Australia: Stronger Country Communities Fund (Round 5)

Deadline: 23-Sep-22

The NSW Government has launched the application for its Stronger Country Communities fund (SCCF) to boost the wellbeing of communities in regional areas by providing new or upgraded social and sporting infrastructure, or community programs that have strong local support.

Projects must be for infrastructure or community programs that boost the wellbeing of regional areas through improved amenity and positive social outcomes. Funding is available for local community and sporting infrastructure, street beautification, projects enhancing accessibility and inclusion for people with disability, projects improving outcomes for Aboriginal people, and community programs and local events.

Funding Information

Grant amount: From $100,000.

Eligible Projects

Projects must be for infrastructure or community programs that boost the wellbeing of regional areas through improved amenity and positive social outcomes. Community amenity projects must be for either:
- construction of new, or upgrades to existing, local community infrastructure
- construction of new, or upgrades to existing, local sporting infrastructure
- capital works related to street beautification and other public places that promote the health, happiness and wellbeing of the community
- delivering programs that benefit the local community and provide public benefit
- infrastructure to assist the delivery of general community programs
- infrastructure or community projects or programs which improve and promote accessibility and inclusion.

Ineligible Projects

Projects are not eligible for funding if they are:
- located outside an eligible regional Local Government Area
- not submitted by an eligible entity
- located across multiple Local Government Areas boundaries
- exclusively for planning activities (e.g. master planning or heritage studies)
- for the maintenance or construction of local roads or other ongoing core service infrastructure works that are the ordinary responsibility of council or other levels of government
- for the delivery of essential or core government services funded from another source, such as local government, NSW Government or Commonwealth Government
- seeking retrospective funding to cover any project component already completed before applicants are informed of the outcome or funding is announced
- for ongoing staff or operational costs beyond two years from project announcement for programs, or any ongoing staff or operational costs for infrastructure projects
- for a general works package without specific scope, costs and location (e.g. ‘upgrading lighting at sports ovals’ without identifying the work required, number of sites or locations)
- exclusively for marketing, branding, advertising or product promotion, including tourism marketing
- providing direct commercial and/or exclusive private benefit to an individual or business
- not clearly providing benefits that will significantly contribute to the objectives of the Stronger Country Communities Fund.

Eligibility Criteria

Who can apply
- Applicants must be an incorporated entity and hold an Australian Business Number (ABN), Australian Company Number (ACN), be registered with NSW Fair Trading under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 or incorporated under an Australian federal, state or territory Act of Parliament.
- Eligible Council Applicants: NSW Regional Councils, Regional Joint Organisations of Councils, Section 355 Committees of Council
- Eligible Community Applicants: Community organisations registered as incorporated associations, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, Lord Howe Island Board, Unincorporated Far West groups.
Who can’t apply
- Unincorporated organisations, individuals and for profit and commercial organisations are ineligible to apply
- Councils in Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle.