Applications Open for Cultural Fire Grants in Australia

Deadline: 13-May-22

The Victoria State Government is inviting applications for the Cultural Fire Grants Program to support Aboriginal Victorians to care for Country and reinvigorate Traditional Owner-led cultural land and fire management practices.

The connection Traditional Owners have to Country and their role in the future of fire and land management in Victoria is recognised and acknowledged by DELWP and its partner agencies. Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Grants (CFG) is a Victorian Government initiative that supports Traditional Owners to lead the practice of cultural burning and their unique pathway for creating healthy Country and communities.

The CFG program will support projects that:

reinvigorate Traditional Owner-led cultural land and fire management practices across the Victorian landscape
implement program components of the Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy (CFS)
embed two-way learning and partnerships between Traditional Owners and the state’s emergency services agencies
restore traditional knowledge and practice, safeguarding this knowledge and practice for future generations
provide employment opportunities within Aboriginal organisations.

Strategic Priorities

Managing the transition to cultural burning and healthy Country.
Restoring and protecting the knowledge system.
Holistic land management for healthy Country and healthy people.
Embedding cultural fire practice.

Funding Information

The Cultural Fire Grants program is a competitive program to support Traditional Owner organisations in Victoria. In the first funding round of 21/22- 22/23, the Victorian Government is providing up to $6.3 million dollars (GST exclusive) divided between successful applicants, to lead the practice of cultural burning and support their unique pathways for managing Country.

In the first funding round applicants will be able to apply for:
- Small grants totalling between $1,000 to $200,000 (perfect for smaller initiatives such as training courses, strategy development)
- Large grants of above $200,000 (supporting larger on-ground implementation activities or programs).

What will not be funded?

The CFG will not fund:

Recurrent operation costs, for example, rents, and utility costs
Purchase of land or water
Any cultural fire activity undertaken overseas
Existing business-as-usual operating costs which cannot be linked back to cultural fire
Fixed assets (e.g., buildings; fire towers)
Funding for political campaigning or advocacy activities for political parties.

Eligibility Criteria

For eligibility to apply for funding, applicants must be a Victorian Traditional Owner Corporation that is either:

An incorporated body registered, under Consumer Affairs Victoria; or
An incorporated association under the federal Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006;
Have public liability insurance ($10 million minimum);
Professional indemnity insurance ($2 million minimum)

Traditional Owner-led organisations may choose to partner with another organisation where specific content knowledge, insurances or other expertise is required. However, the Traditional Owner-led organisation and/or community group must be the lead or senior partner throughout the project for partnership-based projects to be considered for funding. Funding is only available to Incorporated organisations.

Non-Incorporated community groups will need to have an auspice arrangement in place to receive the funding.

Ineligibile Criteria

The Cultural Fire Grants (CFG) program is a program that seeks to support Victorian Traditional Owners reinvigorate the practice of cultural fire to restore health to country and wellbeing to Victorian Traditional Owner communities. The eligibility criteria are intended to support the program to meet these objectives.

Organisations that are not eligible to apply for funding include, but are not limited to: