Video transcript - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023–2025

Action Plan Grants

[Speaker - Azrun, Representative of the Commonwealth Department of Social Services]

Hi, my name is Azrun and I work for the Department of Social Services.

This presentation is to provide an overview of the recently opened grant opportunities under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023–2025. You may also hear me refer to this as the Action Plan.

I would like to begin this recording with an Acknowledgement of Country. The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional country across Australia on which we gather, live, work and stand. We acknowledge all traditional custodians, their Elders past, present and emerging and we pay our respects to their continuing connection to their culture, community, land, sea and rivers.

This presentation we will be covering the following topics:

  • Eligibility - Who can apply
  • Grants available
  • How to apply
  • Where to submit your application
  • The deadline for submitting your application, and
  • Where you can find more information.

To address the immediate safety needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, children and families, the Australian Government recently released the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023-2025.

Grant opportunities are now open on GrantConnect, the centralised location for Australian Government grants.

The grants will provide funding for immediate work to end gender-based violence across 4 immediate priority actions. These are:

  • Community-led prevention services, programs and campaigns for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
  • Community-led men’s wellness centres
  • Family, domestic and sexual violence programs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Organisations (also referred to as ACCOs), and
  • Increasing capacity for crisis accommodation services.

Eligibility – who can apply?

We can only accept applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Organisations; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led organisations provided that the organisation meets the eligibility criteria.

More details on the eligibility criteria are available in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines.

The Action Plan acknowledges the underlying causes of violence against First Nations peoples are different to that of non-Indigenous Australians.

A central priority of both the Action Plan and the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 is prevention, intervention, response, and recovery and healing – working to change the underlying social drivers of violence by addressing the attitudes and systems that fuel it.

The first grant currently available is the Community-led Prevention Services, Programs and Campaigns for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children.

This grant aims to fund family, domestic and sexual violence prevention services, programs and campaigns for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, including on-Country learning. The activities will complement and support existing services and activities to enable improved service delivery. The total funding for this grant is $10.998 million (GST exclusive). The grant activity period is over 3 years from 2023 to 2026.

The second grant currently available is the community-led Men’s Wellness Centres for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples program, which aims to establish Men’s Wellness Centres in suitable locations.

The activities will complement and support existing services and activities to enable improved service delivery. The total funding for this grant is $37.493 million (GST exclusive). The grant activity period is over 4 years from 2023 to 2027.

The third grant currently available is the Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence programs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community- Controlled Organisations program, which aims to provide funding to ACCOs to meet existing demand for family, domestic and sexual violence services. Again, the activities will complement and support existing services and activities to enable improved service delivery. The total funding for this grant is $14.023 million (GST exclusive). The grant activity period is over 4 years from 2023 to 2027.

The fourth grant currently available is the Increasing Capacity of Crisis Accommodation Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples program, which aims to provide funding to support urgent attention to increase the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander shelter and accommodation services, especially in regional and remote areas. The activities will complement and support existing services and activities to enable improved service delivery. The focus of this grant is to address the immediate family safety needs of First Nations women and children who are escaping violence.

Please note, this is a Restricted round. To be eligible you must be one of the invited organisations and have received an invitation to apply through GrantConnect.

The total funding for this grant is $28.522 million (GST exclusive). The grant activity period is over 3 years from 2023 to 2026

Before applying for any of these grants you will need to read the Grant Opportunity Guidelines, which you can find on GrantConnect.

The Grant Opportunity Guidelines will outline the:

  • Purpose and objectives of each grant
  • Assessment criteria for your application
  • Mandatory documents
  • How your grant application will be considered, selected and notified of the outcome, and
  • The expected timeframes of this grant opportunity.

Your organisation will be assessed on the answers provided to 3 questions:

  1. Why do you think this program is a good fit for your community?
  2. What will you do with the funding if successful?
  3. How will you do it?

The application form includes character limits – up to 3,500 characters (approximately 525 words) per criterion. The application form will not accept characters beyond this limit. Please note spaces are included in the character limit.

The amount of detail and supporting evidence you provide in your application should be relative to the size, complexity and grant amount requested.

The Grant Opportunity Guidelines provide more information about what your organisation should consider when preparing your response to selection criteria and also what a strong application would include.

All criterion are equally weighted.

How to Apply

To apply you must

  • Provide a response to all 3 criteria questions
  • Include all necessary documentation and attachments, and
  • Submit your application online.

You can access the application form via the GrantConnect website at: www.grants.gov.au

What is the deadline to Submit Application?:

You must submit your grant application by: 9.00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) on Friday 16 February 2024

You cannot change your application after the closing date and time.

You will receive an automated notification acknowledging the receipt of your application.

You can contact Community Grants Hub if you have any questions about the grants or how to apply.

Question and Answer information and Fact Sheets are available on the Community Grant Hub website at www.communitygrants.gov.au

You can also:

Phone: 1800 020 283 (and press option 1), or Email: support@communitygrants.gov.au

You can find out more about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023-2025 on the Department of Social Services website at: www.dss.gov.au/fdsvgrants

Thank you for listening to the presentation. I wish you all the best of luck with your applications.

Thank you.

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