What is the Cashless Debit Card Support Services?
The Strong and Resilient Communities Activity (SARC) – Cashless Debit Card (CDC) Support Services is a grant opportuntiy to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people on pathways to self-reliance and empowerment through local community-driven solutions that strengthen economic participation.
Background
The Cashless Debit Card support services grant opportunity is delivered as a separate stream within the Strong and Resilient Communities Activity under the Families and Communities Program.
The grant opportunity aims to support the social and economic participation of vulnerable and disadvantaged people by enabling the development of community driven/led solutions, designed to meet identified strong needs that place people on long-term pathways towards self-reliance. This opportunity will focus on CDC locations including the regions of Ceduna in South Australia; East Kimberley and the Goldfields in Western Australia; Bundaberg and Hervey Bay in Queensland; and in the Northern Territory.
Funding
The Australian Government has announced a total of up to $31.1 million (GST exclusive) over 2 years for the Strong and Resilient Communities Activity – CDC Support Services. The available funds for 2021–22 is $13,870,500 and for 2022–23 is $17,173,500.
The maximum amount you can apply for is up to $500,000 (GST exclusive) for each project you submit for this grant opportunity.
This grant opportunity seeks applications for projects to be delivered from February 2022 to 30 June 2023 with the possibility of a 2 year extension.
Eligible Projects
The Jobs Fund and job ready initiative seeks to strengthen local support services and connect CDC participants and other members of the community to employment, or pathways to employment, in Ceduna, East Kimberley, the Goldfields, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.
Types of activities considered for funding include:
- Supports that uplift and upskill CDC participants to become employment ready – promote awareness of local job opportunities, increase participation in training opportunities, and assist with the cost of training.
- Service system navigation – coordinating the services available and providing intensive assistance to CDC participants to ensure engagement with these support services as they move towards employment.
- Assisting participants to stabilise their lives, including through basic financial literacy and other supports – boost wrap around support services including leveraging and providing additional resourcing to existing Commonwealth funded programs. For example, to support CDC participants to take greater control in managing finances and mental health supports.
- Support both employers and CDC participants to improve recruitment and retention of CDC participants in employment – engaging with employers to identify employment opportunities, their prerequisite requirements and to actively promote job ready CDC participants as a source of recruitment
- Engaging with employers to identify and increase employment opportunities in the CDC region – create sustained employment opportunities.
The Northern Territory support services will seek to strengthen local support services to assist Income Management participant’s transition onto the CDC and provide pathways to support selfreliance and empowerment through community-driven solutions to support economic participation.
Types of activities considered for funding could include:
- Capacity building for CDC participants – build skills to interact with government services, financial institutions and retailers, including through online functionality.
- Basic financial literacy – support CDC participants to take greater control in managing finances through enhanced basic budgeting and financial literacy skills.
- Digital literacy and safety – support CDC participants to strengthen their digital literacy and build awareness and understanding around maintaining digital safety.
- Community champions – engage local leaders to be CDC communication and change champions to build trust, knowledge and support for the CDC, including via a train the trainer model.
- Capability investment to strengthen service delivery – provide additional support to service delivery organisations to enable effective use of the CDC. Consideration will be given to activities to support minor business operating expenses including the purchase of assets and equipment to facilitate effective service delivery of the CDC and to support the training needs of CDC participants.
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible to apply for a Strong and Resilient Communities Activity – CDC Support Services grant you must be a not-for-profit organisation and be one of the following entity types:
- Indigenous Corporation
- Company
- Local Government
- Cooperative
- Incorporated Association
- Statutory Entity
Your lead organisation must also be:
- a legal entity, able to enter into a legally binding agreement
- located in Australia.
- currently operating or have the capacity to operate in locations that are identified at 5.2. of the guidelines
- currently deliver services in regional and remote Australia
Timing
Applications close 25 October 2021.
More Information
