Seniors Social Isolation Grants Program – Australia

Deadline: 15-Mar-24

The Queensland Government is seeking applications to support older persons aged 60 years and over, and First Nations peoples aged 50 years and over, who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing social isolation.

The Queensland Government, through the Seniors Social Isolation Program (the program), provides over $4 million each year to more than 40 organisations across various local government areas (LGAs) to address seniors social isolation and loneliness in Queensland communities.

Objectives

The Queensland Government is committed to building age-friendly communities where seniors are connected to their communities, feel cared for, and are celebrated for their contribution, including their contribution to their local communities.
The program supports the building of age-friendly communities and aims to minimise the impacts of social isolation and loneliness through the provision of various activities, information and other supports that are flexible, person-centred, and locally based in community. The program seeks to:
- reduce harm and social isolation;
- improve connection to family and community;
- create social inclusion;
- increase the feeling of contribution
- empower older persons and amplify their voice; and
- Peak Body Grant Round
- identify ways for preventing social isolation that also provide seniors the opportunity volunteer in their local communities should they wish to.
The Queensland Government has committed increased funding for seniors social isolation services from 2024-25 onwards.
Services Grant Round
- The Queensland Government has committed increased funding for seniors social isolation services from 2024-25 onwards, which will increase the capacity of the program to reach more older persons, and to establish a peak body to provide leadership and coordination of the program.
- The purpose of this grant funding is to increase the service footprint across the state and address gaps in service delivery to ensure more older persons are supported to reduce harm and social isolation and build connections.

Grant Categories

Peak Body Grant Round
- Funding
  - The total amount of funding available through grant process is of $250,000 (excluding GST) annually for a statewide peak body for the period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029 (five years).
  - The department is under no obligation to provide any funding past 30 June 2029.
- Services
  - Services will include system support of the seniors social isolation services in the three service areas:
    - Capacity building
      - Undertake activities that build the capability and capacity of the service system to:
        
        identify and better respond to service user needs
        
        increase ability, capacity, effectiveness and efficiency
        
        increase knowledge and skills and to better understand, respond to and implement reforms.
      - Possible activities
        
        Engagement and events, workshops
        
        Resource development
        
        One on one assistance
        
        Provision of expert advice
        
        Online engagement, training and capacity building activities.
    - Dissemination of information
      - Undertake activities that share information to support improved and consistent understanding of priorities, policies and services.
      - Possible activities
        
        Distribute information provided, or requested, by the department on policies, programs, services, strategies, activities
        
        Provide relevant news, advice and information, and communicate about support and services relevant to seniors social isolation service delivery and broader matters.
    - Research and advice
      - Undertake services that inform the development of policies and programs which effectively respond to the needs of service users.
      - Possible activities
        
        Assist the department and the service system to identify changing community need and evidence-based, quality practices which respond to these needs, through receiving and using data
        
        Support government to identify policies and/or other aspects of the service system that could be improved and assist in identifying workable solutions to these issues within resource constraints
        
        Undertake research and provide written and verbal advice as agreed
        
        Facilitate timely and cost-effective engagement and two-way communication with seniors social isolation services, service users and sector experts
        
