Before an election, the Australian Government assumes a caretaker role. Limited updates will be made to this site in line with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions.
Multicultural Grassroots Initiatives
This grant opportunity is a part of the Modernised Multicultural Grant Program, which will run over 4 years from 2024–25 to 2027–28 as part of the Government’s response to the Multicultural Framework Review.
This opportunity will run over 2 years from 2024–25 to 2025–26 and will target multicultural community-led grassroots organisations. Eligible organisations will be able to apply for grants of up to $100,000 over 2 years from 2024–25 to 2025–26 for the following types of activities:
multicultural celebrations, such as festivals and events
multicultural amenities, such as building upgrades, furnishings and equipment
intercultural connections, such as intercultural sports programs or art projects.
The grant opportunity will seek to build the capacity of grassroots organisations and will be delivered in an accessible manner for multicultural community groups.
Infrastructure for Multicultural Organisations grant
This grant opportunity will run over 3 years from 2025–26 to 2027–28. It is part of the Modernised Multicultural Grant Program - one of the Government’s responses to the Multicultural Framework Review.
It will deliver physical infrastructure to support multicultural communities to connect and commune in a designated physical environment.
Funded projects will target construction, upgrade or extension of infrastructure that provides demonstrated benefits to multicultural communities. This may include:
community hubs and centres
museums, libraries and art spaces
indoor and outdoor amenities (food preparation areas, dining spaces, bathrooms, play equipment and barbeque facilities)
meeting and conference facilities
stages, auditoriums and spaces for arts, sporting or physical activities
Funded projects will be investment or ‘shovel’ ready within 12 weeks of grant execution, meaning you have:
regulatory and/or development approvals
evidence of experience in delivering similar sized projects or have engaged a third party with relevant experience
evidence of your co-contribution from another source or your cash contribution to the project
detailed project proposal, including project plans (designs), timelines and procurement process
detailed budget including quotes and cost benefit analysis
detailed risk management plan
evidence that you own or have permission to use the land/infrastructure
The Department of Social Services is aware of unauthorised websites and social media accounts containing false information about the national No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS).
NILS is delivered in collaboration with Good Shepherd and the National Australia Bank.
The unauthorised websites may appear as search results through web browsers, and some are posing as Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (GSANZ) or NILS community providers.
Some of these websites have hyperlinked information about loans of up to $20,000 through the NILS program and provide inaccurate information on NILS loan limits and repayments, and asks individuals to provide their myGov and/or bank account sign in details as part of the ‘loan application’ process.
NILS staff will never:
Contact an individual via social media. If an individual has contacted Good Shepherd through the chat function they will only provide general information about how to apply for a NILS loan
Ask an individual for sensitive financial information such as online banking passwords or codes
Ask an individual for their login to online banking through a link sent via text or email
Ask an individual for their myGov and/or bank account login and password details
Ask an individual to download software
Ask an individual to transfer money
Ask an individual to set up a bank account with a specific provider to have money transferred.
What to do if an individual is contacted by a scam attempt
If an individual is contacted by one of these scams, they should not provide personal or financial information.
Report it to Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand by sending screenshots and details to: [email protected]
For the Department of Social Services, report it to [email protected]
Further advice on scams is available from the National Anti-Scam Centre: Scamwatch.
If an individual has been scammed they should consider the following actions:
Block all contact from the scammer
Call their bank and/or financial institution as soon as possible to let them know about the scam
Create new passwords
Take steps to secure personal identity documents
Watch for suspicious contact such as emails, phone calls, texts, or messages through social media and do not click on any links sent to individuals
Monitor their bank account for unauthorised transactions
Report to Scamwatch
If the scam is an advertisement, report it to the social media platform using their ad settings button
Housing Australia Future Fund Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program
The Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program is a capital works program funding the building, remodelling or purchase of new or expanded crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence (FDV) and older women at risk of homelessness.
The Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program forms part of the broader Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF). Under the HAFF, the Australian Government has committed $100 million (GST exclusive) available for grants over 5 years (2024–25 to 2028–29).
More information about this Forecast Opportunity is available on GrantConnect.
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Future Drought Fund Resilient Landscapes Program
The Resilient Landscapes Program will focus on demonstrating how implementing and scaling of practices, technologies or approaches to manage natural resources on farm, contribute to building drought and climate resilience by improving landscape function and ecosystem services.
The Program will support implementation and scaling of activities that identify and manage natural capital tipping points or thresholds on farm for the public good of the Australian agriculture sector, landscapes, and communities.
Drought and climate resilience will be increased by projects that:
achieve and measure impact at scale
integrate environmental, economic, and social drought resilience
target opportunities for long-term transformational change
enable farmers to be prepared for and respond to drought
promote learning and build capacity.
$40 million is available through an open competitive grant process for projects between $2 million and $6 million. Activities must be undertaken over 6 years from 2024–25 until 2029–30.
Applications must involve a consortium of partners, with a lead organisation nominated as the ‘applicant’. Each applicant must develop a theory of change for the project.
This grant opportunity is expected to be open for up to 8 weeks. An information webinar will be held in early October for prospective applicants. Program details may change with the published grant opportunity.
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Future Drought Fund Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program Round 2 – upcoming grant opportunity
The Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program Round 2 will investigate innovative farming practices, technologies and/or approaches through evidence-based trials to inform farmers, drive adoption, and foster transformational change to build drought and climate resilience.
The Program has an expanded list of eligible agricultural industries including cereal, other broadacre crops, horticulture crops and livestock.
Projects must demonstrate through scientific and statistically validated trials the effectiveness of practices, technologies and/or approaches.
Drought and climate resilience will be increased by projects that enable farmers to:
be prepared for and respond to drought
experiment with the adoption of practices, technologies and/or approaches that build drought and climate resilience
establish and strengthen networks to improve knowledge sharing
$40.3 million is available through an open competitive grant process for projects between $3 million to $8 million. Activities must be undertaken over 6 years from 2024–25 until 2029–30.
Applications must include a consortium of partners, with a lead organisation nominated as the ‘applicant’. Co-design and farmer involvement is required.
This grant opportunity is expected to be open for up to 8 weeks. An information webinar will be held in early October for prospective applicants.
Program details may change with the published grant opportunity.
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Disability Employment Centre of Excellence Grant Opportunity
The Department of Social Services will conduct an open grant round shortly to find a provider or consortium of providers to establish the Disability Employment Centre of Excellence.
The Centre of Excellence will be an evidence-informed, best-practice hub that will provide resources, tools and training to help providers deliver quality employment services and supports to both participants with disability and employers.
The Centre of Excellence will collect, translate, and disseminate disability employment-related research and evidence of what works into best-practice resources. The Centre of Excellence will bring together and use existing resources available both nationally and internationally.
The Centre of Excellence is expected to commence in March 2025, to support the introduction of the new specialist disability employment program from 1 July 2025. A dedicated online hub will be available by September 2025.
The Grant Opportunity Guidelines can be found attached to the Disability Centre of Excellence Forecast Opportunity on GrantConnect. Other supporting documents will be published when the grant opportunity is open for applications. These guidelines have been produced for the information of stakeholders and potential respondents.
Please note no questions, correspondence or applications will be accepted between now and when the grant opportunity opens.
The grant opportunity will open on 4 September 2024.
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National Women’s Alliances
Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality (the Strategy) outlines how the Government will focus its efforts over the next decade to achieve gender equality.
The Government is providing up to $10.88 million from December 2024 to June 2029 to strengthen the National Women’s Alliances program to deliver expert and strategic advice on the solutions required to meet the Strategy’s vision.
Organisations and consortia are encouraged to apply to represent one or more of the following themes and/or diverse groups consistent with the priorities of the Strategy:
gender-based violence
women’s economic equality and leadership
migrant and refugee women
First Nations women
women living in rural, regional and remote areas
women with disability.
Up to 6 organisations may be selected through this open competitive process to provide collaborative, intersectional, evidence based gender expertise and strategic advice to Government to inform ongoing progress of the Strategy’s outcomes. Advice will focus on elevating the lived experiences of women in all their diversity and bringing together the expertise of the women’s sector and expert stakeholders. Cross alliance collaboration will be a central feature of the program. Advice will focus on elevating the lived experiences of women in all their diversity and bringing together the expertise of the women’s sector and expert stakeholders.
The round will open on 21 May 2024. An information briefing will be held on 29 May 11:00am-12:00pm. Refer to the Office for Women website for further information.
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Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031 - National Disability Conference Initiative 2024–25
The National Disability Conference Initiative 2024–25 (NDCI) grant opportunity is expected to open for applications in April 2024. This grant opportunity provides grants of up to $10,000 to disability conference organisers to assist people with disability 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 disability focused conferences.
This grant opportunity will be administered by the Community Grants Hub on behalf of the Department of Social Services.
To receive the latest information on the upcoming NDCI Grant Opportunity, please subscribe to the Community Grants Hub.
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Have your say on the future of Financial Wellbeing and Capability (FWC) Activity programs
The Review of Financial Wellbeing and Capability (FWC) programs – Consultation Paper is now available on the DSS Engage website for feedback.
This public Consultation Paper is the final stage of a review the department is conducting of the FWC Activity this year.
The review provides an opportunity to:
consider existing challenges (such as cost of living and natural disasters)
build on what is working well
identify options and improvements for programs to achieve better outcomes for people accessing FWC services.
Your feedback will ensure future design options for programs and grants, consider client, provider, sector and government views.
The Consultation Paper:
includes existing evidence and data
includes insights gathered through extensive targeted stakeholder engagement to date
considers key policy issues and opportunities for program and grant improvements.
Help shape the design of future FWC Activity programs. Submissions close on 29 January 2024.
