Children and Young People Wellbeing Recovery Initiative

Large grants program for regional NSW

Group of multicultural youths sitting down

This program supports the recovery and wellbeing of children and young people living in regional NSW and builds resilience for future adverse events.

It will remain open until 31 December 2022 or until funds are fully expended.

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Key information

  • Status: Closed
  • Grant amount: From $10,000 to $50,000
  • Application opened: 9 February 2022
  • Application closed: 31 December 2022

Program objective

The program supports the wellbeing of children and young people living in regional NSW to recover from and build resilience to future adversity.

The Large Grants Program for Regional NSW leverages the work of Regional Youth Community Coordinators (YCC) to identify projects for funding in regional NSW Local Government Areas (LGAs).

It is funded by the NSW Government’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Strategy, and is one of three grants available under the Children and Young People Wellbeing Recovery Initiative.

This program is funded and administered by Department of Regional NSW.

Eligibility

Who can apply

Funding recipients can be government or non-government organisations in eligible regional Local Government Areas (LGAs) such as:

  • local councils
  • community groups
  • not-for-profit organisations
  • Local Aboriginal Land Council
  • schools
  • neighbourhood centres.

Please note, we have reached our funding cap for the below LGAs: 

  • Albury City Council
  • Armidale City Council
  • Byron Shire Council
  • Richmond Valley Council
  • Shellharbour City Council
  • Shoalhaven City Council
  • Wagga Wagga City Council

Types of projects funded under this grant

Programs that may be eligible for funding include, but are not limited to:

  • community events and social activities
  • sport and recreational programs
  • youth mental health training
  • cultural and community connection programs
  • healing initiatives to support Aboriginal children, vulnerable children and young
  • people affected by adverse events
  • peer support programs, mentoring and training for children and young people
  • digital communications and resources.

What you can’t apply for

The following activities and costs are not eligible for funding under the program;

  • costs associated with existing ongoing staff

  • purchase of plant, equipment, laptops, mobile phones and other capital items - in exceptional cases, equipment essential to project delivery as part of larger projects may be approved by the administering agency
  • requests for ongoing program funding
  • projects and/or activities that are not related to wellbeing of young people and communities in regional areas impacted by adverse events
  • requests to recover costs for existing debts and/or budget deficits.

Most recent recipients

All recipients (102)

What your application needs to include

Download the NSW Wellbeing Initiative Guidelines - Large Grants (PDF 12.14MB) to check all eligibility requirements.
 

By working with communities, government and non-government organisations within NSW Regions, YCCs will identify community projects for funding under the program. 

Funding proposals will be developed with partners for assessment by a panel made up of;

  • Office for Regional Youth
  • Resilience NSW
  • Ministry for Health.
1

Prepare your application with this checklist

To  be eligible, program funding recipients must:

  • hold an Australian Business Number (ABN), Australian Company Number (ACN) or be registered with NSW Fair Trading under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009
  • have or be able and willing to purchase at least $20 million in public liability insurance.
2

Address the eligibility criteria

Eligible programs must:

  • be delivered in a regional LGAs with a significant community need for wellbeing and mental health support for children and young people to recover from and build resilience to future adverse events
  • focus on children and/or young people aged 0-24 years
  • directly respond to community need for support to recover and build resilience, and supports improved wellbeing and mental support for children and young people
  • address mental health, wellbeing or healing in children and young people impacted by adverse events.

Refer to the program guidelines (PDF 12.14MB) for all other eligibility requirements including eligible and ineligible costs and programs.

3

Address the assessment criteria

Proposals will be assessed against the eligibility requirements and the following assessment criteria:

  • delivers new or enhanced existing programs, activities or services
  • coordinates and works together with existing services, does not duplicate existing services
  • promotes community cohesion to improve community recovery from adverse events and resilience of children and young people
  • cooperative program delivery -  brings together agencies and organisations to deliver programs to support wellbeing and mental health of children and young people
  • supported by the community and meets community need
  • focuses on vulnerable children and young people
  • equity of programs for different age groups with the 0-24 year cohort
  • appropriately costed and costs incurred between January 2022 and 30 June 2023
  • inclusive and accessible for children and young people with a disability, LGBTIQ+ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Greater weighting will be given to the following criteria:

  • cooperative program delivery -  brings together agencies and organisations to deliver programs to support wellbeing and mental health of children and young people
  • demonstrated support from the community and meets community need
  • focuses on vulnerable children and young people
  • programs with reach across LGAs.

Feedback will be provided to unsuccessful applicants, who will also have the opportunity to resubmit their application in response to the feedback provided. However, the decision of the assessment panel is final.

Start the application

Eligible applicants are encouraged to express their interest by making a submission through the SmartyGrants portal by 31st December 2022.

Please note, funds have been expended and we are not accepting applications for the below LGAs: 

  • Albury City Council
  • Armidale City Council
  • Byron Shire Council
  • Richmond Valley Council
  • Shellharbour City Council
  • Shoalhaven City Council
  • Wagga Wagga City Council

After the application is submitted

The applications will be assessed and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.

Support and contact

Getting support

For more information, please contact the Department of Regional NSW at youthcommunity@regional.nsw.gov.au.

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