Bushfire Recovery Grants for Community Facilities

This program aims to support local organisations to repair and improve damaged or destroyed community facilities in fire affected communities. It is within the $35 million Community Recovery and Resilience Grants Initiative which aims to provide financial support to locally-led and responsive programs that support the recovery of communities in Victoria's bushfire affected regions.

The initiative forms part of the $86 million Victorian Bushfires Community Recovery Package, jointly funded through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), which are the Commonwealth-State cost-sharing arrangements for providing financial support for relief and recovery activities resulting from natural disasters and terrorist acts.

The objectives of the Community Recovery and Resilience Grants Initiative are to:
- Improve community connectedness and cohesion.
- Support community development.
- Strengthen communities’ resilience against natural disaster.
- Build community capability and capacity for recovery.
- Empower communities to lead and direct their recovery process.

Grants of up to $50,000 are available.

A total funding pool of $5 million is available.

Eligible applicants must:
- Be either:
a) A community, not-for-profit or Aboriginal organisation that is an incorporated legal entity under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), or the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2001 (Vic) or the Corporation (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth).
b) A social enterprise with a clearly stated purpose or mission related specifically to supporting bushfire recovery.
- Have a current Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Have no outstanding final reports or final reports required for any previous government grant programs.

Applications are strongly encouraged from:
- New and emerging community organisations
- Not-for-profit community organisations
- Aboriginal community-controlled organisations
- Local organisations that are based in bushfire impacted areas

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete eligibility requirements.

Eligible projects must support the objectives of the Community Recovery and Resilience Grants initiative. Examples of the types of repairs and improvements to community facilities that could be supported include:
- Repair a playground, skate park, pavilion or other outdoor facilities that have been damaged or destroyed.
- Repair community hall or building (e.g. kitchen or bathroom upgrades, energy efficiency, general repairs) that have been damaged or destroyed.
- Projects that support community recovery and resilience.

The main assessment criteria include:
- Number of objectives of the Community Recovery and Resilience Grants Initiative the project meets and the extent to which those objectives are met. (30%)
- The positive economic benefits for the local economy from the project. (25%)
- Community participation and accessibility. (25%)
- The direct impacts of the 2019-20 Victorian Bushfires on the community. (20%)

The following are ineligible for funding:
- State and Federal Government departments and agencies.
- Individuals and sole traders.
- Unincorporated community organisations.
- Commercial enterprises.
- Fixed trusts.
- Local councils, including Council managed, operated, administered and regulated trusts (can act as an auspice).
- Registered primary and secondary schools, preschools, TAFE institutes and universities (can act as an auspice).
- Commercial enterprises are not eligible to apply for a grant alone (they can partner with an organisation as a sponsor and only provide contributions).
- Offsetting of salaries, operating costs for existing staff or contractors.
- Feasibility studies, business plans, cost benefit analysis and economic impact studies.
- Projects that may have a negative impact on existing businesses/services.
- Passing on funding to a third party in the form of a sponsorship or grant.
- Retrospective funding for projects that have commenced activity or construction or are completed before the funding is approved.
- The purchase or land or buildings.