The Aboriginal Affairs NSW Community and Place Grants Program aims to deliver tangible local benefit and impact to Aboriginal communities against the Closing the Gap socio-economic outcome targets, recognising that Aboriginal communities have the solutions to problems or issues in their community.
Important Dates
Program opens at 9am on Monday 5 September 2022
Program closes at 5pm on Friday 30 September 2022
Projects must be delivered by recipients between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023 (this is a condition of grant funding).
Timeline
| Date | Task |
| 9am Monday 5 September 2022 | Applications Open |
| 5pm Friday 30 September 2022 | Applications Close |
| October to November 2022 | Assessment and approval of applications |
| Late November 2022 | Successful and unsuccessful applicants notified |
| December 2022 to January 2023 | Funds released |
| 1 January 2023 | Projects commence no earlier than |
| 31 December 2023 | Projects completed no later than |
| Prior to the end of February 2023 | Project reporting and financial acquittals |
Program Overview
The Community and Place Grants Program aims to support one-off projects which include programs, equipment, vehicles and infrastructure developed by local Aboriginal communities and with local community support to drive change and contribute towards the 17 socio-economic outcome targets under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The projects must contribute to the Closing the Gap targets specifically, not the broad outcome area. Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with the 17 socio-economic outcome targets under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Detailed information can be found HERE.
A total of $15 million in funding is available in 2022/23 via two streams:
Stream 1: Grants of up to and including $100,000.
Stream 2: Grants between $100,001 and $250,000.
Applicants can apply once in each stream of funding.
What can funding be used for?
Funding can be used for projects that meet the outcomes of Community and Place Grants Program, i.e. deliver tangible local benefit and impact to Aboriginal communities against the Closing the Gap socio-economic targets.
The following are examples of the types of projects that may be considered for funding.
See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for further information and examples on what could be funded.
| Category | Examples of Projects |
|
Programs |
Projects may include, but not limited to:
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| Infrastructure |
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Equipment and Vehicles |
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Funding can be used for projects that meet the outcomes of Closing the Gap Community and Place Grants program. Project could include:
Activities, programs, purchase or lease of equipment and capital works.
A single project or multiple activities that form a larger project.
Local partnership projects where all parties are ACCOs or Aboriginal community groups and a tangible program or infrastructure outcome is being delivered in an Aboriginal community.
To be funded, projects must:
- Be delivered in a local Aboriginal community in NSW (state-wide programs or activities are not eligible for funding).
- Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for guidance on what is considered a local community for the purpose of this grant.
- Show how it will contribute to one or more CTG socio-economic outcome targets.
- Demonstrate community support and involvement in the development and delivery.
- For capital works projects, have property/landowner’s consent and all planning approvals.
Funding cannot be used for:
- State-wide projects.
- Projects in a community outside NSW.
- Wages, salaries and on-costs for ongoing staff.
- Sitting fees, travel allowance or costs associated with membership of boards/councils.
- International travel costs. Proposals for domestic travel costs need to demonstrate the benefits of travel to the project, organisation, and community.
- Activities that may create an ongoing dependency on Community and Place Grants Program, i.e. funding over multiple years.
- Costs that are not directly associated with the delivery of the project that is funded by the grant.
- Project costs that are supported by another grant, subsidy or financial assistance.
- Project works or costs that have been or will be covered by insurance claims (for example, repairs following weather events).
- Project costs incurred prior to the earliest possible project start date of 1 January 2023.
- Costs to cover existing debts or budget deficits.
- General operational or business as usual costs.
- Maintenance or construction of residential infrastructure.
Who can apply?
To be eligible for an Aboriginal Affairs NSW Community and Place Grant, applicants must be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Organisation (ACCO) or an unincorporated Aboriginal community group with an agreement for an ACCO to auspice the funding.
Unincorporated Aboriginal groups - Unincorporated groups must be Aboriginal community groups – that is, they must be led by Aboriginal people.
An Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Organisation delivers services, including land and resource management, that builds the strength and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people and is:
- incorporated under relevant legislation and not-for-profit;
- controlled and operated by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people;
- connected to the community, or communities, in which they deliver the services; and
- governed by a majority Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander governing body.
Eligibility criteria:
- Applicant organisation must be an eligible legal entity located in NSW and able to enter into a funding agreement with Aboriginal Affairs NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, have an Australian bank account and an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Applicant organisations must have public liability of at least $10 million per claim or include the cost of insurance within their application.
- An unincorporated Aboriginal community group, which would otherwise not be eligible, may apply if it has entered into an agreement with an eligible applicant organisation, which has agreed to auspice the funding. In this situation the eligible organisation must demonstrate compliance with the two eligibility points above.
Applicants not eligible for funding are:
- Individuals.
- Incorporated not-for-profit organisations not controlled or operated by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Unincorporated groups which are not led by Aboriginal people.
- Federal and State Government agencies and bodies.
- NSW Public Schools.
- For-profit organisations, including Aboriginal businesses.
- Unincorporated organisations or groups without an eligible auspicing organisation.
- Organisations that have not met project requirements, including acquittal, and reporting for funding received from Aboriginal Affairs NSW in the previous two years.
- Organisations with redress sanctions, as described in the National Redress Scheme.
See the Applicant eligibility checklistst for further information on eligibility.
How to apply
Applications are to be completed online at the Aboriginal Affairs NSW online grants platform.
Please note, applications will not be accepted by other channels. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to allow sufficient time to submit applications using the online system, including allowing for unexpected delays.
Applicants can choose to submit a video response to application questions on project objectives and outcomes. Aboriginal Affairs NSW staff are available to support applicants with recording and preparing a file for upload, if required.
An applicant can apply once per stream for a distinct project in each stream.
Applications must be submitted by 5pm Friday 30 September 2022. Late applications will not be considered or accepted unless Aboriginal Affairs NSW determines, as its sole discretion, that it is in the interests of the fairness of the program to accept the late application.
