Community Grants and Funding Opportunities

First Nations peoples bear a higher burden of road trauma, and are nearly three times more likely to die in road crashes than other Australians. In line with governments’ commitment to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the Australian Government will create partnerships with First Nations peoples, communities and organisations to jointly develop culturally appropriate countermeasures to close the gap for First Nations peoples by improving road safety outcomes.

This grant opportunity is open January 2024 to March 2024 to allow the department time to build trusted relationships with First Nations organisations and communities to co-design a culturally appropriate national approach to community-led road safety initiatives.

The aim of this funding stream is to fund projects that will deliver local solutions for First Nations communities, and also support culturally relevant road safety messaging. Activities could include, but are not limited to, improving access to culturally appropriate road safety education, young driver training activities, support for First Nations peoples to obtain a driver’s licence, community group activities that improve road safety outcomes or education campaigns with relevant road
safety messages. Subject to consultation, the government intends these projects will:

• ▪ improve access to road safety education and awareness for First Nations peoples
• ▪ assist government to understand road safety priorities in First Nations communities and tailor solutions to match.

Moree Plains Shire Council is seeking to provide partnership funding support for a range of local events. These events would have the primary aim of enhancing the amenity, wellbeing, and economic vibrancy of the Moree Plains Shire.

Eligible event organisers will be able to apply for a one-off maximum payment of up to $10,000. The money can be used on a wide range of events as outlined in the guidelines.

Targeted support for events has the potential to:

1. Build amenity and community resilience and make the community a more desirable place to live and work.
2. Lead to long term economic diversification and new employment opportunities.
3. Increase the visitor economy.

The end goal is to deliver a program that will have the greatest positive impact on the local community and businesses.

Events funded by the Program include existing or new:

• Community markets
• Festivals and fairs
• Local business events and conferences
• Sporting events that will contribute to the visitor economy
• Food and leisure events
• Community classes and workshops
• Agricultural field days (run by community organisations)
• Touring events and theatre programs (both for Children and Adults)
• Community celebrations

100 Women is a collaborative giving circle that amplifies the giving power of everyday people to create significant change for women and girls. Their ever-growing giving circle gathers people from all walks of life to contribute and celebrate the life-changing impact that we together can have on women and girls locally, nationally and globally.

100 Women awards grants to organisations that advance the safety, health, education and economic freedom of women and girls.

Applications will be considered for projects up to A$50,000 and for a maximum period of 24 months that:

• Improve economic outcomes for girls and women who are disadvantaged or face barriers; or
• Improve health outcomes for girls and women; or
• Improve educational outcomes for girls and women; or
• Provide safety to girls and women at risk from sexual abuse, sex trafficking or family violence; or
• Address any of the Targets for Goal 5: Gender Equality UN Sustainable Development Goals (where the beneficiaries of the grant are girls and women).

Organisations must be a fund, authority or institution:

• which is Charitable (or would be a charity within the meaning of the Australian Charities Act 2013 (Cth) if it were not a ‘government entity’, as defined in the Act);
• Classified with Item 1 Deductible Gift Recipient Status (DGR); 
• has been operating for at least 36 months; and 
• has a total annual revenue (as last reported to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission) of less than $10 million.

Justice reinvestment aims to prevent and reduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contact with the justice system in a particular place or community. It enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and leaders to come together to identify local solutions to local issues, using strengths of community, cultural knowledge and stories to measure progress over time. It offers a way for communities to drive local solutions through improved collaboration and partnership with governments and service providers.

The Australian Government is committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities to improve the justice outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, in line with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (the National Agreement) targets and Priority Reforms.

Successful Justice Reinvestment Projects funded under this program will:

• aim to reduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contact with the justice system
• be an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and community-led project
• take a collaborative approach, and consider a systems focus
• take a place-based approach
• be informed by community knowledge and other data.

Applications will be assessed in 2 cycles:

• Assessment cycle 1 opens 5 January 2024 to 9 May 2024.
• Assessment cycle 2 opens 9 May 2024 to 10 September 2024.

The Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program supports community organisations to look after Australian cultural heritage collections. Since 1994, this program has provided more than $8.9 million dollars in funding to over 1650 projects across Australia.

