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The purpose of the Building Fund Small-Scale grant opportunity is to provide capital grants to build new or expand existing services in areas of need. The grant opportunity will enable successful providers to expand service delivery in areas where there is undersupply of ECEC. It will also target investment to improve early childhood development outcomes and socio-economic factors.

Under this opportunity, funding is available for Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and National Law approved NFP providers with a track record of delivering high quality ECEC services and demonstrated capability to build National Law and Regulation compliant Centre-Based Day Care (CBDC) services. Funding is also available to NFP organisations, including local councils, to modify buildings to facilitate the provision of in-venue Family Day Care (FDC) by a high quality provider in areas where no ECEC is available.

Funding will be for ECEC capital works only. This includes new buildings or expansions provided it creates new or additional ECEC places in areas of need. Grantees cannot use funding for service delivery. Applicants will be required to outline their business case for managing the ongoing viability of service delivery of these new or expanded services.

Funding under this grant opportunity is not available to facilitate or support the ongoing operational costs of ECEC service delivery. However, grantees may be eligible to apply for operational funding under the Supplementary Operational Support Funding Grant opportunity, open to applications from March 2026 to June 2029, under which operational funding will be available from 2026-27 to 2029-30. Recipients of capital grants will not be guaranteed operational funding.

The objectives of the grant opportunity are to increase:

• the number of NFP CBDC services and ECEC places in areas of undersupply in a timely manner;
• the number and capacity of services delivered by quality, NFP providers in the sector; and
• children’s participation in ECEC in areas of need.

Consistent with commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the grant opportunity also aims to support availability of high quality and culturally safe ECEC for First Nations children, families and communities to ensure children thrive in their early years.

This initiative provides free and independent financial counselling to eligible farmers, fishers, foresters and small-related enterprises who are experiencing, or at risk, of financial hardship.

This program is ongoing and is subject to regular and open approaches to market. Funding rounds and approaches have been continually reviewed and adjusted over the years to improve the performance of the program and drive efficiencies to support structural adjustment in the agricultural sector in times of financial hardship.

The objective of the program is to support structural adjustment through transitioning clients out of immediate financial crisis or concerns, assessing business viability to make informed decisions about the future of the business and improving financial wellbeing and resilience through building clients’ financial knowledge and skills, and by referring clients to other professional services.

The ultimate outcome is financially capable agricultural, fishing and forestry businesses that are profitable, financially self-reliant and resilient. Grantees drive these changes through case management and effective and efficient client engagement.

A key performance indicator for the program is that a minimum of 80% of clients receiving services are case-managed and on exiting the service have come to a better understanding of their financial position and have met their goals to make an informed decision outlined in the program outcomes and objectives listed in the program logic.

To be eligible, you must be one of the following entity types:

• Company
• Cooperative
• Incorporated Association
• Indigenous Corporation.

If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust , the Trustee must be one of the eligible entity type as listed above.

To be eligible you must be a legal entity with an Australian Business Number (ABN), have or are able to create an account with an Australian financial institution and be capable of entering into a legally binding and enforceable grant agreement with the Commonwealth.

The Australian Training Awards are the peak national awards that showcase best practice in vocational education and training (VET).  The Awards recognise and celebrate excellence and are an important mechanism for promoting the benefits of VET.

Winners from each state and territory training awards compete for a national award title. Direct entry is also available for some award categories.

Categories include:

Individual

• The Outstanding Achievement in the VET and Skills Sector Award (Direct Entry)
• Australian School-based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• Vocational Student of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• Trainee of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• Apprentice of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice Award (Direct Entry)

Business

• Small Employer of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• Large Employer of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• Australian Apprenticeships Employer Award (Direct Entry)
• Industry Collaboration Award (State/Territory Entry)
• Innovation in VET Award (Direct Entry)

Registered Training Organisation

• Small Training Provider of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• Large Training Provider of the Year Award (State/Territory Entry)
• School Pathways to VET Award (Direct Entry)

The award recognises research in the physical and biological sciences, allowing interdisciplinary and sociocultural research that could straddle the social sciences and humanities, by outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD students and early- and mid-career scientists. It aims to support their research and/or the expansion and growth of their research networks and international knowledge exchange through visits to relevant international centres of research.

Awards will be for up to $20,000, with additional support provided to attend the Academy's biennial Science at the Shine Dome event.

