Stronger Communities Programme Round 10

The Stronger Communities Programme (the program) supports the Australian Government’s commitment to deliver social benefits in communities across Australia by funding projects in each of the 150 Federal electorates. The program provides grants for community projects to strengthen and benefit local communities and is part of the Government’s 2026-27 budget initiatives.

The objective of the program is to deliver infrastructure projects that provide social benefits for local communities, by supporting one or more of the following:

• support or encourage interstate or international tourism
• support or celebrate Indigenous Australians
• commemorate Australians killed or injured in war or who contributed to Australia’s war efforts
• support veterans and defence force members, their families and communities
• support the participation and settlement of newly arrived (i.e. within the last five years) immigrants who are not citizens
• provide benefits to a specific cohort or cohorts of students
• enable or foster the use of electronic communications
• provide medical services or facilities, or services or facilities incidental to the provision of medical services
• enable or foster the use of electronic communities
• support the provision of community infrastructure that:
  • promotes and supports the mental and physical abilities of children
  • supports positive mental or physical health, or facilitates community participation to promote tolerance, and social cohesion or health
• support the acquisition or deployment of greenhouse gas emissions mitigation measures
• support community infrastructure that promotes climate adaptation and resilience and/or native flora/fauna biodiversity
• support the dignity of persons (including children) with disabilities by enhancing their access to public infrastructure
• address gender inequality or discrimination in access to public infrastructure or sport
• support access for children to public infrastructure which enables interstate or overseas travel, accommodation, or education or health care infrastructure or services.

The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are to:

• encourage and support participation in local projects
• improve local community participation
• contribute to vibrant and viable communities.

Community consultation is a critical element of the program. In consultation with their community, each MP must identify potential applicants and projects in their electorate and invite them to apply for a grant. We will assess invited applications against the program’s eligibility and assessment criteria through a closed non-competitive process.

For this round, grant funding will be up to 100% of eligible project costs for all eligible applicants, except for local governing bodies. Grant funding for local governing bodies will be up to 50% of eligible project costs. This means local governing bodies must provide at least 50% of the eligible project costs in matched funding contributions.