachments button. 9. When you are ready to submit, press Submit Application at the bottom of the page. NOTE: Do not submit until you are happy that your application is complete. NOTE: The Grants Portal will now check if all the mandatory fields have been completed and will notify you if there are any errors. If the Grants Portal identifies errors, select Cancel and fix the error. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 15 of 29

16 10. Read through the declaration and acceptance terms Check the I Agree box and click Submit. 11. That s it. You will see a message that indicates your submission has been successful. You will also receive confirmation that we have received your application. Pressing Continue will take you back to your application page. You will also receive confirmation by that we have received your application. If you do not receive this within 30mins of submission, please check your spam folders and then contact us. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 16 of 29

17 APPENDIX 1 Terms and Conditions 2016 Terms and Conditions This document contains the Terms and Conditions on the Voluntary Bonding Scheme for Veterinarians the 2016 funding round. 1 Definition of terms 1.1. Eligible Practice means a Practice as defined in clause Full-time means employment for at least 35 hours per week Good employer practices means that the Practice follows generally accepted guidelines for being a good employer, such as those published by the Department of Labour. This will include having a system in place whether formal or informal to ensure that there is support for the graduate in their transition from study to work Graduate means an Eligible Graduate as defined in clause Overall Production Animal Focus means that servicing production animals is a core focus of the Practice either because it is the only Practice servicing production animals in the area or because more than 60 percent of the professional fees generated by the Practice are from servicing production animals Permanent means employment for an indefinite period of time with no specified end date Predominately Focused on Production Animals means that the graduate position is either purely a production animal position, or a mixed position where over 60 percent of the work undertaken by the graduate will be related to production animal practice Production Animal means an animal that is farmed for food or fibre, including but not limited to, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, deer and pigs, and excluding horses Veterinary science qualification means a Bachelor of Veterinary Science or any postgraduate qualification completed immediately after completing a Bachelor of Veterinary Science Week means five Full-Time working days e.g. 14 weeks is 70 Full-Time working days. 2 Background 2.1. The aim of the Voluntary Bonding Scheme for Veterinarians (the Scheme) is to support the retention of veterinarians to respond to livestock-based industry needs, and to assist New Zealand to maintain world-class standards in biosecurity, animal welfare and food safety The Scheme also aims to make a significant contribution to repayment of student loans for those Graduates who have them, but will be available to those without loans or those who have already paid off their loan. 3 Eligibility criteria The Scheme is available to persons who, in the opinion of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), meet all eligible criteria outlined in clauses 3.1 and Eligible Graduate An Eligible Graduate is a person who: is a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident; has a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from Massey University; Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 17 of 29

18 is registered by the Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ) to practice as a veterinarian in New Zealand and holds a current practicing certificate issued by the VCNZ; has or will have been offered a Permanent, Full-Time position or a fixed term, Full-Time position with a contract period of no less than two years: o at an Eligible Practice; and o that is Predominately Focused on Production Animals; applies for the Scheme within 12 months of completing their Veterinary Science Qualification Eligible Practice An Eligible Practice is a veterinary practice having: an Overall Production Animal Focus; or is the only veterinary practice in the area servicing production animals; is offering a graduate position that will be Predominately Focused on Production Animals; can demonstrate Good employer practices, including having systems in place to support a graduate s personal career development; and is at risk of having a shortage, either already apparent or expected within two-three years Preferential listing If a person, in the opinion of MPI, meets all eligibility criteria outlined in clauses 3.1 and 3.3 but is not selected to participate in the Scheme, their name will be placed in a preferential list for that funding round. Should either: (a) a selected person from that funding round leave the scheme during the first two years in the scheme; or (b) insufficient applications be received in the following funding round The first person from the preferential list will be offered a position in the scheme. 4 Incentive Payment A Graduate is eligible to receive an incentive payment in accordance with clauses 4.1 and Bonding Period The bonding period for Eligible Graduates commences on the first date of employment in an Eligible Practice (the Commencement Date) The minimum bonding period needed to be completed to receive an incentive payment under the Scheme is three years The maximum bonding period allowed under the Scheme is five years A year means a 12 month period that runs from the Commencement Date to the anniversary date of the Commencement Date and then from anniversary date to anniversary date in years two to five of the Scheme Incentive Payment Graduates are entitled to incentive payments for each year that they are eligible for the Scheme. The amount of the incentive payment is a taxable amount of $11,000 (NZD) each year Payment for the first three years will be made as a lump sum at the end of three years completed in the Scheme, with an annual payment for the fourth and fifth completed year as set out below: Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 18 of 29

