The Financial Counselling Service Program (FCSP) provides free of charge financial counselling throughout NSW. FCSP funds incorporated not-for-profit organisations to provide direct services to consumers within prescribed regions, and resource services to support those direct services.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: From $30,000 to $1,000,000
- Application opened: 27 September 2022
- Application closed: 14 October 2022, 5:00 pm
Program objective
If you’re a not-for-profit organisation with demonstrated skills, abilities and commitment to provide financial counselling services for vulnerable consumers in NSW, this grant may be for you.
This program is administered by NSW Department of Customer Service.
Eligibility
What funding is available
If your organisation provides services in the following areas, you may be eligible for funding:
- financial counselling services operating in specific Local Government Areas (LGAs)
- state-wide credit and debt hotline
- Financial Counsellors Association of NSW (FCAN).
Who can apply
To be eligible to apply for FCSP funding successful applicants must:
- operate and be based in NSW
- be an incorporated community based, not - for - profit organisation or registered charity
- demonstrated experience in delivering high level, financial counselling-based services and casework (or similar).
Who cant apply
The following people and organisations are not eligible for funding:
- commercially operated (for-profit) organisations
- organisations or individuals wishing to provide services or conduct services in a State or Territory other than NSW.
Types of projects funded under this grant
The program is for organisations who can help to provide the provision of:
- free-of-charge financial counselling by accredited counsellors
- consumer legal casework
- public education programs in debt and credit management
- training of financial counsellors.
Example projects
Financial counselling services provide a range of services including:
- telephone and face-to-face information about financial and debt-related issues
- explaining options and informing clients about the potential consequences of each option
- face-to-face practical support including establishing debt repayment plans and budget planning
- advocating and negotiating with creditors on clients’ behalf on issues related to the client’s inability to pay bills and debts
- providing information on credit laws, the debt recovery process, bankruptcy and other areas
- increasing clients’ knowledge of financial issues and how to avoid getting into financial difficulties in the future
- providing information on entitlements and forms of government assistance
- making referrals to other welfare or legal services
- conducting community education seminars and other activities on credit and debt issues.
Past recipients
Services that have been awarded FCSP funding can be found on the Fair Trading website.
How to complete the application
You will need to:
read through the program and application guidelines before you begin to prepare your application
- provide responses directly relevant to each of the selection criteria
- provide relevant, concrete examples of organisational experience and proposed service delivery
- provide references to support business activity claims, as well as past or current achievements
- do not assume that your organisation is known to the assessment panel
- accurately reference the supporting material in the correct section of the application form
- provide full links rather than hyperlinks to references in the application form
- do not attach unnecessary documents
- make sure the contact person and referees for the application are available for at least four weeks after the closing date
- review the checklist to make sure you have included all required information.
What your application needs to include
- attach a copy of certificate of incorporation or an organisation registration certificate
- evidence that your current and future business activity takes place in NSW
- evidence that your organisation helps the types of tenants listed above.
- the latest annual report describing the strategic operations and achievements of the organisation
- examples of service policies that include complaints management plus casework practices.
- 2 audited financial statements
- details of subcontractors such as contracts, agreements or invoices
- consortia must also provide letters of intent or Memorandum of Understanding from participating organisations.
To be considered for FCSP funding, it is recommended you comply with the items listed above. For further information, refer to the guidelines (PDF 409.62KB).
Start the application
You can apply when the next round of this grant opens.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: NSW Fair Trading, Community Grants.
Applications will be assessed against the eligibility criteria which outline the minimum requirements an applicant must meet to be eligible for funding. Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria will then be assessed against the assessment criteria and comparatively against other candidates considering the consistency of the proposal with program objectives and the capability, experience, and skills of the applicants.
Applicants will be informed in writing of the decision regarding their application.
Support and contact
If you need more information on eligibility, time frames or if you have questions about the application form email grants@customerservice.nsw.gov.au.