Call for Applications: Grassroots Grants Program in Australia

Deadline: 03-Jun-2024

Got a project idea to protect or restore the environment in the Northern and Yorke region? The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board is committed to the sustainable management of the region’s valuable landscapes and is delighted to announce this year’s Grassroots Grants program.

This program supports individuals, volunteers, community groups, schools, and other entities by funding local projects that enhance and sustain the region’s natural environments.

Funding Information

• Each year, funding between $2,000 and $10,000 is awarded on a competitive basis to projects that demonstrate the best value for money and deliver outcomes that address the key priorities in the Northern and Yorke Landscape Plan.
• Northern and Yorke Landscape Board’s 2024/2025 round offers a funding pool of $250,000, with $50,000 dedicated to First Nations-led projects. Multi-year project funding of up to $30,000 is also available over a period of up to 3 years. A maximum of $10,000 is allocated each year.

Eligible Projects

• Priorities: Pest Plant and Animal Control
  • Focus areas
    • Deliver programs that control priority weeds and feral animals to reduce their effects on agriculture and biodiversity.
    • Develop land manager networks and facilitate collaboration for pest control and management.
  • Project examples
    • Coordinated declared weed management across neighbouring properties
    • Control of outlying or emerging declared weed population (spraying, etc.)
    • Pest plant and pest animal surveys/monitoring
    • Feral animal mustering and trapping
    • Weed mapping and monitoring/surveys
    • Education about pest control
• Priorities: Sustainable Agriculture
  • Focus areas
    • Building land managers’ capacity in adaptive agriculture and best practice land management.
    • Support innovation and adoption of practices for resilience and adaptation.
    • Protect and improve the condition of soil, groundcover and vegetation.
  • Project examples
    • Erosion management, such as building stock crossings and moving stock watering points.
    • Revegetation and fencing for these areas
    • Soil monitoring and improvement
    • Establishing perennial pastures, integrated pest management and shelterbelts
    • Education about sustainable agriculture practices
• Priorities: Water Management
  • Focus areas
    • Sustainably manage the region’s prescribed water resources.
    • Protect and rehabilitate watercourses and wetlands.
    • Promote the sustainable use of water for environmental, cultural, social and industry outcomes.
  • Project examples
    • Watercourse and/or wetland protection and restoration
    • Citizen science projects
    • Water quality surveys/training
    • Rehabilitation of water courses and creeks through removal of weeds and planting
    • Educating community about water quality and water management
• Priorities: Biodiversity
  • Focus areas
    • Support the protection and restoration of coastal habitats.
    • Coordinate programs to improve climate change resilience and adaptive capacity.
    • Improve ecosystems through restoration of habitat.
  • Project examples
    • Creating or improving habitat for wildlife (native species planting)
    • Revegetation to improve biodiversity
    • Fauna and flora monitoring/surveys
    • First Nations cultural knowledge sharing, workshops, monitoring surveys
    • Sand dune and coast rehabilitation
    • Educating community about biodiversity
• Priorities: Communities
  • Focus areas
    • Make decisions based on best available science, cultural knowledge and local experience.
    • Actively engage community at the centre of landscape management.
    • Foster partnerships that increase communication and collaboration in landscape management.
  • Project examples
    • Workshop/field days
    • Community Citizen Science projects
    • First Nations partnerships/engagement/knowledge sharing activities
    • Developing educational/communication materials

Eligible Activities

• Revegetation
  • Examples
    • Tubestock planting
    • Mulching
    • Plant guards
    • Supplementary watering
    • Note: revegetation includes the restoration of native habitat primarily for conservation purposes.
  • Outputs to be included
    • Total area revegetated (ha)
    • Number of plants planted (tubestock)
• Seed collection and propagation
  • Examples
    • Collecting seeds/cuttings
    • Propagating seeds/cuttings
  • Outputs to be included
    • Number of plants propagated
    • Number of species collected/propagated
• Habitat creation/enhancement
  • Examples
    • Installation of nesting boxes
    • Installation of bee hotels
  • Outputs to be included
    • Number of structures
• Surveys
  • Examples
    • Fauna survey
    • Flora survey
    • Water quality survey
  • Outputs to be included
    • Number of fauna/flora/water quality surveys conducted
• Controlling pest plants and animals
  • Examples
    • Weed control by contractor
    • Spraying of weeds
    • Fox control
    • Feral cat control
    • Rabbit control
  • Outputs to be included
    • Total area controlled (ha)
    • Ratio of chemicals/baits used
• Controlling access/protecting environment/ biodiversity
  • Examples
    • Fencing to prevent access to sensitive habitats
  • Outputs to be included
    • Length of fencing (m)
    • Area protected by fencing (ha)
    • Note: property boundary fencing is not an eligible activity and must be for environmental protection
• Aboriginal engagement
  • Examples
    • Workshop/field day
    • Cultural awareness training (must be co-funded by the applicant)
    • Cultural burns
    • Consultation on the project with Traditional Owners
  • Outputs to be included
    • Number of events/cultural burns
    • Number of attendees
    • Note: this type of activity is about involving Traditional Owners and Aboriginal organisations.
• Community engagement
  • Examples
    • Conference/seminar presentation
    • Workshop/field day
    • Communication materials
    • Newsletter
    • Reports
    • Signage
    • Online materials
    • App development
    • Social media posts
    • Educational campaigns
  • Outputs to be included
    • Number of events/activities
    • Number of attendees
    • Number of educational/promotional materials
    • Number of channels used
    • Number of attendees
    • Number of potential reach (social media)

Eligibility Criteria

• an incorporated community group or organisation (or a non-incorporated group with a sponsor)
• a partnership
• a non-government organisation
• a school, university or other educational entity (may require a sponsor)
• an incorporated Aboriginal organisation (or a non-incorporated group with a sponsor)
• First Nations person, organisation or business (individuals or non-incorporated groups must have a sponsor) — projects can be for profit if the applicant is a First Nations Board, organisation or business.
• If you are not a legal entity (i.e. not incorporated) you will need to seek sponsorship from a legal entity that is prepared to take responsibility for the legal and financial accountability of the project. A written agreement and/ or letter of support from the partner and/or sponsoring organisation must be included as part of the application.
• The sponsor will receive the funding on your behalf and will be required to provide a final acquittal of project funds. Trusts must register the name of the trustee i.e.
• John Smith as trustee for John Smith Family Trust. The applicant’s sponsor organisation can apply for administration costs of up to 10%.

Key Considerations 

• The project must be within the Northern and Yorke region and undertaken on a not-for-profit basis.
• Applicants can submit more than one application. Successful applications will be determined based on merit selection.
• Successful applicants from previous Grassroots Grants will be eligible to apply as long as the funded component of their project is complete (no longer active).
• Applicants must be adequately insured with minimum of $1 million public liability insurance coverage for the life of the project.
• Proposed project activities must not be part of any other funding agreement.
• The project must be within the Northern and Yorke region and undertaken on a not-for-profit basis (unless the applicant is a First Nations Board, organisation or business).
• Written approval for any works undertaken on land owned by another person/entity, other than the applicant, must be included as part of the application.

For more information, visit Northern and Yorke Landscape Board.