The Victorian Government is providing $1 million per year to support men’s sheds across the state, which includes support for the Victorian Men’s Shed Association to deliver sector leadership and capacity building for men’s shed groups.
Grants of up to $80,000 are available for
- the construction of new men’s sheds, including the conversion of a building that is not a men’s shed into a men’s shed
- the refurbishment, extension or upgrade of existing men’s sheds.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this funding round, applicants must:
• be an insured men's shed group
• be incorporated, or be auspiced by an incorporated organisation for the purposes of this application
• have evidence of being able to contribute to the project on a 2:1 basis
• be located in Victoria, not on private land
• be able to demonstrate a significant community need for the project
• not have already received $25,000 or more through the Victorian Government's Men's Shed Funding Program in the past five years.
If seeking $10,000 or over, the group must have:
- security of tenure in the form of a lease or licence of five years or more, or land ownership
- if auspiced, a memorandum of understanding (or equivalent) must be in place, outlining the agreed nature of the auspice arrangement
- a strategic plan in place that plans activities incorporating use of the new or refurbished facility
- a demonstrated need for the project in the community, established through community consultation, which is proportional to the grant amount requested
- detailed design plans and an understanding of building permit and planning requirements, including overlays
- support from key community partners.
Auspicing
To be eligible for funding through the Men’s Shed Funding Program, recipient organisations must be incorporated and have an Australian Business Number (ABN). If the men’s shed group is not incorporated with an ABN, it must either become incorporated or arrange for an incorporated organisation to manage the funds. This organisation will be the ‘auspice’ organisation for the grant application. If the application is successful, the grant will be paid to the auspice organisation.
Shed groups that enter into an auspice arrangement must have in place a Memorandum of Understanding (or equivalent) with their auspice organisation, specifying the nature of the auspice relationship and each organisation’s roles and responsibilities. The Memorandum of Understanding should also specify the ownership of all assets and funds, and a copy should be submitted with the grant application.
Applicants must involve men’s shed participants in the project design and development phases.
Men’s shed projects must be completed within two years of funding approval.
The funded men’s shed must operate as a facility that is open to men in the wider community for a minimum period of five years.
What can be funded
This funding can be used for the construction of a new men’s shed, which could mean transforming an existing community facility into a men’s shed, or the refurbishment of an existing shed.
Priority will be given to projects that are in proportion to the amount of demonstrated community need. This means that if a men’s shed group has 10 members, the type of project undertaken is likely to be smaller than a shed with 200 members. For new men’s shed groups, community need can be established through community consultation, partnerships with other local organisations and assessment of what other community resources are available in the local area.
The men’s shed grants will not fund:
- applications that are submitted after the closing date
- men’s sheds that have received more than $25,000 funding through the Victorian Government’s Men’s Shed Funding Program in the past five years
- projects that have already been allocated funding through the Men’s Shed Funding Program
- leases or site purchases
- requests for retrospective funding where projects have commenced or are completed prior to receiving funding approval
- projects that fail to incorporate disability or public access requirements
- projects that require ongoing funding from the Victorian Government
- projects that do not reflect the principles of community inclusion and appropriate access by community members
- projects over $10,000 that do not have a security of tenure (lease or land ownership) for at least five years
- costs to cover existing debt or budget deficits
- operational costs including but not limited to shed coordination costs
- costs not directly related to building and construction
- equipment or free-standing furniture or resources, such as vehicles, tools and chairs
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projects that are unlikely to be completed within two years
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projects that do not have adequate insurance cover (note: these grants do not come with insurance cover)
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projects that do not address the reduction of social isolation in men.
2:1 Funding ratio and in-kind contributions
For every $2 of funding provided under the men’s shed grant from the Victorian Government, at least $1 must be matched from other sources.
Other sources may include funding and support from the men’s shed group, other government organisations, businesses, philanthropic organisations, the local council or community fundraising.
Realistically costed in-kind expenses and contributions such as voluntary labour and donated materials can be claimed in the project budget up to 25 per cent of the total project cost.
Applicants should describe the type of voluntary labour and in-kind support that is expected to be contributed to the project in the application.
For example:
If a grant of $80,000 is sought, the total project cost would be at least $120,000. The applicant will need to provide at least $40,000 towards the project from other sources.
Some of that funding may be in the form of in-kind contributions, such as volunteer labour. In-kind contributions up to 25 per cent of the total project cost may be applied.
If the total project cost is $120,000 then the maximum in-kind contribution would be $30,000, leaving a minimum financial contribution from the shed or other sources of $10,000.
This figure would vary if the total project cost was higher, or if the in-kind contribution was lower.
Applications close for this funding round at 5pm, 30 June 2022.
