Alcohol and Other Drug Hub Grants

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These grants support NGOs and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to deliver AOD Hubs in NSW, which provide high-quality, integrated care for people at risk of harm from alcohol and other drugs (AOD).

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Key information

  • Status: Closed
  • Grant amount: Up to $6,000,000
  • Application opened: 26 July 2023
  • Application closed: 24 August 2023, 5:00 pm

Program objective

The NSW Ministry of Health is seeking grant applications from multiple Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and/or Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to deliver AOD Hubs in NSW.

Each AOD Hub will be operated as a partnership to achieve a shared goal of delivering high quality, integrated care for people at risk of harm from alcohol and other drugs (AOD).

The Hubs will form part of a state-wide network of multidisciplinary teams using a variety of service delivery approaches including virtual care, on Country and outreach. In each Hub, multiple agencies work in partnership to provide treatment and support for consumers.

Where necessary, this will include facilitated referrals to broader health, community, cultural and social services based on a collaborative care plan.

Consumers will be supported by system navigators and peer and cultural workers who have a deep understanding of co-occurring needs, barriers to accessing care and the importance of tailored approaches.

There will be strong consumer and local input, in recognition of the value of lived or living experience and local knowledge in designing and delivering effective services.

The main objectives of these grants are that people at risk of harm from AOD have: 

  • increased access to holistic, culturally-safe, trauma-informed, multidisciplinary AOD treatment and care
  • increased access to AOD support provided by peer workers
  • care co-ordination, including warm referrals to appropriate health and social services, including those associated with cultural and social determinants of health (housing, employment, training, welfare support, connection to country and community)
  • improved care experiences, benefiting from strengthened pathways and partnerships between health and social services 
  • improved outcomes including those associated with social and cultural determinants of health 
  • improved health and wellbeing and reduced risk of harms from AOD
  • improved access to AOD treatment and support in rural and remote areas
  • increased access to tailored services that are safe and responsive to the needs of people from priority populations.

This program is administered by NSW Health.

Eligibility

A total amount of $6 million per year for four years is available under Stream 1A and 1B for AOD Hubs led by NGOs and/or ACCOs:

  • Stream 1A: NGOs and/or ACCOs are invited to apply for grants of up to $600,000 per annum (with a maximum total allocation for this stream of $3,000,000 per annum) to add or expand services operated by an existing partnership*. At least $600,000 will be quarantined for ACCO-led service delivery.
  • Stream 1B: NGOs and/or ACCOs are invited to establish new priority population** AOD Hubs as part of a partnership* of service providers. At least one Hub will be for Aboriginal people and led by an ACCO. The maximum grant amount is $1,000,000 per annum per grant

Definitions

*Partnerships (for the purpose of this grant) are defined as two or more organisations that work together towards a shared goal. They can be formal or informal. Characteristics can include (but are not limited to) shared governance arrangements e.g., joint committee, working groups, boards, shared documents and processes to guide care delivery, written agreements on patient pathways, joint meetings, and/or shared funding arrangements. Applicants should provide evidence of the existing partnership arrangements.

If your organisation can deliver the breadth of services (social, broader health and AOD) that can achieve the objectives of this grant in-house (without formal partnership) you may apply as a standalone organisation. In this case you must be able to show strong pathways and transfer of care arrangements with relevant services such as inpatient withdrawal units, community-based residential rehabilitation facilities and other AOD specialist services that you do not directly provide.

**Priority populations include those in regional and rural areas, Aboriginal people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, people from LGTBQI+ communities, people experiencing homelessness, young people, pregnant women, parents with children, people with cognitive impairments, people with co-occurring mental health issues and people in the criminal justice system.

Who can apply

Organisations applying for Stream 1A or 1B must meet either of the following eligibility criteria:

Non-government organisations

Not-for profit entity incorporated under any of the following:

  • Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW)
  • Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
  • Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
  • Other Australian legislation.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations

  • Not-for profit
  • Incorporated under relevant legislation
  • Controlled and operated by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
  • Connected to the community, or communities, in which they deliver the services
  • Governed by a majority Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander governing body.