CHG is open to non-profit, incorporated organisations. The program has a strong focus on supporting local groups with limited funding who would benefit from access to professional cultural heritage expertise. Applications from Indigenous and multicultural organisations are encouraged.

The annual round offers cash grants of up to $20,000. The first two stages support organisations to work with heritage practitioners to:

• Explain the meaning and value of their collections (a significance assessment)
• Outline the condition of their collections and create a plan to manage it (a preservation needs assessment)

In the third and final stage, organisations can apply for funding to:

• Undertake conservation and collection management activities as recommended in the preservation needs assessment

Funding is also available for:

• Collection management training projects

The Qantas Regional Grants program offers $2 million in support to Australian-based communities and projects that are looking to benefit our country's regional areas.

The Qantas Regional Grants judging panel will determine the successful applicants each year. The panel will examine all eligible entries and select applicants that they determine best meet all the criteria below.

1. The extent to which the applicant directly services a regional community need and demonstrates a measurable socioeconomic impact.
2. The extent to which the applicant can maximise local community benefits in regional Australia with the Qantas Regional Grants Program funding.
3. The extent to which the project or activity will celebrate and highlight the work of the applicant and help boost the profile and strength of the applicant for the future.
4. The ability of the applicant to demonstrate innovation in their project strategy, goals and mission, and how these align to improving their service offering and increasing regional impact.

The $2-for-$1 Native Fish Stocking Program provides two dollars in funds for every one dollar in funds offered by community groups to stock native fish (Australian Bass, Murray Cod, Golden Perch) into rivers and dams across NSW.  The objectives of the program are to support local communities in the stocking of high value native fish to protect and enhance our valuable state-wide recreational fisheries. The program also supports the development of regional aquaculture ventures which produce high quality fish stock for release into public waters to benefit recreational fishers.

Who can apply

• Non-government and not-for-profit groups undertaking approved fish stocking activities in NSW public waters (a group includes a fishing club or other community service organisation).
• Individuals involved in community fish stocking programs to benefit recreational fisheries.
• NSW councils and local government agencies.
• HQAS accredited fish hatcheries (to supply fish for the program)
• Non-government authorities.

Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants offer primary schools and early learning centres a $1,000 grant to engage students in hands-on projects to support the environment.

This is an opportunity to set up a brand-new project or enhance an existing one. Previous grant recipients are welcome to apply again if they have submitted a final report for their previous Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant project.

This program gives children across the country an opportunity to get hands-on with environmental and sustainability projects, learn new skills and knowledge, connect with their peers and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of time spent outdoors in nature.   

The Woolworths Junior Landcare projects can include planting a vegetable or bush tucker garden, creating a sensory garden or a butterfly garden, installing a yarning circle to learn more about First Nations perspectives, or tackling waste issues through a composting or recycling project.

Small Project Grants (Quick Response) supports professional development opportunities for NSW-based professional artists, groups and arts and cultural workers (including museum workers) that are time sensitive and respond to short notice invitations with career-building significance.

Objectives are to:

• Invest in NSW-based artists and arts/cultural workers (including museum workers) to participate in outstanding and relevant time-sensitive professional development opportunities
• Increase the capacity of NSW-based artists and arts/cultural workers in becoming arts and cultural leaders
• Enable artists, groups, and arts/cultural workers (including museum workers) to participate in outstanding and relevant time-sensitive opportunities
• Contribute to the creation, development and/or presentation of new work related to career development.

You must be an artist or arts/cultural worker (including a museum worker) who:

• is 18 years (at the time of applying) and above
• is an Australian citizen or permanent resident and
• has resided in NSW for at least 12 months at the time of applying.

Examples of activities include:

• invitation to attend a forum, presentation, or performance opportunity statewide, nationally, or internationally
• mentorship or residency opportunity statewide, nationally, or internationally
• a skills development initiative
• attendance at a significant arts and cultural event.

Your proposed activity must be time sensitive. It should:

• start 5 weeks after your application has been submitted
• be completed within a 4-month period after the start date you have entered in your application
• include confirmation supporting material to substantiate the urgency
• demonstrate why the activity can only take place in this timeframe and how it is a significant career opportunity
• address why your activity is unable to be planned for or supported by other Create NSW funding rounds.

This grant opportunity provides grants to conference organisers to assist people with disability to participate in nationally-focused, disability-related conferences held in Australia. Grants will support eligible conference organisers to provide accessibility measures that will maximise the inclusion and participation of people with disability at their conference.

