When simple becomes limiting: Moving beyond SmartyGrants
Workflows hit automation limits
SmartyGrants handles basic workflows. Most grant processes need conditional approvals, weighted assessments, automated task routing, or multi-stage decisions. Without this, your team manages complexity manually with spreadsheets, workarounds and manual tasks.
Finance tracking still leans on spreadsheets
Without a native finance system (FMIS) or general ledger integration, payments, budget reconciliation and funding status stay largely manual. Finance connections rely on the API, OData or Xero rather than built‑in two‑way FMIS or GL sync.
Contracts live outside the system
Funding agreements, variations, and compliance monitoring exist in document folders rather than integrated with grant data.
Reports need constant rebuilding
Pre-built dashboards don't answer board and funder questions. Every request means exports, analysis, reformatting.
Workflow automation that matches your needs
OmniStar provides a workflow designer with 185+ configurable steps, conditional logic, and full task automation. Build approval chains once, automate handoffs between assessment and contracting.
Add workflow step
Direct finance system integration
OmniStar connects to enterprise finance systems through standard finance import/export and documented REST APIs. Automated journal creation, real-time budget tracking, synchronized payment status. No spreadsheets.
Custom reporting and dashboards
Build dashboards with temporal analysis and geospatial views that update automatically as grant data changes. Answer board and ministerial questions instantly.
Applications by month
Applications by program
Approval rate by program
Applications – drill down
Integrated contract management
OmniStar manages the complete contract lifecycle in-platform. Generate templated agreements, route approvals, capture signatures, track variations, monitor compliance.
OmniStar Grants vs SmartyGrants: Capability comparison
See how OmniStar Grants empowers you with advanced capabilities across the complete grant lifecycle.
Category | Feature | OmniStar Grants | SmartyGrants |
Capacity and Scalability | Unlimited applications, grants programs, rounds, forms, workflows, reports, dashboards, submissions, etc. | Yes | Yes |
Workflow and Automation | Drag‑drop workflow designer | Yes 185+ steps, conditional logic | Partial Stages, tasks and rules; drag and drop not specified |
Status change automation | Yes | Yes | |
Task and data automation | Yes Task creation, data create/update/delete | Partial Task and contact automation; other data automation not specified | |
Form Builder (SmartForms) | SmartForm Designer (Form Builder) | Yes | Yes |
Conditional pages/sections | Yes | Yes | |
Formula fields, form pre‑population, autosave | Yes | Yes | |
On‑screen signature, input masking (phone number, currency, etc) | Yes | Not stated | |
Excel, Word, PDF and XML output documents | Yes | Partial XML in backups only | |
Grants Opportunity | Program budgeting and forecasting, single/multi-stage round, round documents and materials, configurable rounds and stages | Yes | Yes |
Portfolio and program definition | Yes | Partial Program only | |
Round notifications and reminders | Yes | Yes | |
Reviews and Assessment | Conflict‑of‑Interest, review assignment and individual reviews | Yes | Yes |
Reviewer non-disclosure agreements | Yes | Not stated | |
Weighted scoring and collaborative reviews | Yes | Yes | |
Bulk reviews | Yes | Partial Bulk stage and decision changes | |
Application, document, milestone and form reviews | Yes | Yes | |
Meetings and Panels | Meeting attendees and RSVP, meeting pack PDF generation | Yes | Partial Assessment summary reports; RSVP not specified |
Online meeting collaboration and access | Yes | Not stated | |
Meeting agenda and minutes generation | Yes | Not stated | |
Outcome and decision recording | Yes | Yes | |
Decision and Approval | Digital multi‑stage, bulk approvals, assign decision, linked and quorum approvals | Yes | Partial Bulk decisions; quorum not specified |
Contracting and Variations | Templated and tokenised funding agreement, funding agreement and schedules, agreement sharing and notification, status tracking, agreement compliance | Yes | Yes |
Finance and Payments | Financial system (FMIS) integration | Yes | Partial Payments API and Xero, at extra cost |
Named finance system integrations: SAP, PeopleSoft, Unit4, Sage, Finance One, MYOB, QuickBooks, SunSystems, Business Central, Xero | Yes | Partial Xero, at extra cost | |
Export approved payments and import payment confirmation | Yes | Partial Payments API, at extra cost | |
PO tracking, partial payments | Yes | Partial Payment schedules; PO tracking not specified | |
Monitoring and Reporting | Interactive dashboards and reports | Yes Custom dashboards and reports with role-based access | Yes |
In-platform drag and drop dashboard and report designer | Yes | Partial Custom dashboards; drag and drop not specified | |
Impact reporting | Yes | Yes | |
Temporal data | Yes | Not stated | |
Geospatial visualisations | Yes | Partial Maps, paid add on | |
Scheduled Reports | Yes | Not stated | |
Compliance and Security | ISO 27001 certification | Yes | Yes |
IRAP assessed | Yes | Yes | |
SSO, MFA, audit logs | Yes | Partial SSO is an add on | |
Native configurable password policy and password blacklist | Yes | Not stated | |
Role-based security | Yes | Yes | |
Data encryption at rest and in transit | Yes | Partial In transit and backups only | |
Annual independent vulnerability and penetration testing | Yes | Yes | |