19 Bonding period Incentive Payment (before tax) Payments made (before tax) Year 1 completed $11,000 $0 Year 2 completed $11,000 $0 Year 3 completed $11,000 $33,000 Year 4 completed $11,000 $11,000 Year 5 completed $11,000 $11,000 TOTAL AMOUNT ELIGIBLE FOR $55,000 $55, The Ministry will deduct PAYE and any outstanding student loan repayment obligations on behalf of the graduates prior to making any incentive payment to the graduate MPI will notify eligible graduates when they are due to receive incentive payments and request any further information needed to make the payment. 5 Other Provisions 5.1. Absences or leave Where a Graduate continues to be in Full-time employment in an Eligible Practice, the Graduate may take absences of up to 14 weeks in total in a year, as defined in clause 4.1.4, without affecting the bonding period. Absences mean any leave such as retraining, annual leave, sick leave, and parental leave, which has been agreed to under the Graduate s employment contract Where a Graduate is absent for more than 14 weeks but less than 24 weeks in a year the amount of time taken beyond the 14 weeks period will be added to the bonding period before the next incentive payment will be made. Where a Graduate is absent for more than 14 weeks but less than 24 weeks in a year they must advise MPI within in one month of taking this extended leave. The anniversary date for the Graduate will be adjusted taking into account the added time i.e. made later The maximum time that may be added to a bonding period in any year is 10 Weeks (except in the case of parental leave, which is covered by clauses and 5.1.7). Where this limit is breached MPI will consider whether the Graduate is still eligible for the Scheme and, if not, whether to make a pro rata payment Where a Graduate anticipates being absent for more than 24 Weeks in a year they must advise MPI as soon as possible prior to taking the absence to enable MPI to determine whether the Graduate is still eligible for the Scheme. MPI will make this decision at its sole discretion, taking into account any factors MPI considers relevant The bonding period is not affected if a Graduate takes less than 14 Weeks of absences in a year In the case of an absence due to parental leave, the Graduate may take those absences to which they are entitled under the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 (or any legislation that replaces that Act), including maternity leave, partner s/paternity leave, and extended leave and remain eligible for the Scheme. The anniversary date for the Graduate will be adjusted (i.e. made later) by the amount of parental leave taken in excess of the 14 weeks specified in clause After an absence due to parental leave under clause 5.1.6, the Graduate must return to Full-time employment to remain eligible for the Scheme. If the Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 19 of 29

20 Graduate does not return to work Full-time, they will no longer be eligible for the Scheme and the following will apply: where the Graduate has participated in the Scheme for three or more years, they will be entitled to a pro rata d incentive payment covering the period from their commencement date to the last day of Full-time employment before going on Parental Leave. where the Graduate has participated in the Scheme for less than three years, they will not be entitled to or receive any of their incentive payments Termination of employment Where a Graduate s employment is terminated (for whatever reason) and the Graduate is not moving to another position also eligible for an incentive payment under the Scheme, they will no longer be eligible for incentive payments under the Scheme unless exceptional circumstances exist The Graduate must advise MPI within one month of terminating their employment Expiry of fixed term contract Where a Graduate s fixed term contract expires and the Graduate is not moving to another position also eligible for an incentive payment under the Scheme, they will no longer be eligible for further incentive payments under the Scheme unless exceptional circumstances exist Exceptional circumstances Where circumstances exist which would ordinarily terminate a Graduate s eligibility under the Scheme, and these circumstances are exceptional, a Graduate can apply to MPI to remain eligible for incentive payments or a pause as described below. Types of circumstances that might be deemed exceptional include employment disputes, family sickness or bereavement or personal sickness and injury Where MPI considers that an exceptional circumstance exists a Graduate may receive a pro-rata payment based on the length of the bonding period completed, or be granted a pause on the Scheme completion requirements until they resume work in an eligible position which meets the Scheme eligibility criteria. Decisions under this clause are at the sole discretion of MPI The maximum pause that will be granted under clause will be 24 weeks and the anniversary date will be adjusted accordingly To apply for exemption under exceptional circumstances Graduates must apply to MPI within 2 months of their employment ending Change of practice If a Graduate changes Practice and their new position is in an Eligible Practice and they meet the eligibility criteria of the Scheme they must apply to Transfer their eligibility within the Scheme. The application must be made on the Transfer of Practice Application form Such an application must be made within one month of transferring to the eligible practice Any time taken between ceasing and recommencing employment will be considered an absence and clause 5.1 applies with necessary modifications Variation to Terms and Conditions Should a variation in the terms and conditions be required by MPI, the Graduate will be notified. If MPI do not receive any communications within the timeframe stated in the correspondence, MPI will assume your acceptance of the variation. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 20 of 29

21 6 Graduate Responsibilities 6.1. Graduates accepted into the Scheme must: notify MPI of any matter that affects the eligibility Criteria in clause 3.1 to 3.2; notify MPI of any change of employment; confirm their continued eligibility by filling out the Confirmation of Eligibility Form, sent to them by MPI prior to each payment being made, including notification of any absence taken beyond 14 weeks in a 12 month period Graduates with a Student Loan account with Inland Revenue must apply any incentive payments they receive under the Scheme to make repayments to Inland Revenue against their student loan. 7 Dispute Resolution Process 7.1. Should a Graduate disagree with any decision made by MPI, they may outline the reasons in writing to the scheme administrator at funding@mpi.govt.nz A panel will be convened to review the decision made, including a panel member from outside of MPI. Decisions of the panel will be final. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 21 of 29

22 APPENDIX 2: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ s) Frequently Asked Questions Last updated: January 2016 Pre-application Q: Who is eligible? Q: What kind of practices or places of work will be eligible? Q: If I meet the entry and eligibility requirements, what am I entitled to? Q: How does the cap work? Q: When can I apply? Accessing the grants portal Q: How do I access the grants portal? Q: How do I register to use the grants portal? Q: How do I use the grants portal? Q: Will I need any special software to use the grants portal? Q: Will my web browser be compatible with the grants portal? Q: I ve forgotten my password. What should I do? Q: I ve forgotten my username. What should I do? Q: How do I change my contact details? Completing your application Q: Do I have to complete my application in one go? Q: Can I submit more than one application in a fund round? Q: It s taking longer than expected to complete my application. Can I get an extension? Q: Can I provide access to another user? Q: Can I print off my application? Q: I m seeing messages referring to the Administrator. Who is the Administrator?

23 Submitting your application Q: When can I submit my application? Q: Can I submit my application before the grants portal opens? Q: If I start my application before the fund round close date, can I still submit it after the round closes? Q: I am trying to submit my application but cannot. What should I do? Q: What happens if I can t submit my application on the fund round close date because of technical problems with the grants portal? Q: Can I my application? Q: Do I need to send you a hard copy of my application? Q: How long will it take to submit my application through the grants portal? Q: What happens once I ve submitted my application? Q: What should I do if I don t receive confirmation after I ve submitted my application? Q: Can I change the address the project confirmation is sent to? Monitoring your application Q: Can I monitor my grant application? Q: When will I be contacted about the outcome of my grant application? Q: If I m successful, will I use the grants portal for managing my project? Q: What happens if I change practice? Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 23 of 29

24 Pre-application Q: Who is eligible? A: The Scheme is available to veterinary science graduates who have completed their qualification within 12 months of applying for the Scheme. To be eligible, you must: be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident; have a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from Massey University; be registered to practice in New Zealand and hold a current practicing certificate; and have a permanent, full-time position, or a fixed term, full-time position with a minimum contract period of two years, in an eligible practice, that is predominantly focused on production animals. If you have been offered a role in an eligible practice you can still apply for the scheme whether or not you have started working. Q: What kinds of practices or places of work will be eligible? A: The Scheme targets mixed practices and practices based on production animal veterinary medicine, or places of work which are servicing the needs of livestock industries. An eligible practice is one that: has an overall production animal focus; is offering a graduate position that will be predominantly focused on production animals; can demonstrate good employer practices, including having systems in place to support a graduate s personal career development; and is at risk of having a workforce shortage, either already apparent or expected within two to three years. Q: If I meet the criteria and eligibility requirements, what am I entitled to? A: You are entitled to a taxable payment of $11,000 for every year, up to five years, that you work in an eligible practice. Payment for the first three years will be made as a lump sum at the end of the three years, with an annual payment for the fourth and fifth year. If you have a Student Loan, these payments will be made directly to the IRD until the balance is paid off. Q: How does the cap work? Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 24 of 29

