Current Grant Opportunity View - GO8525

The Stronger Communities Programme (the program) supports the Australian Government’s commitment to deliver social benefits in communities across Australia by funding projects in each of the 150 Federal electorates. The program provides grants for community projects to strengthen and benefit local communities and is part of the Government’s 2026-27 budget initiatives.

The objective of the program is to deliver infrastructure projects that provide social benefits for local communities.

The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are to:

• encourage and support participation in local projects
• improve local community participation
• contribute to vibrant and viable communities.

Community consultation is a critical element of the program. In consultation with their community, each MP must identify potential applicants and projects in their electorate and invite them to apply for a grant. We will assess invited applications against the program’s eligibility and assessment criteria through a closed non-competitive process.

For this round, grant funding will be up to 100% of eligible project costs for all eligible applicants, except for local governing bodies. Grant funding for local governing bodies will be up to 50% of eligible project costs. This means local governing bodies must provide at least 50% of the eligible project costs in matched funding contributions.

You can apply if you:

• are invited to apply by your MP
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• meet the eligibility requirements in section 4.1 of the grant opportunity guidelines.

To apply, you must be one of the following entities:

• an incorporated not for profit organisation such as:
  • Police and Citizen Youth Clubs
  • child care centres
  • surf clubs
  • local aged care bodies
  • Parents and Citizens, Parent and Friends groups and equivalent bodies
  • a Commonwealth, state or territory government agency or entity that is a fire service, rural fire service, country fire authority, state emergency service or similar
• non-distributing co-operatives
• companies limited by guarantee
• Australian Indigenous corporations
• religious organisations incorporated under legislation
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust with responsibility for a community asset or property. You will be required to provide relevant trust documents
• a local governing body as defined by the Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act 1995.

For the purposes of this program, we also consider the following organisations to be local governing bodies:

• Anangu Pitjantjatjara, Maralinga, Gerard, Nepabunna and Yalata local governing bodies in SA
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council
• Lord Howe Island Board
• Norfolk Island Regional Council
• The Outback Communities Authority
• The Shire of Christmas Island
• The Silverton and Tibooburra villages in NSW
• The Trust Account in the NT
• ACT Government.

Find the full eligibility criteria in the grant opportunity guidelines.

$22,500,000.00

From $2,500.00 to $20,000.00

Eligible applicants will be contacted.

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