        Provide information to the department or stakeholders on topics that the department has nominated.
- What will be funded?
  - The Seniors Social Isolation Peak Body will:
    - further develop program leadership and coordination;
    - provide opportunities for innovation, including through exploring approaches to preventing social isolation that are online, as well as approaches linked to providing opportunities for volunteering in local communities;
    - provide practice and service development;
    - develop and deliver training opportunities;
    - increase the capacity and capability of funded organisations to ensure services are sustainable, efficient and effective, and to deliver quality outcomes; and
    - undertake a data analysis and reporting function, and a research and advisory role, including by providing information to the department that identifies trends and issues supports and develops the program objectives.
- Target group/service users
  - This grant will be used for a peak body that will provide statewide support to all funded seniors social isolation service providers across Queensland.
Services Grant Round
- This open grant funding round is to increase seniors social isolation services across Queensland in the following priority categories:
  - communities in LGAs that have a high proportion of older persons and no existing funded services;
  - targeted approaches from First Nations-led organisations to support First Nations peoples; and
  - LGAs where social isolation services exist but there is evidence of high demand and low investment.
Target group/service users
- This grant will be used to support service users who are older persons aged 60 years and over and First Nations peoples aged 50 years and over who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing social isolation.
- Consideration should also be given to how services will support service users that may have a higher risk of social isolation and loneliness. This includes:
  - older persons (75 years and over);
  - First Nations peoples over 50 years;
  - older persons from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;
  - newly arrived senior migrants and refugees; · seniors with disability;
  - unpaid senior carers;
  - older persons who identify as LGBTIQA+;
  - older persons experiencing or who have experienced domestic and family violence;
  - older persons experiencing financial disadvantage; · older persons with poorer physical and mental health; and · older persons who have been incarcerated.
Funding
- The total amount of funding available through this open grant process is $2.25 million annually (excluding GST) for the period 1 October 2024 to 30 June 2029 (four years and nine months).
- Regional and remote areas
  - Funding of $1.4 million annually (excluding GST) for the period 1 October 2024 to 30 June 2029 is available.
  - Applications are sought across all regional and remote LGAs, including remote and discrete First Nations communities.
  - Funding of between $10,000 (excluding GST) and $40,000 (excluding GST) per year is available for services in the following LGAs:
    - Banana
    - Douglas
    - Etheridge
    - Flinders
    - Longreach
    - Maranoa
    - Murweh
    - North Burnett
    - Paroo.
  - Funding of between $10,000 (excluding GST) and $100,000 (excluding GST) per year is available for services in the following LGAs:
    - Hinchinbrook
    - Mareeba
    - Somerset
    - Whitsunday.
  - Funding of between $10,000 (excluding GST) and $150,000 (excluding GST) per year is available for services in the following LGAs:
    - Cassowary Coast
    - Livingstone
    - Lockyer Valley
    - Scenic Rim
    - South Burnett
    - Southern Downs
    - Tablelands.
- First Nations Reserve Funding (50+ years)
  - First Nations led organisations supporting First Nations peoples (50+ years) are eligible to apply for funding under any category. However, dedicated funding of $250,000 annually (excluding GST) is reserved and available for one or many providers, for the period 1 October 2024 to 30 June 2029.
  - The purpose of the reserve funding is to ensure a minimum allocation occurs for the benefit of older First Nations peoples
- Additional services – local government areas with high demand
  - Funding of $600,000 annually (excluding GST) is available for the period 1 October 2024 to 30 June 2029.
  - Applications will be considered in the LGAs listed below where:
    - seniors social isolation services exist;
    - the population of older persons is high; and
    - the current level of investment means there is less than optimal funding per capita available.
  - Funding of between $10,000 (excluding GST) and $40,000 (excluding GST) per year is available for services in the following LGAs:
    - Cairns (R)
    - Gympie (R)
    - Mackay (R)
    - Noosa (S)
    - Redland (C).
  - Funding of between $10,000 (excluding GST) and $100,000 (excluding GST) per year is available for services in the following LGAs:
    - Logan (C)
    - Moreton Bay (R)
    - Sunshine Coast (R).
    - Funding of between $10,000 (excluding GST) and $150,000 (excluding GST) per year is available for services in the following LGAs:
    - Brisbane (C)
    - Gold Coast (C).
What will be funded?
- The delivery of seniors social services will be funded under two funding types, up to a maximum of $150,000 annually (for Tier 2). Applicants should determine which tier is relevant for the proposed location of service delivery.
Service
- Community support
  - Organisations will:
    - Deliver services that enhance community capacity for individuals and groups
    - Provide social activities that are low cost or free, and open to any older person in the local community
    - Bring older persons together on a regular basis by providing a range of programs and activities to create social connections. This can include online engagement or technology activities to increase connectedness and volunteering.
  - Services will include
    - Opportunities for older persons to participate in programs, events, activities, and/or projects designed to develop their social connections and help maintain their wellbeing, including through connecting them with volunteering opportunities
    - Opportunities for older persons to express their ideas and views, raise and act on issues which affect their lives leading them to become engaged and resilient
- Information, advice and referral
  - Organisations will
    - Deliver services that will assist service users to make informed decisions about, or be connected to, the services and support that they need.
  - Services will include
    - Developing a targeted service response to support older persons 60 years and older (First Nations peoples 50 years and over) with the aim of reducing or preventing social isolation and loneliness
    - Assessing the needs of older persons for additional support to prevent social isolation or loneliness

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply for this grant, your organisation must be incorporated and:
- have experience or knowledge in services to seniors, preferably services addressing social isolation;
- have operations or deliver services in Queensland;
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN);
- be registered for the purposes of GST;
- hold public liability insurance to the value of not less than $10 million, or provide evidence of plans to obtain insurance to the value of not less than $10 million to cover the proposed work;
- be one of the following entity types:
  - a company incorporated in Australia
  - a company incorporated by guarantee
  - an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
  - an incorporated association
  - a cooperative
  - a partnership
  - an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisation or corporation
  - an entity auspiced by an eligible organisation
  - a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation
  - an unincorporated community group or user-led group that is auspiced by an eligible entity
  - local government body
  - a profit-for-purpose company
  - a consortium;
- have no outstanding performance/legal/financial matters that would impact the organisation being able to enter a contract with the department due to legislative requirements.

Ineligible

Organisations are not eligible to apply if they are:
- a state, territory or federal government agency or body;
- an unincorporated organisation that is not auspiced by an eligible entity;
- an individual;
- an organisation that is not based in Queensland;
- fixed trusts; and
- a political party.

Deadlines

Peak Body Grant Round: 15 March 2024
Services Grant Round: 22 March 2024

For more information, visit Queensland Government.