Deadline: 27-Mar-24
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has announced applications for Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program to support communities across remote, rural and regional Australia to enhance live ability with digital solutions that harness the power of connection.
The program will support community-led efforts that embrace new technology and improve digital literacy or digital capability.
Program Objectives
- The program seeks to foster:
- Liveable communities that have digital capability, and help to equip individuals with the skills to live, learn and work in a digital society;
- Sustainable communities that are diverse and inclusive, planning for the health, wellbeing, and prosperity of their people and the planet; and
- Resilient communities that are well prepared and socially connected when disaster strikes with the ability to renew and recover together.
Funding Information
- Grants up to $10,000 are available for not-for-profit community organisations that are providing access to information, technology, education and facilities to support their communities to embrace new technologies and ways of working to build social capital and digital capability.
Funding Priorities
- While all requests will be considered, priorities for funding are outlined below:
- Projects initiated and delivered by local community groups and not-for profits;
- Organisations that do not have DGR-1 status.
What can be funded?
- A broad range of charitable projects are considered under this program, including:
- Delivering, or providing activities, events, programs and services;
- Purchasing or hiring equipment and materials;
- Community infrastructure projects;
- Organisational capacity building; and
- Community resource development.
- For Telstra’s Connecting Communities program, projects should be community led to support enhancing social connection, equitable access to technology, increased cyber security, sustainable environmental practices or support disaster preparedness. This can be with new or existing projects, where funds will help to scale their impact, and may include initiatives that can build digital capability by providing access to equipment, information and education and/or enable constructive social networks.
- The program will support a wide range of charitable projects that are aligned to the program purpose and embrace technology to provide digital solutions including:
- Equipment or training to build digital and connectivity literacy for broad community benefit;
- Enabling digital equity by providing access to digital equipment for students in need;
- Building community organisations operational capacity with new technology and digital solutions;
- Programs that increase communities’ digital literacy for better social and economic outcomes;
- Programs supporting remote, rural and regional communities’ adaptation to extreme weather events and changing climate conditions using digital tools to increase access and reach;
- Programs to help communities recycle their e-waste;
- Delivery of cyber safety / online awareness workshops to vulnerable cohorts (e.g. seniors, students, First Nations people and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities);
- Cyber security support for community groups to implement or upgrade electronic information security;
- Upgrading emergency meeting places to support connectivity and emergency power in and out of times of disaster;
- Providing essential digital equipment for emergency preparedness.
What can’t be funded?
- There are several areas that they can’t fund through this program.
- Projects that support core business and areas of responsibility of Federal, State or Local Governments;
- Ongoing core organisational operational costs (e.g. rent, utilities, regular wages, loan repayments);
- The encouragement or advancement of sport, recreation and social activities are not considered charitable activities under Australian law. Applications from sporting organisations need to clearly demonstrate charitable outcomes and benefit to the wider community that are above and beyond the sporting activities of the club;
- Overseas travel and overseas projects;
- Prizes, gifts, trophies or awards;
- Political lobbying;
- Projects that primarily benefit private business, a sole trader, or private interests; and
- Projects solely focused on animal welfare.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible Applicant
- Applicant organisations must be a not-for-profit organisation with either an Incorporation Certificate and/or an ABN. If you are unsure if your organisation is a registered not-for-profit (e.g., if you are a Co-operative, Other Unincorporated Entity, Public Company or Trust), please contact FRRR;
- Project must be for charitable purposes and offer clear public benefit;
- Not-for profit organisations with or without DGR-1 endorsement are eligible;
- Organisations can submit one application per grant round; and
- Projects must benefit communities in remote, rural or regional Australia.
- Ineligible Applicant
- Applicant organisations must not have received a grant through Round 1 of the Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program in 2023;
- Application is submitted by individuals, sole traders, private or commercial businesses (as per the submitted ABN);
- Application is submitted by an organisation that is not a legal entity (i.e. a registered not-for-profit), without the written consent of the governing/partnering body who holds the ABN/Incorporation Certificate;
- Application is submitted without required financial documentation
- Overdue final report from any FRRR grants awarded in the previous seven years have not been acquitted.
- Application is for a project or activity that has already occurred/is occurring prior to the announcement of funding;
- Application is incomplete. note: Due to the volume of applications received, applications are assessed based on the documentation received at the time of application;
For more information, visit FRRR.