25 A: For this year there will be 30 places available for graduates to enter the Scheme. If the total number of applications received exceeds the cap, a ballot of all applications that meet the eligibility criteria will be held Q: When can I apply? A: You will be able to submit applications from 09/02/2016 to 23/02/ pm through the grants portal. Click here to register and access the grants portal. Accessing the grants portal Q: How do I access the grants portal? A: You can access the grants portal here or type the following address into your web browser We recommend that you bookmark this site. Q: How do I register to use the grants portal? A: You may register to use the portal here. Or go to and click on the Register Here link. Q: How do I use the grants portal? A: Full details on using the portal can be found in the Vet Bonding Getting Started Guide which is available for download from the Vet Bonding homepage here. Q: Will I need any special software to use the grants portal? A: No. The grants portal will be accessible through your normal web browser. Q: Will my web browser be compatible with the grants portal? A: Most likely. The grants portal works with the most commonly used browsers. The online portal supports the following browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10 and 11 Mozilla Firefox (latest version) Google Chrome (latest version) Apple Safari 5.x, 6.x and 7.x on Mac OS Q: I ve forgotten my password. What should I do? A: You are able to reset your password. On the portal homepage, click on the Forgot Your Password link and follow the instructions. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 25 of 29

26 Q: I ve forgotten my username. What should I do? A: Check your s. When you first registered you will have received confirmation of your username. If you can t find this, please contact us. Q: How do I change my contact details? A: You can change your contact details by logging into the grants portal and clicking on the My Profile link in the left hand sidebar. Completing your application Q: Do I have to complete my application in one go? A: No. You are able to save your application at any time and come back to it later. You may do this as many times as you like. The only thing you must do to save your application is to give it a project title. Q: Can I submit more than one application in a fund round? A: No. You are only able to apply for funding once. Q: It s taking longer than expected to complete my application. Can I get an extension? A: No. No extensions are permissible under any circumstances. Q: Can I provide access to another user? A: This is not possible at this time. Q: Can I print off my application? A: This is not possible at this time. Q: I m seeing messages referring to the Administrator. Who is the Administrator? A: MPI administers the grants portal. Any references to the Administrator refers to MPI. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 26 of 29

27 Submitting your application Q: When can I submit my application? A: Applications can be submitted through the grants portal from 9 th February 2014 to 3.00pm 23 rd February Q: Can I submit my application before the grants portal opens? A: No. It is not possible to submit your application before the grants portal opens. Applications will only be considered if they are submitted through the portal. Q: If I start my application before the fund round close date, can I still submit it after the round closes? A: No. it is only possible to submit application before the fund round close date. If your application is not submitted before this time, it will not be possible to submit it. A part completed application is not deemed to have been submitted. Q: I am trying to submit my application but cannot. What should I do? A: The grants portal will provide you with messages to describe any problems with your application. If there is no message or you do not understand the message, please contact us at funding@mpi.govt.nz. Q: What happens if I can t submit my application on the fund round close date because of technical problems with the grants portal? A: MPI has taken steps to reduce the risk of technical issues. In the event of submission problems being the sole fault of MPI through system downtime, we will not hold applicants responsible. Q: Can I my application? A: It is not possible to your application. Applications will only be considered if they are submitted through the portal. Q: Do I need to send you a hard copy of my application? A: No, this is not required. Q: How long will it take to submit my application through the grants portal? A: There is no simple answer to this as there are so many variables. We encourage applicants to read all of the guidelines in detail and register to use the portal as soon as possible. MPI is happy to provide assistance to applicants in using the portal or for general questions about the application process. Q: What happens once I ve submitted my application?

28 A: You should see a message on screen confirming that you have successfully submitted your application and will receive confirmation as well to the you specified when you registered. Q: What should I do if I don t receive confirmation after I ve submitted my application? A: Check your spam folders. It is possible that the confirmation went into this folder. If you haven t received a confirmation within an hour of submitting your application, please contact us to confirm receipt of your application. Q: Can I change the address the application confirmation is sent to? A: The grants portal sends confirmation of application submission to the address of the registered user. It is not possible to change the address for a specific project. You can change the address of the registered user by clicking on the My Profile link in the left hand side bar. Monitoring your application Q: Can I monitor my grant application? A: Yes it will be possible to monitor the status of your grant application. Simply login to the grants portal and check the status of your application. Q: When will I be contacted about the outcome of my grant application? A: All decisions will be made and communicated on 15 th March All applicants will receive details of the decision by . Q: If I m successful, will I use the grants portal for managing my project? A: Yes. The grants portal will be used to manage your project. Full details on how to do this will be provided to successful applicants. Q: What happens if I change practice? A: If you change practice, then prior to the move, you will be required to make an application using the Transfer of Practice Application form. If your new workplace is also eligible under the Scheme, you can continue to receive the payments you are entitled to. You will need to get the practice principal or manager at your new workplace to attest to your eligibility for the Scheme. If you change workplace and your new workplace is not eligible, you will no longer qualify for payments under the Scheme. Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 28 of 29

29 Help and Support If your question is not answered above, please contact us at Vet Bonding Scheme Guidelines 2016 Page 29 of 29