The purpose of the Collier Charitable Fund is to continue the legacies of Alice, Annette and Edith Collier by striving to improve the lives of Victorians and other Australians by assisting those in need.

The Wills of the Collier sisters stipulate the areas to be funded and the proportion of income to be applied to each of the areas. The support provided focuses on Victorians in some instances, and in other instances it encompasses the wider Australian community.

The following provides an overview of the areas that are funded for the wider Australian community.

• Progressing Education & Training 
in Australia

  Funding in this area aims to progress education and training in Australia. The Will refers to "Public Educational Purposes in the Commonwealth of Australia". The area of public education and training is broad and the Fund supports schools, universities, research institutes and vocational training bodies.

• Furthering Faith and Religious
endeavours in Australia

  Funding in this area aims to further faith and religious endeavours in Australia. The Will refers to "Religious Purposes in the Commonwealth of Australia".

• Aiding OTHER Australian Charitable Causes
  Funding in this area aims to aid other Australian charitable causes. The Will refers to "the Relief of Poverty in Australia, the Australian Red Cross, the Education of children of deceased or incapacitated Sailors, Soldiers, or Airmen and any other charitable purposes". This area provides scope to fund areas not specifically identified in the Will.

The general funding practices currently adopted by the trustees are:

• To encourage organisations to seek funding that meets their own priorities, not those that may be thought to be favoured by the trustees.
• To be broad and flexible in their approach, within the scope of the focus areas.
• To fund a variety of organisations and initiatives rather than to make very large grants to fewer organisations.
• To be open to making limited multi-year grants.
• To be open to supporting organisations in collaboration with other grantmakers to maximise impact and eliminate duplication.
• To be open to supporting organisations that collaborate with other like-minded organisations to maximise impact and eliminate duplication.
• To be supportive of applications to build organisational capacity. This may include:
  • staff costs
  • staff training
  • costs to improve effectiveness through the use of technology, and
  • developing strategic capacity.

• Where funds available permit, being open to out-of-round applications for emergency relief or genuinely urgent matters.
• To limit each organisation to one application per sub-Fund.
• To limit the number of larger grants. The average grant over recent years has been in the $30,000 to $35,000 range.
• From time to time to make grants on the Trustees’ own initiative.
• Not to support the following applications:
  • initiatives that only benefit an individual or an individual's family
  • that seek contributions for the corpus of another grant making organisation.

Per capita grants help cover school operating costs such as teaching materials, staff wages and new equipment for community language schools. The amount of the grant is based on the number of students who have enrolled in your community language school.

You may receive a per capita grant if your community language school:

• has been operating for more than 12 months
• is managed by an organisation which is a not-for-profit legal entity
• is located more than two kilometres away from any other community language school that teaches the same language
• normally has a minimum of 20 school-aged students enrolled. (Schools outside a metropolitan area with less than 20 students may be eligible for funding in some circumstances.)
• is open to school students from Kindergarten to Year 12, regardless of their language background
• has students who attend at least 70 per cent of lessons in Term 1
• holds classes outside school hours for at least 35 weeks of the year
• provides a minimum of two hours per week face-to-face language teaching based on a sound educational program.

You can use the grant for:

• teaching materials
• stationery, photocopying
• technology
• payments to teachers
• buying educational equipment
• expenses associated with the administration of the schools.

You cannot use the grant for capital purposes such as buildings, repairs, maintenance or renovations.

The Qantas Regional Grants program offers $2 million in support to Australian-based communities and projects that are looking to benefit our country's regional areas.

The Qantas Regional Grants judging panel will determine the successful applicants each year. The panel will examine all eligible entries and select applicants that they determine best meet all the criteria below.

1. The extent to which the applicant directly services a regional community need and demonstrates a measurable socioeconomic impact.
2. The extent to which the applicant can maximise local community benefits in regional Australia with the Qantas Regional Grants Program funding.
3. The extent to which the project or activity will celebrate and highlight the work of the applicant and help boost the profile and strength of the applicant for the future.
4. The ability of the applicant to demonstrate innovation in their project strategy, goals and mission, and how these align to improving their service offering and increasing regional impact.

The Royal Freemasons Benevolent Institution (RFBI) Benevolence Grant Program supports community-led initiatives that help improve the health and well-being of older people, particularly in areas where RFBI operates. It will run from July 2026 to June 2030.

Australian charities and not-for-profit organisations that can enter into a legal agreement and hold an Australian bank account are welcome to apply. Those not eligible for a grant include individuals, unincorporated groups, government agencies and overseas organisations.

Funding can be used for operational or service‑delivery costs that directly support the project, including staff time.

RFBI can fund up to 80% of project costs. Applicants are asked to contribute at least 20% through either financial or in-kind support. This helps strengthen the long-term sustainability of projects.

Co-funding supports shared ownership and helps ensure projects have a strong foundation beyond the grant period. The program focuses on charities and not-for-profits that are best placed to deliver community-level outcomes, complementing existing government funding pathways.

The Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program supports community organisations to look after Australian cultural heritage collections. Since 1994, this program has provided more than $8.9 million dollars in funding to over 1650 projects across Australia.

CHG is open to non-profit, incorporated organisations. The program has a strong focus on supporting local groups with limited funding who would benefit from access to professional cultural heritage expertise. Applications from Indigenous and multicultural organisations are encouraged.

The annual round offers cash grants of up to $20,000. The first two stages support organisations to work with heritage practitioners to:

• Explain the meaning and value of their collections (a significance assessment)
• Outline the condition of their collections and create a plan to manage it (a preservation needs assessment)

In the third and final stage, organisations can apply for funding to:

• Undertake conservation and collection management activities as recommended in the preservation needs assessment

Funding is also available for:

• Collection management training projects

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music makers nationwide are encouraged to apply for the 2026 LIFECYCLE Grants.

The three grant streams are for marketing, recording and touring, and are open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music creators including songwriters, composers and musicians, from now until Sunday 3 May. 

The marketing stream offers 15 grants of $10,000 each available to support content creation, marketing and promotional activities. 
 
The recording stream is 10 grants of $20,000 each to support the creation and recording of new and original music, as well as facilitate access to professional recording environments, and business and skills development opportunities. 
 
The touring stream also offers 10 grants of $20,000 each to support and facilitate access for artists to tour a new project, to support audience engagement and build new audiences through a series of live performances. 

Music creators can apply for multiple grants and eligibility is not restricted to APRA AMCOS members.

The Lendlease Foundation Community Grants Program is an initiative to aid not-for-profit community organisations and charities. Each year a theme is chosen which aligns with the Lendlease Sustainability Framework focus areas.

Organisations that wish to apply must address a community need aligned with the chosen theme. In 2026 this will be applications from organisations that provide skilling, training, education, and employment to people with disabilities.

Successful applicants are selected using the following criteria:

• Organisation must be Not-for-profit with Deductable Gift Recipient (DGR) Item 1 status or Tax Concession Charity (TCC) by the Australian Tax Office and/or registered with the ACNC.
• Registered ABN (not individual or sole trader)
• Management committee with at least three unrelated members aged 18 years or over
• Organisation must provide skilling, training, education and/or employment to people with a disability
• Organisation cannot already be a Lendlease Foundation Shared Value Partner
• Additional points will be given if the organisation can provide ongoing volunteer opportunities
• Additional points will be given if the organisation has a relationship with a Lendlease site, business or employee who actively volunteers.
• No conflicts of interest between your organisation and Lendlease.
• Applications will need to provide information on what difference the grant will make to the organisation and the people/community it supports, with emphasis on the broad reach and longevity of the programs.

The 2026 grants are targeting small to medium enterprises with employees of up to 300 people and annual turnover of up to $100M.

Applications will be assessed for eligibility by the Community Enterprise Foundation and final recommendations for funding will be made by Lendlease.

The objectives of the First Nations Clean Energy Advice Grants program are to support First Nations communities to participate in clean energy development and:

• build clean energy project skills and knowledge
• access technical and professional support
• make informed decisions as per principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

The intended outcomes of the program are for First Nations communities to gain increased:

• access to technical and professional support
• confidence in engagement with clean energy developers and clean energy development opportunities
• collaboration and engagement with the clean energy industry
• clean energy project skills and knowledge
• participation in clean energy projects
• benefits from participation in clean energy development.

Round 1 of the program will run from 2025-26 to 2026-27.

Eligibility

You can apply if you:

• are a First Nations organisation or group
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN), and
• are an eligible entity.

Eligible entities include:

• an entity, incorporated in Australia (this includes corporations and Indigenous land management organisations registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations)
• a registered land council representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, or an entity that manages or holds land rights, native title or other Traditional Owner related agreements and settlements, including a land council established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976
• an Australian incorporated not for profit association or cooperative
• an Australian incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
• a partnership based in Australia.