To be eligible you must:

• be the conference organiser
• confirm the conference will be held in Australia in the 2024–25 financial year
• hold a conference that is disability-related and nationally-focused (refer to section 5.1 Eligible grant activities)
• not be receiving (or applying for) funding from another government source for the same activity and purpose that you are requesting NDCI funding for (that is, to provide accessibility measures that will maximise the inclusion and participation of people with disability at their conference)
• be an eligible entity, as per section 4 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines. 

he FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grant program helps communities take action on ideas generated by young Australians on issues that matter to remote, rural and regional youth. The Heywire Project Ideas are developed annually at the Heywire Youth Summit in Canberra.

Grants of up to $10,000 are available for communities to act on these issues by either adopting or adapting the project ideas for 2024. That might include implementing the idea as developed by the Heywire Youth or by adapting it to respond to the issue the project idea seeks to address with an initiative that meets the needs of young people in your community.

The 2024 Heywire issues impacting young Australians are:

• Bussin’: How might we create more accessible transport options for young people in regional and rural communitie
• MEE (Mentoring Educating Empowering): How might we close the gap in accessing quality education for young people in regional, rural and remote communities?
• A Place for You: How might we improve accessibility to mental health services in remote and regional areas of Australia?
• The Bigger Picture: How can we empower young people in regional towns to celebrate their differences and foster connection among themselves?
• Safe Sphere: How might we ensure that young people in regional and remote communities receive relevant and comprehensive sexual education?
• Youth 2 Grassroots: How might we promote a stronger connection between individuals and their land by fostering a culture of environmental protection and stewardship?

The CHSP First Nations Growth Funding 2024-25 grant opportunity (the grant opportunity) forms part of the extension of the CHSP that was announced as part of the May 2023 Federal Budget.

The grant opportunity is a targeted growth round with a $10 million investment of funding in the 2024-25 financial year, to increase the availability culturally safe CHSP aged care services for First Nations people by First Nations people where there is an unmet demand.

The allocation of growth funding under this grant opportunity will target new Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), who are not already delivering CHSP services, to increase the availability of culturally safe CHSP services where there is an unmet demand by older First Nations people.

To be eligible you must be one of the following entity types:

• Indigenous Corporation (registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006)
• Company
• Corporate Commonwealth Entity
• Non-Corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority
• Corporate State or Territory Entity
• Non-corporate State or Territory Entity
• Non-corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority
• Local Government
• Cooperative
• Incorporated Association
• Statutory Entity
• Partnership
• Unincorporated Association.

If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust, the Trustee must have an eligible entity type as listed above.

Additional Eligibility requirements: To be eligible you must be an existing Commonwealth funded provider of the following: Department of Health and Aged Care, Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), and/or National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The CHSP Growth Funding 2024-25 grant opportunity (the grant opportunity) forms part of the extension of the CHSP program that was announced as part of the May 2023 Federal Budget.

This grant opportunity is a targeted growth round with a $100 million investment of funding in the 2024-25 financial year, to increase the availability Domestic Assistance, Home Maintenance, Allied Health and Therapy, and Transport services. The profile of the targeted growth priorities varies across Aged Care Planning Regions (ACPR) to address the local need and availability of services.

In addition, this grant opportunity seeks to attract new providers currently delivering other similar services that are focused on supporting the care economy, including those for aged care, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This supports cost effective service delivery across these programs where the pool of providers are from the same sector.

To be eligible you must be one of the following entity types:

• Indigenous Corporation (registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006)
• Company
• Corporate Commonwealth Entity
• Non-Corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority
• Corporate State or Territory Entity
• Non-corporate State or Territory Entity
• Non-corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority
• Local Government
• Cooperative
• Incorporated Association
• Statutory Entity
• Partnership
• Unincorporated Association. 

If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust, the Trustee must have an eligible entity type as listed above.

Additional Eligibility requirements: To be eligible you must be an existing Commonwealth funded provider of the following: Department of Health and Aged Care, Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), and/or National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The Specific project grant provides funding to community language schools to help with professional development, such as producing new teaching materials or for teacher training activities.

Your project must either produce materials that can be used in your community language school, or offer training to your teachers. It must benefit the wider language community or be easily adapted or applied across different language groups.

