Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) Program 2026–27

The Australian Government is inviting organisations via a demand driven process to apply to deliver services under the Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) Program. The BEST Program 2026–27 will run over a 3-year period, commencing in the financial year 2026–27, ending in financial year 2028–29. The BEST Program forms part of the Australian Government’s commitment to supporting the role of ex-service organisation (ESO) compensation and wellbeing advocates, who provide advice and assistance to the veteran and defence communities. The BEST Program has been updated and simplified in response to the recommendations from the Senate Standing Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Inquiry into issues relating to advocacy services for veterans accessing compensation and income support, and recommendation 99 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide final report. The objectives of the BEST Program are to assist ESOs to: provide free advocacy services to veterans and families of veterans improve the quality of claims received by DVA at the primary determining level promote the provision of wellbeing services to the veteran and defence communities. The intended outcomes of the BEST Program are to ensure: the veteran and defence communities have access to free compensation and wellbeing advocacy services the veteran and defence communities benefit from ESO advocates who can lodge claims with DVA that are of a high standard and contain all required information to enable timely and quality decisions at no cost to the veteran ESO advocates can assist in improving claims assessment efficiency.