Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund Frequently Asked Questions

Round 7 opens on Wednesday, 16 February 2022 and closes at 11.59pm on Sunday, 3 April 2022.

Applications will be assessed April to May 2022.

Your project must be substantially delivered within the project area.

No, unless funding is being sought to extend an unfunded stage of the project.

If you’re unsure, you can refer to examples of eligible projects in the

File

You can also email your question to npcc@regional.nsw.gov.au.

To apply, you need to describe all the project elements and be able to complete the questions in the application form including:

• a clear project scope
• a project plan
• a project budget
• landowner consent
• evidence of $20 million Public Liability Insurance
• evidence of any project co-contributions
• evidence of consultation and strong community support
• information on how the project will address the program criteria

• Not for profit organisations do not need to provide a co-contribution. Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide some financial and/or in-kind co-contributions to demonstrate collaboration and provide more certainty of project delivery.
• State agencies and councils must provide matching funding for their projects.
• All other applicants (such as private businesses) who ask for:
  • up to $50,000 - do not need to provide a co-contribution, but it is strongly recommended
  • $50,000 or more - must provide a matching co-contribution. For example, if the total project value is $110,000 and you are asking for $55,000, you will need to provide a $55,000 co-contribution.

All recipients of NSW Government funding should acknowledge financial support received from the Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund as per the Funding Acknowledgement Guidelines. Acknowledgement includes joint involvement in media releases and social media posts, photo opportunities such as promoting project milestones, project launches and openings. You must also seek approval for signage acknowledging the funding support.

Projects must commence within six months of the funding being announced and be completed within two years of the funding deed being signed. The funding deed will outline the requirements for the project such as what is expected to be delivered by what date, and the type of evidence you need to supply to claim your payment.

Your funding deed will contain milestones that you agree to meet. If you are unable to comply, you must email the Department of Regional NSW at evaluation@regional.nsw.gov.au and request a deed variation. Your request will then be assessed.

An independent panel will assess projects on their eligibility and assessment criteria outlined in the Guidelines. Applications will be assessed against the economic, environmental, and social benefits of the project. This will include consideration of the:

• degree of sustainable public or community benefit
• project’s contribution to local tourism, community engagement, activation, community infrastructure, and amenity
• heritage or environmental quality
• innovation or smart city technology
• degree to which the project addresses a demonstrated need or requirement.

Recommendations on projects to be funded will be made by an independent assessment panel with final approval by the Deputy Premier.

Yes, all applications are submitted through the SmartyGrants portal.

You can use an existing SmartyGrants account to apply under the NPCC Fund. If you are applying for a different organisation, you may want to create a second account to ensure the projects are considered and managed separately.

Yes, budgets should be based on substantiated quotes or assumptions with evidence of either uploaded to the application.

GST is not payable on grant payments to local councils and state government agencies as the payments are between government related entities. For eligible community organisations registered for GST and where it is payable, the Department of Regional NSW will pay the approved grant amount plus 10 percent of the approved funding. If eligible community organisations are not registered for GST, they will need to incorporate any GST paid by them to third parties into the project budget and grant amount.

Yes. Budgets can include up to 15 percent of the total project cost for combined contingency, project management and administration costs. Should your project be successful, and the contingency costs included in your budget not used, this amount will be deducted from the final grant payment.

Yes, however, the applicant will need to clearly demonstrate how the facility will be open to the community and how the project will benefit the public, or a sufficient section of the public.

As part of the application process, you are required to identify how you will measure the expected outcomes and benefits of the project once delivered. This information will form part of the assessment process and be incorporated into your Funding Deed.

A letter of support from your Local Lands Council and/or other local Aboriginal Community groups is recommended.

NPCC funding is only available for two years. If the intent is for a program to continue beyond the funding period, you must demonstrate that you can do so independently of NPCC funding.

Yes. If your application can outline community benefit and if the project is easily accessible to the community, your organisation is eligible to apply. Projects whose main purpose is to make a profit for a private organisation or for the sole benefit of an individual organisation are not eligible. 

As part of your application in SmartyGrants, you will be asked to provide your organisation’s ABN (Australian Business Number). The ABN details confirm whether your organisation is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

The assessment panel will look at each application’s merit individually. If a project can demonstrate more than one benefit to the community, because it covers a range of features within the one application, it will receive more points against the criteria.