Load and performance testing | Yes | Not stated | |
Disaster recovery | Yes | Yes | |
WCAG compliant | Yes | Partial Applicant site only | |
Published vulnerability disclosure policy | Yes | Not stated | |
Public system status page | Yes | Yes | |
APIs and Integrations | API documentation | Yes | Partial Paid add on |
DocuSign integration | Yes | Not stated | |
Microsoft Teams integration | Yes | Not stated | |
GrantConnect, ORCID and Google Analytics integrations | Yes | Not stated | |
Europe PMC and ARC integrations | Yes | Not stated | |
Records management system (EDRMS) integration | Yes | Partial Add on | |
Integration API | Yes | Partial Paid add on | |
Global Functions | Built-in AI assistance (Omni AI) | Yes | Not stated No LLM features as at June 2026 (vendor statement) |
Configurable homepage/tiles, favourites/recent | Yes | Partial Personal dashboard; configurable tiles not specified | |
Multi‑language support | Yes | Partial Translation is a paid add on | |
Mobile access | Yes | Partial Some pages not mobile-optimised | |
Bulk document download | Yes | Yes | |
In-system document preview | Yes | Not stated | |
Data export (Excel, XML, JSON, CSV) | Yes | Partial CSV and Excel; XML and JSON via backup or API | |
Self-service data import | Yes | Not stated | |
Support | 12/5 Support and 24/7 Support | Yes Optional | Partial 8am to 6pm Mon to Fri |
Dedicated account manager | Yes | Yes | |
Interactive Q&A sessions | Yes | Yes | |
Video tutorials, live webinars, in person training | Yes | Yes | |
Online Wiki, learning hub, knowledge base, page and field level help | Yes | Yes | |
Web, phone and email support | Yes | Yes |
Entries for other vendors are based on their publicly available information as reviewed on 16 October 2026. Entries for OmniStar Grants reflect the product as at that date. Partial means part of the capability is described, or it is offered as an add on or premium service; where more detail is available it is shown in the cell. Not stated means the capability is not described in the vendor's public information. Capabilities change over time and we recommend confirming current capabilities with the vendor.
Trusted by industry leading organisations
National Breast Cancer Foundation
The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) was able to streamline its three separate grants management systems into one user-friendly solution using OmniStar.
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Testimonials
The level of ongoing customisation and support gives us peace of mind in our investment. We now have a one-stop solution: streamlined processes, great user experience and transparency.
Cindy Liew
Senior Executive
Sunway University
OmniStar had the ability to combine our three systems into one to make everything easier from an administration perspective but also from an applicant and reviewer perspective.
Samantha Oakes
Director, Research Investment
National Breast Cancer Foundation
We couldn't persist in a paper environment. We were looking for a solution that could cover the pre-award and post-award requirements, and we wanted a system that could do ethics as well.
Laila Simpson
Director of Research Operations
The University of Western Australia
It's very accessible to users and administrators with clear processes to follow. It's also flexible allowing you to build your own forms, which are straightforward, and for which you don't need to understand code.
Anna
Research Development Senior Coordinator
Cancer Council WA
The ability to customise the OOTB functionality of the system to align to our specific grant program processes and framework. Pre-award functionality provides for easy and efficient application submission.
Amanda
Senior Project Officer
Department of Resources
It has made our work so much more effective and efficient, especially as we adapt to a hybrid working model, post-Covid.
Michael
CEO
Soil CRC
Easy integration. Great user experience for grant applicants and for the grant management team. Fantastic support from the OmniStar team - very responsive and end to end complete solution.
Adam
Head of Foundation
Plenty of features to use to manage grants and grant processes.
John
Manager
Frequently asked questions
OmniStar Grants delivers the most powerful end-to-end solution for grants management - streamlining workflows and ensuring transparency and accountability across the entire lifecycle.
To get started with OmniStar Grants, contact our team for a personalised demonstration and to discuss your organisation's specific needs
Absolutely. OmniStar Grants is fully configurable, allowing you to adapt workflows, forms, and reporting to suit your department’s unique objectives and operational requirements.
Common indicators include staff maintaining spreadsheets alongside the system, manual processes for contracts or payments, difficulty meeting reporting requirements, or limitations preventing process improvements you want to implement.
OmniStar Grants offers proven migration pathways that ensure your existing data, workflows, and configurations transfer securely and seamlessly, minimising disruption during implementation.
Discovery workshops map your workflows and data structures. Historical data transfers with validation. Workflow reconfiguration into OmniStar's automation capabilities. Timeline depends on complexity but typically ranges 4-16 weeks for organisations.
Yes. OmniStar Grants is delivered as a secure, scalable cloud-based platform, providing easy access and reliable performance across teams and locations?
Yes! You can book a demo to explore how OmniStar Grants can support your needs.