Community Recovery Grants

The Community Recovery Grants Program supports the well-being, psychosocial recovery and resilience of communities impacted by the flooding associated with ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie.

It funds local groups and community organisations to deliver activities and events that will assist the community to recover, reconnect and build capacity for future change with an emphasis on social and emotional wellbeing. The program’s key focus is to ensure that communities can access resources and services to support their ability to heal and build community resilience.

The funding program comprises the following grant streams:

• Small community recovery grants for projects from $2500 up to $20,000
• Large community recovery grants for projects from $20,001 up to $100,000.

Clean-up grants up to $75,000 are available to reimburse costs incurred in cleaning-up and undertaking essential repairs to premises leased or owned by a not-for-profit organisation.

Goal and outcome

The anticipated goal and outcome of the program are:

Goal: Communities are cohesive, connected and resilient.

Outcome: Locally led activities and events will assist the community to recover, reconnect and build capacity for future change.

The program encourages applications that support the social recovery of impacted communities, building social cohesion and connectedness, and that support community wellbeing, mental health healing and resilience. The program welcomes a wide variety of initiatives, including those from culture and arts, sport and recreation, family and kinship, or other socially focussed areas.

Who can apply for a Small and Large Community Recovery Grant

Organisations that meet the eligibility criteria, and are proposing to deliver a community recovery initiative in one of the 4 local government areas that have been impacted by the flooding including:

• Shire of Broome
• Shire of Derby-West Kimberley
• Shire of Halls Creek
• Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley.

Organisations that are eligible to apply include:

• Not-for-profit organisations incorporated either under the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 (WA) or Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) with an Australian Business Number (ABN).
  
• Indigenous organisations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth).
• Exceptional consideration may also be given for an organisation or agency to auspice an application on behalf of a community group, noting that some community groups may not have capacity to apply for or administer funds.

Who can apply for a Clean-up Recovery Grant

Organisations that meet the eligibility criteria, and are propose to clean-up or undertake essential repairs to premises leased or owned in one of the 4 local government areas impacted by the flood include:

• Shire of Broome
• Shire of Derby-West Kimberley
• Shire of Halls Creek
• Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley.

• Not-for-profit organisations incorporated either under the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 (WA) or Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) with an Australian Business Number (ABN).
• Indigenous organisations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth) that:
  • relies on grant funding or donations for the majority of income
  • has an active Australian Business Number (ABN) and that ABN was active prior to and during the disaster
  • suffered direct damage as a result of flooding associated with ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie to the organisation’s premise and/or plant and equipment
  • was conducting operations and/or services (at least sometime on a regular basis) in the disaster area prior to and at the time of the event
  • has, or intends to, re-establish operations/services in the disaster area.

What the funding can be used for

Note, these are examples only and are not intended to cover all circumstances. If there is any doubt about the eligibility of activities or costs, please contact DLGSC for further clarification.

Small and Large Community Recovery Project Grants

Eligible organisations may apply for funding towards resources and expenses necessary to conduct activities that get people connecting, communicating, learning and supporting each other — activities that tap into and reinforce social support networks that support recovery and resilience building in communities impacted by the flooding associated with ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie.

Eligible activities may include, but are not limited to:

• community, sporting, arts and culture participation projects and activities
• community events or festivals
• initiatives to promote or facilitate storytelling, sharing of knowledge or cultural heritage
• informal and unaccredited community capacity building, training and education initiatives directly related to recovery from the disaster event and building resilience to future disasters.
• development or reinvigoration of spaces such as community gardens, yarning circles and cultural or recreational areas.

Eligible costs associated with the delivery of relevant recovery and resilience support initiatives may include but are not limited to:

• hire of equipment, venue or facilities integral to the project
• travel and accommodation costs related to the facilitation or delivery of the project
• catering costs incurred whilst delivering an eligible community activity, event or initiative
• provision of interpreting and translating services relevant to the conduct of the project
• advertising, publicity, promotion and marketing costs of an eligible project
• engagement of contractors and/or temporary (fixed-term) employees (including salary/wages, overtime, superannuation, workers compensation, onboarding costs) to undertake eligible activities, including project management and administration
• other costs for contractors or temporary (fixed term) employees such as travel expenses, vehicle hire, accommodation and allowances associated with the delivery of this measure.

Note that proposals for activities to reconnect with country and or undertake rehabilitation of flood impacted places may be referred to the Environment Recovery Grants Program.

Clean-up Recovery Grant

Eligible applicants may apply for reimbursement of costs associated with cleaning-up premises or equipment and undertaking essential repairs in order to resume operations.

