We are currently preparing the grants page for new submissions. The Brimbank Community Grants Program for 2023/2024 will be open for applications 10 am on 29 May 2023. Thank you for your patience.
Council is looking to support programs, activities and events that celebrate:
- People and Community - helping to make Brimbank a welcoming, safe and supported community and an inclusive place for all
- Places and Spaces - encouraging sustainable living and supporting healthy lifestyles
- Opportunity and Prosperity - building opportunities to learn and earn
We encourage projects and activities that support the whole Brimbank community. We welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTIQ+ people who have identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or questioning, multicultural groups, people living with disability, senior citizens and young people.
We’d also like to support projects and activities that help the community re-engage, manage and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
To be eligible for the Brimbank Community Grants Program, applicants must:
- be a not-for-profit incorporated organisation, or community organisation, or apply through an auspice arrangement (more on auspice organisations below)
- have Public Liability Insurance cover for the duration of the project, unless applying for an Establishment Grant
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN) unless applying for an Establishment Grant.
- be based in Brimbank, or demonstrate that the proposed project will substantially benefit Brimbank residents
- have a new project or a new stage of a project, unless applying for Community and Major Festivals and Events Grants categories and Seniors Operational Grants.
- have satisfactorily acquitted previous grants funded under the Brimbank Council’s Community Grants Program
- be able to comply with State Government public health requirements
Please note:
- only one application can be submitted per organisation or group
- Council may consider funding the same project or event if there is at least a three-year gap since the previous funding was granted unless applying for Community and Major Festivals and Events Grants categories and Seniors Operational Grants
- grant applicants previously funded under the Brimbank Community Grants or Brimbank Community Recovery Grants Program will only receive their grant after satisfactorily acquitting former grants
How to turn your idea in a fundable project
Watch this video for guidance and tips on what you need to consider when applying for a Brimbank Community Grant.
How to apply for a Brimbank Community Grant
Guidelines
Your main reference when applying for grant funding through Council is the Brimbank Community Grants 2022/23 Guidelines.
Additional information on specific grant categories can be found on the specific grant pages which are available via links below under Categories.
(PDF 1.06mb)
Council Contact Officers
All applicants MUST contact Council staff when planning their application.
The staff on the Council Contact Officer List will be able to advise you on what to include in your application and assist with identifying potential partners.
Specialists contact officers are available to help with grant applications in a range of areas including arts and culture, environment, festivals and events, health and wellbeing, sport and recreation. seniors development, youth services and more.
(PDF 111kb)
Smarty Grants
All applications need to be submitted online via SmartyGrants.
This SmartyGrants guide provides details on the SmartyGrant system and the essential steps you need to take to complete and submit a grant application.
(PDF 1.9mb)
Getting help with your application
Information sessions and grant writing workshops are held prior to each round of grants to help applicants understand requirements so their submissions are complete and ready for review.
- Information sessions cover all the aspects of the grant application process and there will be an opportunity to ask questions.
- Workshops are opportunities to get one-on-one support with grant applications.
There is no cost to attend any of these sessions however, registration is required.
There are no sessions planned at this time.
Clear budgets help the grant assessors understand what you will be spending money on.
The budget includes details of all money that will be contributed to the project (income) and all the cost of all the items required for the project (expenditure).
Income
Income describes all the funds and resources that will be required to support your proposed project. Make sure you list the requested amount of the Brimbank Community Grant on the income column of your budget. Depending on your project, you might list other sources of income including funds from:
- Other grants
- Fundraising
- Sponsorship
- Tickets and attendee or participant contributions
- Organizational / personal contributions
When you are listing income, please note if that money is confirmed (i.e. you already have it) or is to be confirmed (you are still in the process of securing or raising it).
Expenditure
Expenditure describes all costs related to the delivery of the project. When calculating your expenses, make sure to budget for any goods or services you need to deliver your project and include details in the budget line.
In-kind contribution
An in-kind contribution describes the value of goods, services or support that is being donated to the project free of charge. Some common examples of in-kind support include:
- Unpaid staff or volunteer time working on the project. Note: a volunteer may be considered as providing an average of $35 per hour support to a project.
- Donated materials
- Free venue or equipment hire
- Free advertising or marketing support
In-kind contribution of services or goods should be displayed at the cost price and included in both the income and expenditure tables so they balance out. You can read more about calculating in-kind contributions.
Suppliers
Supplier Financial Details Forms (Word 78kb) must be completed, signed and dated by the Contractor/Supplier only.
(PDF 209kb)
Expenditure items that can be included in your grant application budget
- Venue hire for specific activities or events.