You may be applying either for yourself or on behalf of another First Nations group without an ABN through an auspicing arrangement. The auspicing organisation or group must hold an ABN and meet the eligibility criteria in this section. Additional eligibility requirements can be found in section 4.2 of the grant opportunity guidelines.

The Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) is a dedicated $10 billion investment by the Australian Government to improve housing outcomes for Australians.

Through the HAFF, Housing Australia is working in partnership with all levels of government and the community housing, development and finance sectors to support the delivery of 20,000 new social homes and 20,000 new affordable homes across Australia over five years from 2024.

Through the HAFF, Housing Australia provides loans and grants for projects that increase the supply of social and affordable housing and address acute housing needs across Australia, including regional, rural and remote areas.

Round 3 will support the delivery of 21,350 well‑located, high‑quality homes that provide value for money and long‑term community benefit.  

Priorities include:

• Closing the gap: Support more homes being owned by First Nations led organisations with $600m ringfenced funding and a dedicated funding stream. In addition, 10% of all social housing across relevant funding streams must be allocated to First Nations households
• Keys in doors: Delivery certainty targeting support to homes that will be delivered in a timely way, seeking rolling completions from 2027 and all dwellings complete by June 2029
• Geographic distribution: Reach a minimum of 1,200 homes in each state and territory, with strong regional representation
• Well‑located homes: Fund well-located projects that improve liveability, responding to acute housing needs
• Enduring community value: Support proposals that demonstrate value for money and create long-term community value through Community Housing Providers and other eligible funding recipients
• Impactful partnerships: Encouraging collaboration across investors, developers, builders and delivery partners to maximise outcomes.

Eligible Funding Recipients for Round 3 include: 

1. Community Housing Providers
2. Charities with a primary purpose of improving housing outcomes for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people
3. Charities with a primary purpose of improving housing outcomes for former members of the Australian Defence Force
4. Charities with a primary purpose of improving housing outcomes for members of the Australian Defence Force
5. State and Territory governments
6. Local governments.

The Steve Waugh Foundation supports children and young adults aged 0-25 years who have a rare disease with a prevalence of at least 2:100,000.

The Foundation will consider funding -

• Equipment
• Mobility Aids
• Communication Devices
• Therapy
• Treatment
• Some minor house renovations
• Items that improve the quality of life for the applicant and their family

To be eligible to apply:   

• You must be an Australian Citizen or an Australian permanent resident of at least five years to gain assistance from the Foundation and;
• Have a recognised rare disease as identified on ORPHANET: www.orpha.net, or if not recognised your medical specialist must confirm the disease is rare
• Have an Australian Medicare card
• Have already made an application for government funding assistance for the requested item, eg the NDIS
• The rare disease has been formally and officially diagnosed by a Paediatrician or other Medical Specialist
• You have and can provide evidence of the diagnosis of the rare disease signed off by a Paediatrician or other medical specialist
• You have and can provide medical, health and other documentation or support material required as part of your application

Note: Applications submitted outside these dates can be carried forward for review in the following Grant Round but are unable to be assessed outside these dates. The Online Application and all required supporting documentation must be submitted on time to complete the Grant Application.

The Steve Waugh Foundation supports children and young adults aged 0-25 years who have a rare disease with a prevalence of at least 2:100,000.

The Foundation will consider funding -

• Equipment
• Mobility Aids
• Communication Devices
• Therapy
• Treatment
• Some minor house renovations
• Items that improve the quality of life for the applicant and their family

To be eligible to apply:   

• You must be an Australian Citizen or an Australian permanent resident of at least five years to gain assistance from the Foundation and;
• Have a recognised rare disease as identified on ORPHANET: www.orpha.net, or if not recognised your medical specialist must confirm the disease is rare
• Have an Australian Medicare card
• Have already made an application for government funding assistance for the requested item, eg the NDIS
• The rare disease has been formally and officially diagnosed by a Paediatrician or other Medical Specialist
• You have and can provide evidence of the diagnosis of the rare disease signed off by a Paediatrician or other medical specialist
• You have and can provide medical, health and other documentation or support material required as part of your application

Note: Applications submitted outside these dates can be carried forward for review in the following Grant Round but are unable to be assessed outside these dates. The Online Application and all required supporting documentation must be submitted on time to complete the Grant Application.