Eligible costs associated with these activities include, but are not limited to:

• hiring or leasing equipment and materials to undertake clean-up of premise and equipment
• purchasing equipment and materials to undertake clean-up of premise and equipment where:
  • the equipment or materials are not ordinarily available for lease or hire (eg cleaning chemicals, gloves, buckets, brooms, mops, shovels, or buckets); or
  • the equipment/materials are reasonably necessary for cleaning the premise or equipment, and are not readily available for lease or hire.
• carting away debris, damaged goods and materials, including cost of disposal
• payment for trades people to conduct safety inspections of damage to a premise or equipment
• repairing a building or repairing or replacing fittings in a building, if the repair or replacement is essential for resuming operations of the organisation (for example floor covering, electrical rewiring, shelving)
• costs associated with the restoration, conservation, or preservation of items of significant importance to the community
• purchase or hire/lease costs for equipment or material essential to the immediate resumption of operations of the organisation
• employing a person to clean a premise or equipment if:
  • the cost would not ordinarily have been incurred in the absence of the disaster; or
  • the cost exceeds the cost of employing a person to clean the premises or equipment that would ordinarily have been incurred in the absence of the disaster (in this instance, only the excess costs are eligible).
• leasing of temporary premises for the purpose of resuming operations of the organisation
• replacement of lost or damaged stock, which is essential to the immediate resumption of operations
• costs associated with insurance excess and insurance claim shortfall that are directly related to the eligible disaster.
  

What the funding can’t be used for

• costs associated with preparing grant applications
• costs that are reimbursable under other funding sources, including insurance
• legal costs
• in-kind contributions
• purchase of land or property
• core business activities
• purchase of core business capital equipment such as motor vehicles, laptops, mobile phones and office equipment
• remuneration of employees for work not directly related to the program
• loss of income
• administrative, overhead, operational costs unrelated to the project
• unsupported on-cost charges and non-specific indirect and overhead costs
• fundraising, competitions, prizes and trophies
• the work that would be considered business as usual activities for local, State Government or Commonwealth Government departments
• repayment of existing debts or budget deficits
• financing of budget deficits or insurance.

When organisations can apply

Small and Large Community Recovery Project Grants

The program is open for applications from 30 August 2023 until 30 April 2025, or until the funding is exhausted. Projects should be completed by 30 June 2025. Organisations can apply at any time until the program closes. Applications will not be accepted after the end date.

Where possible, applicants are encouraged to submit community initiative grant applications with a longer lead time than four weeks prior to project commencement.

Clean-up Recovery Grant

The application period for the Clean-up Recovery Grant will close on 30 June 2024. Works should be complete by 30 June 2025.

When the grant will be paid

Notification of a grant outcome will be approximately four weeks after submission date. Please note: If an organisation starts an activity before notification and is ineligible or unsuccessful, the DLGSC is not responsible for any costs incurred.

Approved grants may be paid up to the maximum amount in one claim, provided that the payment is retrospective. In this case, applicants must provide evidence that eligible project costs have been fully paid prior to the claim being made.

As an alternative, and to support applicant cashflow, payments for approved applications may be made in three instalments over the course of project delivery.

Small and Large Community Recovery Grants

• An advance payment of up to 25% of the grant value on execution of the grant agreement.
• Subject to successful acquittal of the initial advance payment, including payment receipts of all expenditure incurred, a second advance payment of up to 50% of the grant value may be claimed.
• Subject to successful acquittal of the grant, up to a maximum of the final 25% will be paid as a reimbursement upon completion of the project and satisfactory completion of the acquittal requirements.

Clean-up Recovery Grant

• An advance payment of up to 25% of the grant value on execution of the grant agreement.
• Subject to successful acquittal of the initial advance payment, including payment receipts of all expenditure incurred, a second advance payment of up to 50% of the grant value may be claimed.
• Subject to successful acquittal of the grant, up to a maximum of the final 25% will be paid as a reimbursement upon completion of the works and satisfactory completion of the acquittal requirements.

How many times an organisation can apply

Applicants can apply multiple times to the Small and Large Grant streams. However, organisations can only apply once to the Clean-up Grants stream.

Eligible organisations should submit one application at a time. Projects funded under the Small or Large Grant streams must be completed and acquitted prior to further applications within these streams from the same organisation being considered.

All projects should be completed within 12 months from the commencement of a project funding agreement, or by 30 June 2025 whichever occurs first.

What will make the application ineligible

Your applicant may be ineligible if you:

• do not have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• do not provide adequate supporting material to support your application.

Components of an application

There are 3 components in the grant application:

1. application questions
2. budget
3. support material.
   

Each plays a significant and distinct role in creating a whole picture about the initiative.

Application questions

Application questions will be listed on the application form through the SmartyGrants platform. Applicants should align their responses with the program goals and outcomes and demonstrate how the initiative will generate, promote or strengthen connections within the community.

Budget

A budget helps to demonstrate that all elements of the activity have been considered, researched and costed. A good budget provides confidence that the activity is viable and achievable.

Quotes or invoices must be included for all expenditure items associated with the activity.

Expenditure items can vary significantly from one activity to another. Any legitimate expense that is eligible can be included in the budget.

If registered for GST do not include GST in the budget figures. All amounts should be in Australian dollars.

Grant amounts listed are exclusive of GST. The grant amount applied for may be up to 100% of the total project.

For community recovery grants, where procuring goods and services, the applicant must ensure that contracts having a value of:

• up to $50,000 have been awarded on the basis that the recipient obtained at least 3 verbal quotes
• over $50,000 up to $250,000 have been awarded on the basis that the recipient obtained at least 3 written quotes
• over $250,000 must have been awarded after a public tendering process.
  

