Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: From $140,000 to $750,000
- Application opened: 25 August 2026
- Application closes: 6 October 2026, 5:00 pm
Program objective
The purpose of the Program is to enable First Nations people to recover from AGRN 1212 through culturally appropriate and supported initiatives.
The objectives of the Program are to:
- Share information: Culturally accessible disaster recovery and resilience information specific to community recovery needs is developed, promoted and shared.
- Strengthen relationships: Ensure Cultural knowledge holders, Elders and community representatives are connected to disaster management decision makers.
- Build networks: Establish and/or strengthen working relationships between ACCOs, not-for-profit Aboriginal Engagement Organisations, key stakeholders and existing networks in disaster recovery.
- Build capability: Identify and respond to communities’ needs and strengths, by offering opportunity, choice and resources to improve practice in recovery.
- Engage community: Deliver engaging and culturally appropriate activities and events in collaboration with partner organisations and stakeholders to facilitate community recovery.
- Improve sector engagement and support development of local recovery plans: Design localised frameworks to ensure First Nations communities are effectively supported and appropriately engaged in disaster recovery and management practices and processes.
Additionally, the AESC program responds to the Priority Reform Areas outlined in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the NSW Closing the Gap Implementation Plan by:
- Supporting First Nations communities to define and decide their own recovery needs and priorities
- Funding First Nations community-controlled organisations to deliver bespoke disaster recovery initiatives
- Co-designing respectful and agreed methodologies for collecting, maintaining and incorporating Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property principles for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation
- Valuing and building relationships with First Nations representatives for improved recovery outcomes.
- Reviewing and strengthening local disaster recovery knowledge, plans and practice to support First Nations decision making, cultural safety and strengths.
This program is administered by NSW Reconstruction Authority.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) or not-for-profit Aboriginal Engagement Organisation, or consortia of such organisations that:
- Holds a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Is an entity with the legal capacity to enter into an agreement with the RA
- Is incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
- Is a not-for-profit registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission
- Is controlled and operated by First Nations people
- Is governed by a majority First Nations governing body
- Has adequate and current broad-form public liability insurance and workers compensation insurance policies and will maintain these policies throughout the funding period
- Be located within, or provide services to, at least one the following LGAs:
- Bellingen
- Coffs Harbour
- Dungog
- Kempsey
- MidCoast
- Nambucca
- Port Macquarie
- Port Stephens
Eligibility is determined by declarations of natural disasters by the NSW Government.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Eligible activities may include but are not limited to:
- Employment of a temporary, fixed-term Aboriginal Engagement Support Coordinator for a period up to 30 June 2028
- Designing, documenting and implementing Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property principles throughout the life of the project, including the establishment of agreed data and information sharing agreements with the RA for monitoring and evaluation purposes
- Development and distribution of culturally appropriate, accessible and relevant recovery information
- Coordinating activities for First Nations communities that facilitate the sharing of recovery information
- Coordinating and hosting workshops and activities for local First Nations communities that support community’s medium to long-term recovery, build community connection, and improve individual wellbeing and self-care
- Participating in and contributing to a Community of Practice to build and strengthen networks across the funded organisations
- Providing and/or supporting First Nations communities’ understanding of Emergency Services responsibilities in NSW
- Coordinating initiatives that allow for First Nations knowledge and sentiment to be integrated into recovery planning in culturally appropriate ways
- Coordinating opportunities for local service providers, businesses, organisations and local governments to contribute to First Nations community recovery through improved community connections and network strength
- Building community capacity for First Nations communities to enable recovery to continue after the program ends
- Support communities to develop Recovery Action Plans which ensure learnings from AGRN 1212 are incorporated into future recovery strategies and plans.
- Development of the Connecting with Country Framework.
- Identifying and connecting with First Nations groups and networks, both emerging and active, to establish a working group to co-design local Connecting with Country Frameworks
- Activities that contribute to the development of local Connecting with Country Frameworks
- Engagement with councils and emergency management stakeholders on the Connecting with Country Framework.
Who can’t apply
Applicants’ ineligible under the Program include:
a. Individuals
b. Sole traders
c. Unincorporated associations
d. Australian or NSW Government agencies, State Owned Corporations or statutory authorities
e. Businesses that are insolvent, including organisations
- in administration
- With debts owing to NSW Government entities
- Subject to ongoing legal proceedings
f. Non-government institutions included on the National Redress Scheme’s website that have not joined, or have not signified their intent to join, the National Redress Scheme.
g. Organisations who cannot demonstrate their eligibility against clause 2.1.1 of these guidelines.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Applications must be submitted via the SmartyGrants portal. The RA will not accept applications made via any other means.
To complete the application form, applicants will be required to:
- Demonstrate their eligibility against clause 2.1.1 of these guidelines
- Complete all required text fields which will include:
- A project plan
- Risk management plan
- Proposed budget
- Upload the following documentation:
- A Certificate of Currency for public liability insurance
- A Certificate of Currence for workers compensation insurance
Please note, individual files must be no larger than 5MB. Allow each file to successfully upload before attempting to attach another file.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Start the application
The RA’s Community Programs team will assess all grant applications in collaboration with Aboriginal Outcomes Branch to determine:
- The applicant has satisfactorily demonstrated eligibility against sub section 2.1 of these guidelines
- The application is complete with all required attachments and supporting documentation.
Where the RA assesses an application as containing incomplete information, the RA
reserves the right to:
- Provide the applicant with the opportunity to supply the required information within probity requirements
- Assess the application based on the information provided
- Deem the application to be non-conforming and set it aside from further consideration, i.e., deemed ineligible and not progressed for merit assessment
Applicants may be contacted during this assessment process to clarify information provided in their application. Any requests for additional information will be made in writing and will include timeframes in which a response will be required.
The RA reserves the right to conduct additional due diligence checks on the applicant as required.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: NSW Reconstruction Authority
Eligible and complete applications will be individually assessed by the Community Programs team against the assessment criteria outlined in sub section 2.2 of these guidelines.
The Manager Community Programs will provide a report, including recommendations to approve or not approve applications, to the decision-maker being the Director Partnerships and Program Delivery. The decision-maker will make determination on:
- The approval of the grant
- The total grant funding amount to be awarded
- Any terms and conditions of the grant.
Where the decision-maker deviates from the recommendation of the Manager Community Recovery Programs, supporting evidence must be provided and recorded in line with the RA’s Record Management Policy 2024.
Support and contact
Agency: NSW Reconstruction Authority
Contact Name: Janine Friedrich
Position: Community Recovery Programs