Who can’t apply

  • individuals or groups of individuals

  • unincorporated organisations

  • for-profit commercial organisations.

What can’t you apply for

  • The organisation must not use funds to cover funding shortfalls for existing services. There must be a service expansion or enhancement proposed for the use of the grant funding.
  • Partnerships are excluded where there is a non-participatory decision-making system – for example, where the partnership is unequal.
  • Organisations are excluded if their activities include requiring (or seeking to engage) consumers to take part in religious or political activities beyond their own usual beliefs/practices. 
  • The service must not exclude people with a history of violent and/or sexual offences. The service must not exclude people with cognitive impairment, with mental health issues and adults on prescribed medication, including but not limited to opioid agonist treatment (you must demonstrate how your model of care and service delivery will manage these consumers safely and appropriately).
  • Services are not to be delivered outside of NSW.
  • Proposals that seek funding for an assessment and referral service only are excluded.

Example projects

Examples of partnership enhancements that would meet the grant criteria for stream 1A

Services/roles suitable for being added to or expanded include (this list is not exhaustive): 

  • psychological interventions (AOD and non-AOD) 
  • AOD in-reach to existing service hubs 
  • clinical AOD specialists 
  • care navigator/peer worker 
  • cultural worker roles 
  • shared AOD nurse practitioners or consultation/community liaison roles across services e.g., Justice Health and an AMS 
  • mental health services
  • primary care services (e.g. GPs, PHN funded programs, community health services) 
  • AOD outreach 
  • specialist homelessness or accommodation services 
  • dental services 
  • violence, abuse and neglect services.

For example, the funding could be used to enhance an existing partnership of AOD services by adding other (AOD or non-AOD) services such as mental health, dental, homelessness or primary care.  Similarly, the funding could enhance a partnership of non-AOD services by adding AOD specialist services. 

Examples of potential Hub partnerships that would meet the criteria for stream 1B

Stream IB examples include:

  • a partnership between an ACCO and an Aboriginal Medical Service who are proposing to open an Aboriginal AOD Hub
  • a partnership between several Aboriginal Medical Services and a non-Aboriginal NGO proposing to open an Aboriginal AOD Hub (the lead must be an ACCO)
  • a partnership between a multicultural NGO and an LHD Drug and Alcohol team (the lead applicant must be the NGO) to establish a CALD AOD Hub
  • a partnership between a Multicultural NGO, an AOD NGO and a homeless and mental health service
  • a partnership between a LGBTIQ+ NGO and an NGO that currently provides AOD care, who plan to establish a new LGBTIQ+ Hub.

Most recent recipients

All recipients (9)

What your application needs to include

You must read the full grant guideline before submitting your application.

For Stream 1A grants, prepare the 

File

Alcohol and Other Drug Hub Grants - Schedule 1A Initial EOI form (DOCX 46.95KB)

For Stream 1B grants, prepare the 

File

Alcohol and Other Drug Hub Grants - Schedule 1B Initial EOI form (DOCX 41.28KB)

These schedule documents and the grant guidelines are also all available to download on the AOD Hubs webpage.

You can download and read in full:

For a copy of the guidelines in an accessible format, contact moh-caod-sci@health.nsw.gov.au
 

Local needs analysis

A local needs analysis and/or other evidence to support the need in the location should be demonstrated.

The Ministry of Health will be supplying service mapping data that may assist in service planning and grant applications.  If you wish to obtain the service list please email MOH-CAOD-SCI@health.nsw.gov.au to request.

A list of publicly available data on Alcohol and Other Drugs that may be useful for service planning is available on the CAOD website
 

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Prepare your application with this checklist

  1. Organisations are encouraged to read all available information about the AOD Hub Grants, including the Question-and-Answer Information which will be updated during the grant application period, before submitting grant applications. This information will be posted on the NSW Health Hubs Webpage 
  2. Organisations are encouraged to attend and view the Hub Grants Briefing Sessions before submitting grant applications. Links available on the NSW Health Hubs Webpage
  3. Organisations must submit initial EOI applications by 4pm, 24 August 2023. Applications must be submitted to the COAD via email to MOH-CAOD-SCI@health.nsw.gov.au. Please use subject heading in your application email: Submission Hub Grants indicating which stream you are applying for (1A/1B). Organisations may submit Initial EOI applications anytime from 10 am on the opening date of 26 July 2023 to the application closing date of 4 pm, 24 August 2023. 
  4. Shortlisted organisations that proceed to the next stage will be invited to submit the Select EOI in September, the opening and closing dates will be confirmed in the invitation and the questions will be supplied.
2

Address the eligibility criteria

Stream 1A application eligibility assessment

  • Application is submitted by the due date
  • Application is from an NGO or an ACCO
  • Application is for $600,000 or less
  • Applicants have a history of working together
  • Application is to add, expand or enhance service offerings
  • Application is submitted in full, inclusive of all completed required documents
  • Drug and alcohol element included in the service model
  • At least one of the partner organisations has a history of working with people experiencing AOD-related harm * the AOD service delivery experience does not need to be exactly the same type of service as the grant application service

Stream 1B application eligibility assessment

  • Application is submitted by the due date
  • Application is for a maximum grant of $1,000,000
  • Application includes a new partnership, new location or significant new elements that are not funded elsewhere
  • Application proposes to serve at least one of the listed priority population groups
  • At least one organisation has experience working with the relevant priority population
  • Application is submitted in full, inclusive of all completed required documents
  • At least one organisation has experience working with people affected by AOD

Organisation eligibility for 1A and 1B

Accreditation

Confirm that at least one of the partner organisations applying for funding to deliver a Hub is accredited (or working towards accreditation) against one of the following accreditation standards:  

  1. Evaluation and Quality Improvement Program (EQuIP)
    Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS)
  2. QIC Health and Community Service Standards
    Quality Innovation Performance (QIP)
  3. Australian Service Excellence Standards
    Government of South Australia, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion
  4. National Standards for Mental Health Services*
    Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
  5. The Standards for general practices (5th edition)**
    The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)

Definitions

*Stand-alone accreditation to these standards is only acceptable for dedicated mental health service organisation and those recognised as mental health and AOD 'dual diagnosis' service organisations.

**The accreditation must apply to all relevant services offered by the applicant, not just the GP clinic. 

The accreditation process supports organisations to establish and maintain quality improvement processes and meet minimum standards of operations and service delivery. The requirement to be accredited provides a level assurance to funders and service users about service quality.

Accreditation against other standards may be considered in limited circumstances if the applicant organisation can make a case that the standards are equivalent, and they have a reasonable case for not applying for accreditation against an approved standard. Organisations may be asked to provide supplementary materials to demonstrate minimum standards of operations and service delivery are met.

Start the application

Applicants must visit the NSW Health Hubs Webpage and read all instructions before submitting their application. This page contains all schedule documents.

We are required to provide all grant applicants with the same information, with the same timely access to that information. To meet these requirements, we will post question and answer updates to the NSW Health webpage at least weekly - please continue to check that webpage to ensure you remain updated on information. Please note that we are unable to provide verbal responses to questions.Please send through your questions in writing to moh-caod-sci@health.nsw.gov.au .

Applications must be submitted to the COAD via email to MOH-CAOD-SCI@health.nsw.gov.au  by application closing date.

After the application is submitted

Successful applications will be decided by: Executive Director, Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs, NSW Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Health will provide confirmation of each received application via return email to the applying organisation.

Organisations that do not receive confirmation of receipt of application are to consider the application incomplete and are responsible for contacting the Ministry of Health.

The panel will assess and mark the responses using the scoring matrix and create a shortlist of suitable applicants. 

The shortlist will be invited to apply for the Select EOI in the next stage of the grant process. All successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified at each stage.

Support and contact

Name: Tanya Bosch

Phone:  0476 675 686 

Contact hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm

Email: tanya.bosch@health.nsw.gov.au

The Ice Inquiry health response webpage provides information about initiatives led by NSW Health in implementing the NSW Government Response to the Ice Inquiry.

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