Applications open for Community Major Grants Program (Australia)

Deadline: 26-Feb-2025

The Devonport City Council is seeking applications for its Community Major Grants Program to support community organisations to deliver one-off projects, events and activities that enhance the liveability, health and well-being of the Devonport community.

Categories

• Grants must address specific criteria in one of the following categories:
  • Community Development
  • Community Facilities
  • Cultural Development
  • Cultural Heritage
  • Economic Development
  • Sport, Recreation and Healthy Living
• Applications for major grants must address priorities in at least one of the following categories:
  • Health and wellbeing
    • Projects under this category will:
      • Promote community strengthening and social inclusion
      • Support inclusion and access for people of all abilities
      • Enhance community safety and disaster resilience
      • Encourage healthy eating and the availability of health foods
      • Promote community participation in sport, recreation, and active living
      • Enhance lifelong learning and literacy
      • Increase community engagement and volunteerism.
      • Improve accessibility, safety, and use of community facilities
  • The culture
    • Projects under this category will:
      • Build local creative and cultural skills and experience
      • Engage the wider community in local creative and cultural events and activities
      • Support a number of emerging artists in a high-quality project e.g., performance, theatrical activity, exhibition, and showcase
      • Document, conserve, promote and increase accessibility to Devonport’s heritage and social history for long lasting community benefit.
      • Recognise and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this nation
      • Promote Devonport’s cultural diversity, encourage equity and improve inclusivity
      • Improve accessibility, safety, and use of community cultural facilities
  • The environment
    • Projects under this category will:
      • Increase biodiversity conservation
      • Work towards healthier waterways and coasts
      • Improve energy and water efficiency of community facilities
      • Improve community resilience to climate change impacts
      • Reduce waste to landfill through activities that avoid, reduce, reuse, or recycle waste
  • Community events
    • Projects under this category will:
      • Engage community stakeholders and create positive social impacts for local residents, such as wellbeing, inclusion, and foster community spirit and pride
      • Primarily attract attendees from Devonport and immediate surrounds
      • Build local event management capacity and skills
      • Enhance Devonport’s reputation as a great place to live, work, visit and play
      • Be of local scale attracting up to 1,000 people
      • Large scale major events will be considered under the Events Sponsorship Fund

Funding Information

• Maximum Value: $25,000

Eligible Projects

• Applications must:
  • Demonstrate a purpose that is in the public interest, with significant community need and benefit
  • Demonstrate strong alignment with Council’s priorities as described in the grant Categories
  • Adhere to the terms and conditions of this funding program

Ineligible Projects and Costs

• Ongoing operational or recurrent costs including salaries, rental or lease arrangements, fuel, administration, cleaning, gardening or insurance
• Activities previously disbursed or that have commenced prior to funding being approved
• Prize money, prizes or trophies
• Travel to competitions, performances or conferences for individuals or community groups
• Items included in another Council grant application (Community Donations, Individual Development Grants, Community Rates Remissions, Or In Kind Assistance Grants. Note: paranaple convention centre and Town Hall Theatre offer Community Rate in lieu of In-Kind Assistance)
• Development of privately-owned facilities
• Payment of debt
• Political activities
• Projects run solely for commercial profit
• Projects run solely for fundraising purposes, without broader community benefit
• The purchase of land
• Programs/projects in local schools/ by education providers that are exclusive to students
• Celebration activities or events where attendance is limited to individual organisations or their members
• Judging fees
• Uniforms
• Merchandise

Eligibility Criteria

• Any not for profit community organisations or association that is legally constituted as an incorporated body or under the auspice of one, that:
  • Operate within the Devonport local government area or can demonstrate the project or program will benefit residents of the Devonport local government area
  • Have appropriate public liability insurance
  • Have no debt to Council or have entered into scheduled payment arrangements with Council which are being met
  • Have met acquittal conditions for previous Council grants

Ineligibility Criteria

• Applications cannot be made by:
  • Local, state or federal government agencies or departments
  • For profit entities
  • Organisations who have previously failed to acquit Council grants

Assessment Criteria

• Major and minor grant applications will be assessed using the following criteria:
  • Demonstrate need and benefit
  • Alignment to Council’s priorities as outlined in each category
  • Evidence of community support, partnership or consultation
  • Increasing self-sufficiency of organisations and/or project outcomes
  • Demonstrate good value for money which shows the contribution of the organisation (and/or others) applying to the project or activity through cash and/or in-kind; and purchase of goods and services from local businesses
  • Capacity of the applicant (and/or partners) to complete the project
  • Evidence that the organisation and/or the project supports inclusive participation and/or promotes equality
  • Evidence that the organisation (and/or the project) demonstrates sound environmental practices
• Lower priority is given to:
  • Projects by applicants who have received grant funds in the previous 12 months
  • Projects or events that have previously received Council funding

For more information, visit Devonport City Council.