Call for Proposals: Youth Climate Action Fund (Australia)

The Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF) provides grants of $1,500 to $7,000 to support youth-led climate action projects that promote sustainability, climate resilience, circularity, inclusion, and community engagement in Perth. Eligible not-for-profit and charitable organisations can apply for projects led by young people aged 15 to 24.

What Is the Youth Climate Action Fund?

The Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF) is designed to empower young people in Perth to lead practical climate action and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient city.

The fund supports youth-led projects that deliver environmental and community benefits while giving young people opportunities to develop leadership, collaboration, and climate action skills.

Projects should address local climate challenges and demonstrate meaningful community engagement.

What Are the Priority Areas?

The fund focuses on four key areas:

Climate Mitigation and Resilience

Projects can support practical responses to climate change, including initiatives that reduce environmental impacts and strengthen community resilience.

Circularity

Projects can focus on reducing waste, protecting natural resources, reusing materials, and developing more circular approaches to consumption and production.

Inclusivity

The fund encourages climate initiatives that ensure diverse voices are included and that young people from different backgrounds can participate in climate action.

Governance and Engagement

Projects can strengthen youth networks, partnerships, community participation, and structures that support long-term climate action.

How Much Funding Is Available?

Grants range from:

Minimum: $1,500 excluding GST
Maximum: $7,000 excluding GST

Funding can support a variety of direct project expenses, including:

Events and workshops
Marketing and promotional materials
Training costs
Mentor fees
Project supplies
Permit and approval fees
Auspice fees of up to 10% of project costs

The grant should be used for costs directly connected with delivering the proposed youth climate action project.

Who Is Eligible?

Applications must come from eligible not-for-profit or charitable organisations.

Applicants must:

Be legally constituted.
Have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
Have a bank account in the organisation’s name.
Hold appropriate insurance.
Demonstrate overall financial viability.
Work with young people.
Support a project led by young people aged 15–24.

Projects must either:

Take place within the City of Perth, or
Have a direct and meaningful impact on the City of Perth.

An organisation can apply for up to three different youth-led projects per funding period.

Who Leads the Project?

The project must be youth-led, meaning young people aged 15–24 should have a meaningful leadership role in developing and delivering the initiative.

The supporting organisation provides the legal and administrative framework while helping young participants turn their climate ideas into practical projects.

What Can the Funding Support?

Examples of potentially eligible expenses include:

Climate-focused community workshops
Youth sustainability events
Environmental education activities
Project materials and supplies
Waste reduction activities
Circular economy initiatives
Training and mentoring
Community engagement activities
Promotional materials
Required permits and approvals

The strongest projects will clearly connect their activities to climate action, sustainability, resilience, inclusion, circularity, or community engagement.

What Is Not Funded?

The fund does not support several types of activities and expenses, including:

General operational costs
Scholarships
Commercial activities
Projects with a primary political purpose
Other activities excluded under the programme’s funding guidelines

Applicants should ensure that the proposed budget focuses on direct project delivery rather than routine organisational expenses.

Why It Matters

Young people are important contributors to local climate action. The Youth Climate Action Fund gives them an opportunity to move from awareness and advocacy to practical community-based solutions.

The programme can help:

Build youth climate leadership
Support innovative environmental solutions
Strengthen community resilience
Reduce waste and encourage circular practices
Increase participation in sustainability initiatives
Create stronger youth and community networks
Give young people practical project-management experience

How to Apply

Step 1: Confirm Your Organisation’s Eligibility

Check that your organisation:

Is legally constituted.
Operates as a not-for-profit or charitable organisation.
Has an ABN.
Has a bank account in the organisation’s name.
Has appropriate insurance.
Can demonstrate financial viability.

Step 2: Establish the Youth Leadership Team

Identify young people aged 15–24 who will lead the project.

Define their responsibilities, decision-making roles, and involvement in project delivery.

Step 3: Develop a Climate Action Project

Create a practical project that addresses a local sustainability or climate challenge.

Consider how the project contributes to one or more priority areas:

Climate mitigation and resilience
Circularity
Inclusivity
Governance and engagement

Step 4: Define the Perth Connection

Clearly explain how the project will benefit the City of Perth.

If activities are held outside the city, demonstrate the direct impact they will have on Perth.

Step 5: Prepare the Budget

List all expected project expenses and ensure they are directly related to project delivery.

Potential costs can include materials, workshops, marketing, training, mentors, permits, and eligible auspice fees.

Step 6: Submit Before the Project Starts

Applications must be submitted before the proposed project commencement date.

Applicants should therefore allow sufficient time for assessment and approval before beginning any funded activities.

Step 7: Deliver and Evaluate the Project

Successful applicants should track participation, activities, outputs, and community or environmental outcomes to demonstrate the project’s impact.

Tips for a Strong Application

Make the project genuinely youth-led: Show young people’s role in decision-making, not just participation.
Define the climate problem: Clearly explain the local issue the project will address.
Connect activities to outcomes: Explain what will change as a result of the project.
Show Perth’s benefit: Make the connection to the City of Perth explicit.
Use measurable outcomes: Include targets such as participants reached, workshops delivered, materials diverted from landfill, or community members engaged.
Keep the budget focused: Request funding for direct project costs rather than general organisational expenses.
Build inclusion into the design: Explain how young people from diverse backgrounds can participate.
Submit early: Do not begin the project before submitting the application.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

Designing a project without meaningful youth leadership.
Failing to demonstrate a connection to Perth.
Treating the grant as general organisational funding.
Requesting funding for excluded operational costs.
Proposing primarily commercial activities.
Making the project primarily political rather than climate or community focused.
Providing vague environmental outcomes.
Starting the project before submitting the application.
Failing to explain how the project will benefit both young people and the environment.

Key Grant Details

Grant: Youth Climate Action Fund
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Funding: $1,500–$7,000 excluding GST
Project leadership: Young people aged 15–24
Eligible applicants: Legally constituted not-for-profit and charitable organisations
Required: ABN, organisational bank account, appropriate insurance, and financial viability
Priority areas: Climate mitigation and resilience, circularity, inclusivity, governance and engagement
Eligible costs: Events, workshops, marketing, training, mentors, supplies, permits and eligible auspice fees
Auspice fees: Up to 10% of project cost
Applications: Must be submitted before project commencement
Maximum applications: Up to three different youth-led projects per organisation per funding period

Frequently Asked Questions

How much funding is available through the Youth Climate Action Fund?

Eligible projects can receive between $1,500 and $7,000 excluding GST.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants are legally constituted not-for-profit or charitable organisations with an ABN, an organisational bank account, appropriate insurance, and demonstrated financial viability.

Who must lead the project?

Projects must be led by young people aged 15–24, with supporting organisations providing the necessary organisational framework.

Does the project have to take place in Perth?

The project must either take place within the City of Perth or demonstrate a direct impact on the city.

What can the grant pay for?

Funding can support eligible project expenses such as events, workshops, marketing, training, mentor fees, project supplies, permits, approvals, and eligible auspice fees.

Can the grant be used for general operating expenses?

No. The fund does not support general operational costs. The budget should focus on expenses directly associated with delivering the youth-led climate project.

How many projects can one organisation submit?

An eligible organisation can apply for up to three different youth-led projects per funding period.

Conclusion

The Youth Climate Action Fund provides targeted financial support for young people to lead practical climate and sustainability initiatives in Perth. With grants of up to $7,000, eligible not-for-profit and charitable organisations can help young people develop innovative projects addressing climate resilience, circularity, inclusion, and community engagement while creating tangible benefits for the City of Perth.