Infrastructure Grants: arts and culture

Prior to your application, you will need to collate the following essential support material:

• Permission for premises/land use - provide one of the following:
  • evidence of land ownership (e.g. rate notice, Land Title certificate), or
  • permission to use the land/facility (e.g. official letter).
• Local Council development status - provide one of the following:
  • Development approval letter/certificate or
  • Complying development letter/certificate or
  • Letter, email or certificate demonstrating DA exemption.
• Evidence of community consultation - provide the following:

  • up to 2 consultation documents 6 pages maximum). Assessable documentation includes:

    - consultation plans and reports
    - survey results.

  • up to three (3) letters demonstrating community support for the proposal. Letters should be from community groups that will directly benefit and engage with the planned infrastructure project. Letters from government employees or representatives are not accepted as eligible support material.

You may also gather the following optional support material:

• Project Plan (four (4) pages maximum), that includes:
  • timeline
  • risk management plan
  • milestones
  • details of project management staff.
• Building designs and plans (seven (7) pages maximum).

Make sure you also have on hand:

• your organisation's ABN
• DA, compliance or exemption reference numbers from your local government authority
• your organisation's contact phone, email, and postal details
• details of additional contacts
• relevant insurance documents.

Your project overview will need to include:

• the title of your project. The application portal has drop-down lists to help guide you to create an appropriate title.
• a summary of your project (60-word limit). Please note that this may be used for media releases if your application is funded. It should be factual rather than emotive.

Be aware that you will need to:

• confirm that information provided in your application is true and correct
• authorise officers of the Office of Responsible Gambling to seek further information from other government agencies
• confirm that your organisation does not have any outstanding acquittals for past funding provided by the NSW State Government.

You should also consider the documentation you will need to provide and the reporting obligations you will have if your application is successful. 

These include:

• signing a funding agreement schedule
• reading and agreeing to the terms and conditions of funding
• committing to reporting and monitoring requirements
• finishing the project within the agreed timeline
• fulfilling publicity and signage requirements.

• project location: built and community infrastructure based in NSW.
• applicant: a not-for-profit organisation with an ABN that is responsible for operating and/or maintaining the infrastructure.
• amount: must be for an amount within the funding range for this category.
• benefit: Infrastructure that is accessible and available to the public most of the time.
• purpose: Infrastructure related to arts and culture.
• development status: Infrastructure works with Development Approval (including a Heritage Impact Statement and/ or an Indigenous Land Use Agreement if relevant) or written exemption.
• financial contribution: Local government applicants are required to cash-match the funding amount requested.
• process: Submitted using the online application form

Applications are assessed by subject matter experts against the following four criteria covering merit, engagement, viability and budget, as well as a priority framework targeting disadvantaged communities.

Merit

There are three questions relating to:

• vision and intended outcomes for the community (400-word limit)
• measures of success and outcomes (400-word limit)
• community needs for enhanced or new facilities (400-word limit)

The assessors will consider if your project:

• has a clear vision
• provides high quality public and/or social outcomes
• has implementation strategies for evaluating and measuring results
• introduces needed facilities or will enhance the usage of existing facilities.

Engagement

You will need to have on hand:

• statistics on current (if relevant) and future participants
• numbers of staff and full-time equivalent and volunteers (current and proposed)

You will also need to outline how engagement and collaboration with the community was undertaken to understand their needs

The assessors will consider if your project:

• has strategies for ongoing engagement of the community, participants and/or audiences
• considers the needs and expectations of targeted groups and community partners and how those needs will be met
• supports employment or include the involvement and development of volunteers.

Viability

There are three questions relating to:

• strategic partnerships (300-word limit)
• management, governance experience (300-word limit)
• future operation and maintenance approach (300-word limit)

The assessors will consider if your project:

• has appropriate planning approvals and risk management in place
• has realistic timelines to complete within two years
• has appropriate administration, management and governance expertise and financial stability
• has strategic partnerships and collaborations across the sector
• has secured future operations and maintenance plans.

Budget

You will need to provide details about the project budget, including:

• all sources of income (whether confirmed or TBC)
• all expenditure areas with notes regarding how you have arrived at the cost (finalised written quote, project management experience, market research)

The assessors will consider if your project:

• has a detailed and accurate budget
• provides value for money and is realistic for scale and impact of the project
• demonstrates appropriate use of public funds
• includes diversified income from other sources and own contributions
  (co-contributions are encouraged)
• has appropriate provision for contingencies
• includes insurance and other liabilities
• is supported by quotes and demonstrates realistic costs.

Priority Framework

How does your project connect and support one or more of the following priority communities:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Culturally and linguistically (CALD) communities
• Disadvantaged Communities
• Regional and remote communities.