Connect IRL Grants

Connect IRL Grants provides funding for eligible non-for-profits to support young people, through offline connection, mentoring, safe spaces, and prosocial activities. Eligible organisations can apply for funding amounts between $10,000 and $250,000.
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Key information

  • Status: Open
  • Grant amount: From $10,000 to $250,000
  • Application opened: 24 November 2025
  • Application closes: 20 January 2026

Program objective

The Premier’s Department (the Department) will administer the Connect IRL Grants Program.

There are four program objectives:

  1. Strengthened offline connections by delivering inclusive, pro-social activities and safe discussion spaces that support mental health, foster mutual understanding, reduce isolation, and build peer networks — particularly for those from marginalised, diverse, or geographically isolated communities.
  2. Improved young people’s interpersonal, civic, and leadership skills through structured mentoring programs that promote healthy relationships, empathy, mutual respect, and active civic participation.
  3. Enhanced mentor capabilities by increasing skills, including trauma-informed and lived experience approaches, to enable mentors to more effectively support vulnerable young people in building resilience and confidence within a safe and impactful environment.
  4. Strengthened long-term support systems for young people achieved by the inclusion of families/trusted adults leading to a sustainable and holistic support network available to participants beyond the span of the program.

This program is administered by Premier's Department.

Eligibility

1

Who can apply

Please refer to the Grant Guidelines for comprehensive information. 

Grants will be assessed through a competitive application process and awarded to carefully selected organisations who clearly meet as many, if not all, of the grant program objectives and funding criteria.

This grant is only available for not-for-profit organisations that have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have demonstrated services operating in NSW.

Applicants should demonstrate their not-for-profit status by being one of the following:

  1. incorporated non-government organisations (not-for-profit)
  2. registered Associations under an Act of Parliament
  3. registered cooperatives under an Act of Parliament
  4. a company limited by Guarantee
  5. a company limited by shares (non-profit distributing)
  6. a community-based organisation registered or established under an Act that is not-for-profit
  7. an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth).

Only eligible applications will proceed to assessment.

2

Types of projects funded under this grant

Eligible projects are those that address intended outcomes of the grant as outlined in the guidelines. 

Please refer to the Grant Guidelines for comprehensive eligibility information. 

3

Who can’t apply

The following organisations are not eligible to apply for funding under this program:

  1. individuals and sole traders
  2. local councils
  3. state and federal government departments and associated entities
  4. for profit organisations and commercial enterprises
  5. organisations with National Redress Scheme sanctions
  6. if your organisation:
  1. is subject to a winding up order or has an appointed administrator
  2. has a pending/ongoing legal case
  3. is bankrupt.

NSW Premier’s Department considers other factors to determine that an organisation is ineligible for funding. These factors could include issues that could cause reputational damage or other risks to the NSW Government.

Please refer to the Grant Guidelines for further information. 

What your application needs to include

1

Prepare your application with this checklist

Not Applicable

2

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.

3

Address the assessment criteria

Please refer to the Grant Guidelines for comprehensive assessment information. 

Each application is assessed against the following criteria:

1.       Demonstrates how the proposal addresses the Grants Program Objectives as outlined in Section 1.

2.       Demonstrates the capacity to engage and support young people who may exhibit high risk factors, or who may be isolated, marginalised and/or from diverse communities.

3.       Demonstrates why the applicant is especially equipped to carry out the project, based on previous experience in delivering similar projects.

4.       Demonstrates that the applicant can deliver the project on time and on budget, ensuring that the grant provision is consistent with the principle of value for money 

5.      Demonstrates a commitment to co-design and consultation with young people as part of the funded project.

You will need to include the following supporting documents as well as your application form:

1.        draft project budget (budget template included in the application form)

2.       final reports, evaluations or other supporting documents of similar projects delivered by the organisation.

Start the application

Applications must be made through the SmartyGrants platform.  The application form can be found here: https://premiers.smartygrants.com.au/ConnectIRL

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.

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: Deputy Secretary - Delivery and Engagement - NSW Premier's Department -

Please refer to the Grant Guidelines for comprehensive assessment information. 

Applications will be assessed by a panel convened by the NSW Premier’s Department. The panel will include representatives from other NSW Government agencies with subject matter expertise in supporting vulnerable young people and/or those from diverse and marginalised communities and delivering community youth programs, grants, and other community programs.

Each application will be considered on its merits and assessed based on how well it meets the assessment criteria and how it is ranked against other applications. Applications will also be assessed on how well it meets a particular need as identified by the NSW Government.

After its review, the panel will provide a written assessment report to the Deputy Secretary, Delivery and Engagement, NSW Premier’s Department, on proposals it considers should be awarded the grants.

The Deputy Secretary of the NSW Premier’s Department is the decision-maker for this grant and will decide on consideration of recommendations of the panel.  The Deputy Secretary’s decision is final in all matters, including:

  1. the grant approval
  2. the grant funding to be awarded
  3. any conditions attached to the offer of grant funding.

Anticipated assessment outcome date is 17/03/2026

Support and contact

NSW Premier's Department - Connected Communities

connectedcommunities@premiersdepartment.nsw.gov.au 

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