They welcome proposals that consider making the resources available online. In this case, your project team must include someone with web knowledge and experience.

You may receive a specific project grant if your community language school is already receiving, or has currently applied for, the Per capita grant through the NSW Community Languages Schools Program.

The Movember Indigenous Men’s Health: A Community Empowerment Initiative will provide grant funding and capacity building opportunities to empower Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities to develop, implement and evaluate place-based strategies to improve social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander boys and men, and their communities. It is one of 4 initiatives under Movember’s new Indigenous Social and Emotional Wellbeing Portfolio.

Annual funding of up to AUD $700,000 per applicant is available for 5 years to improve SEWB among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander boys and men in Australia.

Please Note: This grant is part of a funding opportunity offered across multiple countries including Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the USA, and as such dates and times for it are based on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) not Australian Eastern Time. We have provided the adjusted date and times, but please always refer to the source grant information for exact dates and times.

The Movember Indigenous Men’s Wellbeing Innovation Initiative will provide grant funding and capacity building opportunities to empower Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-led organisations to develop, implement and evaluate innovative programs/interventions to improve Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander men’s social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB). It is one of 4 initiatives under Movember’s new Indigenous Social and Emotional Wellbeing Portfolio.

Annual funding of up to AUD $300,000 per applicant is available for 3 years to improve SEWB among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander boys and men in Australia.

Please Note: This grant is part of a funding opportunity offered across multiple countries including Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the USA, and as such dates and times for it are based on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) not Australian Eastern Time. We have provided the adjusted date and times, but please always refer to the source grant information for exact dates and times.

Playing Australia Project Investment supports performing arts tours to reach regional and remote communities across Australia. The program supports net touring costs and other designated costs associated with tours. There is no limit on the amount that can be requested.

You can apply for:

• a reasonable portion of costs associated with re-mounting a work
• inter-state touring costs including freight, transport, accommodation and travel allowances
• a contribution towards tour coordination at a set rate per venue
• a portion of costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your tour
• a portion of costs associated with supporting the wellbeing of the touring company

There are three rounds depending on the dates of the tour:

• Tuesday 7 March 2023, 3pm AEDT for projects starting after 1 June 2023.
• Tuesday 6 June 2023, 3pm AEST for projects starting after 1 September 2023
• Tuesday 10 October 2023, 3pm AEDT for projects starting after 1 January 2024

The Small Grants provide up to $13 million in funding through up to 3 rounds of open-competitive grant opportunities for small-scale projects at the grassroots and community level. The grants are aimed at on-ground projects that are led by individuals, farming groups or community groups, including Landcare groups and, First Nations groups. Projects may be delivered locally across a range of agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

The grants will support farmers and land holders to adopt sustainable agriculture best practices, as well as facilitate and implement practice change. The grants will improve management of our natural resources, and increase sustainable on-farm productivity and resilience to climate change.

The grants allow for a wide range of projects and initiatives, providing opportunities for information delivery and extension as well as scaling up of existing local initiatives. New or innovative, as well as tried and tested, climate-smart, sustainable agricultural practices are in scope.

The Strengthening Rural Communities program gives small rural, regional and remote communities across Australia the opportunity to access funds that can benefit and help secure their future prosperity. Grants are available for a broad range of initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities.

Applications from not-for-profit organisations in communities of fewer than 15,000 people are prioritised, particularly those communities whose size, remoteness and relative access to services, funding, and resources present particular ongoing challenges. The Strengthening Rural Communities program accepts applications any time. FRRR considers applications and makes grant distributions on a quarterly basis.

The Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Prepare & Recover program supports communities in remote, rural and regional communities across Australia to implement initiatives that prevent and prepare for future climate related impacts, or recover from existing disasters in the medium to long-term timeframe, generally one to ten years after the disaster.

Grants up to $25,000 are available for a broad range of initiatives to strengthen the capacity and capability of local people, organisations, networks, and systems that help communities to be informed, skilled, connected and resourced for the future.

Specifically, SRC Prepare & Recover will support communities impacted by the following disasters:

• 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires;
• 2021 QLD floods;
• 2021 NSW floods;
• 2021 WA Tropical Cyclone Seroja; and
• 2022 flood events across NSW, QLD, SA, TAS and VIC.