REAL Innovation Fund

The REAL Innovation Fund is a targeted, competitive grant opportunity that will support the delivery of small-scale, culturally appropriate, trauma-informed, community led, innovative projects that build pathways to stable and culturally safe employment opportunities for First Nations people who have been in the justice system. 

The projects may aim to address attitudinal and other systemic barriers that impact the opportunities of First Nations people who are, or have previously been engaged in the last 2 years, in the justice system to transition into employment. The projects can build on pre-existing programs/initiatives or test new approaches.

By prioritising community leadership and culturally responsive approaches, the Innovation Fund seeks to address systemic barriers and promote long-term economic participation for First Nations individuals who have had contact with the justice system.

A two-stage process will be conducted to allocate funding under the grant round. Stage One involves submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI). The EOI is a pitch outlining key information about your project to enable the department to assess its alignment with the REAL Innovation Fund’s intent and objectives.

Those applications shortlisted under Stage One will be invited to apply for a grant via the submission of a full grant application. The full grant application will give you the opportunity to provide more detail on the project presented in your EOI.

Applications will only be accepted from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisations, other First Nations organisations and joint consortia that are led by First Nations organisations.

To be eligible you must:

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN), and
• have an account with an Australian financial institution.

You must also:

• be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO), and/or
• be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006, and/or
• be an organisation that has at least 51% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ownership and/or directorship and/or control and/or management and/or membership

and be one of the following entity types:

• Company
• Cooperative
• Corporate Commonwealth Entity 
• Incorporated Association
• Indigenous Corporation
• Local Government
• Non-corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority
• Non-corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority
• Partnership
• Sole Trader
• Statutory Entity

If you are applying as a trustee on behalf of a trust, the trustee must be one of the eligible entity types as listed above.