- Equipment hire for specific activities or events. Note: sporting equipment may be considered up to 30% of requested budget.
- Sessional facilitator/trainer/coach fees (up to 30% of total budget) requested. Special circumstances may be considered on a case by case basis.
- Small digital equipment purchase such as laptops, IPads or mobile phones may be considered on a case by case basis and up to the total maximum value of $1,000, as part of a project or activity, but not a standalone.
- Administrative budget items such as postage, stationery, printing costs (up to 20% of total budget requested).
- Advertising.
- Catering cost (up to 20% of total budget requested).
Other expenses may be considered if they are not listed on the list of things we don't cover below.
There are exclusions that cannot be funded by the Brimbank Council Grants. These include:
- Emergency relief and material aid applications such as food, household items or clothes.
- Sporting equipment in excess of 30% of total budget requested.
- Catering in excess of 20% of total budget requested.
- Administration expenses in excess of 20% of total budget requested.
- Expertise/facilitators no more than 30% of total budget requested.
- Purchase of alcohol, tobacco, fireworks, and activities or items related to gambling.
- Operational costs and core business of the organisation e.g. salaries and wages, office rent, utility bills and insurance.
- Fixed or permanent equipment, building maintenance or capital improvements such as, but not limited to, heating or cooling systems, shade sails, and solar panels.
- Fundraising, competitions, trophies, prizes or awards.
- Personal expenses such as transport cost for salaried personnel.
- Expenses for projects, activities, events or festivals already delivered and outside the funded timeline.
Please review the full list of things that cannot be included in the budget of your grant application.
(PDF 96kb)
Auspice organisations help small or new organisations that are not incorporated or who do not have an ABN to access grant funds.
An auspice organisation must be a not-for-profit organisation, have an ABN and Public Liability Insurance. They accept legal and financial responsibility for the grant if successful. Applications can be submitted directly by groups being auspiced. However, the funding agreement for successful grants will be made between the auspice organisation and Council. The grant money will be paid directly to the auspice organisation.
All applications through auspice organisations MUST submit an Auspice Organisation Authorisation Form (Word 280kb) at the time of grant application.
As examples only, please review these samples of possible ways to answer key project application questions.
(PDF 211kb)
In the past, we have supported
- Performing arts, community-led art and culture projects
- Community festivals and events
- Youth and family support programs
- Digital training to enhance computer skills or facilitate access to various online platforms
- Mentoring activities and buddy programs
- Street libraries
- Support opportunities for volunteering
- Local neighbourhood events
- Sporting activities such as fun runs, international sports day, family days and membership drives
- Wellbeing expos
- School community gardens
- Forest therapy workshops and guided walks,
- LGBTQIA+ inclusion and allyship workshops
and much more.
Read all about successful grant recipients for 2021-2022 (PDF 653kb), Brimbank Community Recovery Grants Stage 2 (Word 30kb) and Brimbank Seniors Grants (Word 28kb).
After Council's application review process is complete all grant applicants will be notified if they have been successful or not.
Successful applicants:
- Will receive a funding agreement that sets out the terms on which Council is prepared to make the grant available.
- Establishment Grant applicants will be required to attend Community Governance training.
- If you accept the offer, sign the funding agreement and return to Council.
- Grant funding is paid by EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer).
At the end of your project implementation, an acquittal report must be submitted that shows how you used the grant money. If you spent the money on ineligible items or activities, Council will require the grant funding to be refunded to Council.
If you need to change your proposed project or activity, you need to complete a Project Variation Request Form.
A Project Variation is an amendment to your funding agreement that must be approved in writing prior to making any changes.
To obtain a Project Variation Form, please Email CommunityGrants@brimbank.vic.gov.au. The Grants Team will email you a link to complete your Project variation via SmartyGrants.
Some useful links to assist making your project a success:
All grant recipients are required to complete an acquittal report soon after the finish date of your project to tell Council how they spent the grant and what outcomes of the funded activity were.
An acquittal report will normally ask you to demonstrate:
- What you did during the project
- What the key achievements or results of your project were
- Whether any of your plans changed since your initial proposal
- What broader impact your project had or continues to have
- How you spent the grant money.
Download the Acquittal Report Guide.(PDF 204kb)
Watch this video for more tips.
Community Grants Development Officer
Phone: 9249 4036
Email: CommunityGrants@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Postal address: PO Box 70, Sunshine VIC 3020
Join the Brimbank Community Grants email list
Join the Brimbank Community Grants email list to get information about funding opportunities.