The applicant must not 'contract split' to avoid the intent of this clause; and must comply as far as reasonably practicable with the State Government's Aboriginal Procurement and Buy Local policies.

Support material

Support materials help assessors fully gauge the value of the activity and provide applications with a better chance of success.

Support material can be accepted in various formats including text, images, audio, and video. Links to support material using file sharing services such as Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive will not be viewed.

Examples of support material include:

• a project overview or project plan
• quotes for expenditure items
• written letters or emails of reference from organisations or community members supporting the initiative, including auspicing arrangements if applicable
• evidence of consultation or support from people that the initiative proposes to include
• verification of appropriate Aboriginal involvement and approval, where the initiative relates to Aboriginal cultural or traditional business.

How the application will be assessed

• DLGSC grants officers will undertake an eligibility check.
• An assessment panel comprising of representatives from State Government agencies and the Fitzroy Valley Flood Recovery Working Group will conduct an independent review the application against the program assessment criteria.
• The assessment criteria are weighted to reflect the program's goals and outcomes.
• A weighted scoring method is a decision-making tool that allows equal evaluation for each application against the assessment criteria as well as an objective comparison to be made between applications.
• The assessment panel will make a recommendation, whether to support the application, to the DLGSC Executive Director.
• The DLGSC Executive Director, as delegated by the Minister for Sport and Recreation; Culture and the Arts, will make the final decision on the application, considering the assessment panel’s recommendation. 
• Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing.
• Applications may not be successful or may be successful but not offered funding to the full amount requested.

Assessment criteria

All applications are assessed against the following criteria:

Community need (30% weighting)

The application demonstrates the needs of community and how the proposal responds to those needs.

Benefits (30% weighting)

The application outlines the benefits that will be achieved by delivering this project and demonstrates how the program’s goals and outcomes will be achieved.

Organisational capacity and capability (20% weighting)

The organisation demonstrates its readiness, capacity, and capability to deliver the project.

Project plan and budget (20% weighting)

The application is supported by a detailed project plan and demonstrates how the project will be promoted and evaluated. The project is based on a comprehensive budget and represents value for money.

Note: If an application fails to adequately meet any one criterion it may be considered unsuccessful.

Grant agreement

Approved applicants will be required to enter into a grant agreement that outlines the grant conditions, key deliverables, acquittal and payment requirements.

Acquittal and reporting requirements

• At the conclusion of the project recipients will need to complete an acquittal report. An acquittal report details the project and how the grant has been spent.
• Receipts for all expense items will need to be included to demonstrate that the funding has been spent in accordance with the grant agreement.
• Relevant documents, images and videos that substantiate the delivery of the project and demonstrate the impact and outcomes have been achieved.
• Failure to comply with these requirements may jeopardise payment from DLGSC.

Assistance for applicants

Grants officers are available via telephone and email to answer queries about applications and suitability of activities to specific programs.

The advice provided by grants officers does not guarantee the success of an application.

All applications are considered on their own merits and against the assessment criteria and program goals and outcomes.

Funding acknowledgement

Grant recipients are to acknowledge the State and Commonwealth funding contribution under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements in public materials, which includes but is not limited to:

• media releases, social media, posters, advertising and signage associated with the approved project
• acknowledgement of statements in project publications and materials
• events that use or include reference to the approve project.

To comply with this requirement, all public advice and media releases should refer to the relevant funding source, as being “jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements”.

All publications must also include the State and Commonwealth Government logos and the following disclaimer: ‘Although funding for this product has been provided by both the Australian and Western Australian Governments, the material contained herein does not necessarily represent the views of either Government’.

Contact us

Project officer contact

For enquiries relating to this funding program, including advice or assistance with an application, contact:

Adam Lang
Project Officer Kimberley
DLGSC Broome Office
Telephone 61 8 9195 5755
Email adam.Lang@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

SmartyGrants portal technical support

For assistance using SmartyGrants or to report any related technical issues, see the Help Guide for Applicants.

Local Flood Recovery Hubs

For assistance in developing project initiatives including project plans, budgets, applications and acquittals, please contact the local Flood Recovery Hub.

Assistance for people with disability

The department is committed to supporting applicants with disability. Information can be provided in alternative formats (large print, electronic or Braille) upon request. 

If special assistance is required in preparing an application, please call 61 8 6552 7400 or toll free for regional WA callers on 1800 634 541. 

Family, friends, mentors and/or carers can attend meetings.

If applicants are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, contact us through one of the following:

• National Relay Service (NRS) then ask for 1800 634 541 
• Internet Relay Calls
• Captioned Relay Calls
• TTY users phone 133 677 then ask for 1800 634 541
• Speak and Listen users phone 1800 555 727 then ask for 1800 634 541.
  

Interpreting assistance

For interpreting assistance in languages other than English, telephone the Translation and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50 and ask for a connection to 61 8 6552 7400 or 1800 634 541.