What is the Multicultural Community Amenities Grants?
The Multicultural Community Amenities Grants in the Northern Territory is a grant opportunity to support multicultural associations and organisations to develop their community facilities in the Northern Territory to ensure they are suitable for events and initiatives that may need to accommodate culturally specific requirements (such as appropriate kitchen facilities to avoid contamination between meat and vegetarian preparation areas).
This grant opportunity is part of the Mutual Understanding, Support, Tolerance, Engagement and Respect (MUSTER) measure.
Background
The purpose of the Multicultural Community Amenities Grants in the Northern Territory grant opportunity is to support the delivery of one-off, time-limited projects to improve existing multicultural service and community group amenities in the Northern Territory. By improving these amenities, it will encourage diverse communities to hold social and economic activities in environments that can facilitate and respect culturally appropriate norms. The grants will establish spaces that foster discussions about shared opportunities or challenges in the communities and in turn help build understanding and trust.
The Multicultural Community Amenities Grants in the Northern Territory will contribute to ensure that community spaces are sufficiently developed to deliver events and initiatives that will foster cultural communities’ social, economic and sporting life in the Northern Territory. By doing so, improved amenities will help communities enjoy the use and benefit of shared community spaces that can accommodate their cultural needs and in turn, support their full participation in community life in Australia.
Objectives
The objectives of the grant opportunity are to:
- ensure multicultural communities have updated communal spaces that will support their members to be strong, resilient and cohesive, including in tough times and emergencies foster transformation at the community level through updated amenities that will encourage changes to the systems and structures that shape the lives of multicultural communities
- develop facilities to support communities to be better connected and to participate socially and economically and thrive in well-functioning communities
- assist Northern Territory multicultural services and community groups to improve their existing amenities so that they can increase their access to and participation in social, economic and sporting life in the Northern Territory of Australia
- encourage Northern Territory multicultural services and community groups to develop and use communal spaces to host events and/or gatherings.
The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are:
- Outcome 1: Improved amenities help communities enjoy the use and benefit of shared community spaces that can accommodate their cultural needs.
- Outcome 2: Existing Northern Territory multicultural services or community groups are able to fully participate in social, economic and sporting life in the Northern Territory.
Funding
The Australian Government has announced a total of up to $2 million (GST exclusive) over one year for the 2020–21 financial year for the Multicultural Community Amenities Grants in the Northern Territory.
- The minimum grant amount per application is $25,000 (GST exclusive).
- The maximum grant amount per application is $50,000 (GST exclusive).
Eligible Projects
To be eligible, your grant activity must meet the program’s intent under section 2.1 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines.
New building works and/or the purchase of equipment and furnishings to improve existing amenities may be considered if you can demonstrate that they are relevant to the project and meet the objectives defined in section 2.1 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines and they demonstrate value for money.
Applicants should be realistic when costing projects.
Organisations offered funding under this program for building works must:
- have council approval where relevant
- specify who owns the premises (land and building).
Examples of projects that may be funded fall into three categories:
- Buildings:
- upgrade existing amenities, including improved access (for example, ramps and access doors)
- provision of external shade areas (for example, covered play areas)
- lighting/security/fencing
- environmentally friendly additions (for example, solar panelling)
- barbeque and picnic facilities
- Mobile amenities:
- mobile catering facilities such as a food van
- mobile stages
- sound and lighting equipment.
- Online amenities:
- video conferencing facilities
- websites and other online presence.
Applications for other projects that meet the objectives of the program are encouraged.
Eligible expenditure items are:
- costs of project related planning, administration, consultation, coordination, monitoring and reporting
- costs of suppliers, consultants, specialists/experts and contracted labour undertaking eligible project activities
- purchase of materials required to deliver eligible project activities (for example, fencing materials, equipment etc.)
- costs of obtaining required permissions.
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible, you must be one of the following entity types:
- Indigenous Corporation
- Company
- Cooperative
- Incorporated Association
- Statutory Entity
- Partnership
Timing
Applications close 27 November 2020.
