Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program (FMSSP)

The Australian Government is inviting organisations via an open competitive process to apply to deliver services nationally under the Program 2.1 – Families and Communities – Support for Trafficked People – Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program from 2024–25 to 2027–28.

The objectives of the FMSSP grant opportunity are to: 

• Deliver a coordinated national response to support the victims and survivors of forced marriage, working with all communities that experience forced marriage, including CALD communities.
• Assist those at risk of, or who have experienced forced marriage by providing access to support that is needs-based, and provided for as long as is needed for their recovery and healing due to the negative impacts of being at risk of, or in a forced marriage.
• Provide those at risk of, or who have experienced, forced marriage a safe, confidential, person-centered, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed entry point to the FMSSP.
• Establish processes to screen eligible victims and survivors for legal, physical, psychological, family and community indicators of forced marriage, outlined in Australian legislation, standards, research and good practice, and drawing on the lived experience of victims and survivors.
• Provide specific prevention and early intervention support to those at risk of forced marriage, including establishing and maintaining linkages with other services for referral and establishing processes under the FMSSP for escalating higher risk cases for appropriate support and referral to ensure client safety.
• Educate the community in a culturally safe way about the importance of both parties willingly consenting to marriage and raise awareness and understanding about forced marriage and coercive control and their rights under Australian law.

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

• Company 
• Cooperative 
• Incorporated Association 
• Indigenous Corporation

If you are applying as a trustee on behalf of a trust , the trustee must be one of the eligible entity types listed above.