$1.1 million announced for Gawler and District Tennis Association Court Redevelopment
The project will provide a high-quality regional tennis facility by reconstructing existing and constructing new tournament quality courts.
There are all sorts of grants available to grow your business or help your community. We’ll keep you informed about fresh grant opportunities through our newsletter or right here on our website. Join our B2B Support Program to get connected with professional grant writers at subsidised rates or contact us for advice and support.
Here’s some quick tips to put your best foot forward in your next grant application.
Grant programs will rarely provide funding for business-as-usual activity. If you have a project – it should also usually be related to something new or growth of the entity
This means you are never guaranteed to be approved for grant funding. You will be competing against many other entities for
grants coming from a fixed sum grant pool. Regardless of outcome, if you apply for a grant, please let us know as we may still be able to help you realise your project another way.
There will always be a section in the guidelines titled eligibility that outlines clearly who can and cannot apply for that grant (eg. Sole traders can apply, publicly listed companies cannot apply, etc). There will also be another section related to the eligible funding activities and non-eligible funding activities. (eg. Building related capital expenditure on site is eligible, administrative staff salaries are not eligible).
Is it open or closed – if it is open, check the closing date. Most times you will need at least a week to put one together, the more time you can allow, the better. If it is closed – check if it is ‘rounds’ based, ‘Rounds’ based grants mean there are staggered periods of time for accepting applications, so if for example round 1 has closed, there will usually be a round 2 coming up – keep checking back to ensure you are first in. If it is not ‘rounds’ based, it will be based on a first come, first serve basis– so get in early.
Most grants require the entity applying to contribute funds to the project (sometimes this may be in-kind, although usually not) to a minimum value – for example 50% of the total eligible project costs. There will also be a minimum and maximum grant amount per application (eg between $25,000 and $2 million). Using these figures to input to a hypothetical situation where your grant is approved:
Eg. Your minimum project costs will need to total $50,000 (and presuming all costs are eligible expenses) – you will need to contribute $25,000, the government will contribute the remaining $25,000 – giving you the total $50,000 funds required. Using the above scenario, if your project costs total $40,000 – you will not be eligible for this grant, as you need to contribute minimum 50% and the government minimum amount is $25,000. Similarly, if you project cost is $5 million total, the maximum government can consider funding is $2 million, meaning you will need to come up with the remaining $3 million.
There is no requirement for your pay a 3rd party to do a grant application on your behalf. Ok, so why would I engage someone to do it for me? There are 3 main reasons for hiring grant writers: 1) you don’t have the time, but do have the money to pay someone to do it, 2) Even though you may have the time, you don’t feel confident in doing it yourself, and 3) You cant be bothered doing it yourself.
Ask for relevant experience when engaging someone and evidence of grant outcomes or past clients you can speak to. Writing grants is a skill and putting together a good application will take time and reading and re-reading the guidelines and your application. Even if you are going to write it yourself, have someone else read your drafts who is impartial and can give you feedback to improve it. We at RDA are happy to help here – contact us.
The bigger the grant, usually the more onerous it will be in administering. Remember these are public funds and accountability for good use of these funds is always a key consideration of the issuing party. Some grant funds are paid as re-imbursements, so if you don’t have evidence upfront of the co-contribution you said you would provide – you are setting yourself up for failure. Similarly, the guidelines for a grant will have timeframes
that approved projects will need to commence and be finalised by – therefore, if you can’t achieve the intended project outcomes within those timeframes – you are again not going to meet guidelines. If you have time to spare within the prescribed window, give yourself more time than you think you need for each ‘milestone/stage’. It is always easier to advise you achieved the outcomes quicker than anticipated and agreed upon, than to have to try to re-negotiate the contract terms because your project is delayed – whatever the reason. Ensure you have the ability to deliver the ‘evidence’ on time to meet grant milestones – this is usually a resources and project management consideration. Executing a grant on time, on budget and as agreed/expected will have an impact on any future applications.
There is usually a clause in the guidelines that states a timeframe that eligible funding must be spent/incurred to be eligible for payment of the grant. As an example, if the grant says eligible funding must occur between 1st May 2022 and 31st October 2022, and if you know you have expenses that occur in April 2022 related to this project – these expenses will likely not be considered able to be funded and may jeopardize your eligibility to apply altogether.
After lodging, there is almost always an extensive grants assessment and then approvals process which will usually take weeks if not months. This is usually due to the number of applications received coupled with resources to administer the grants process. These timeframes are usually indicated in the guidelines.
Quite often you may need to seek clarification on a point to do with eligibility or the application forms. If in doubt, email or call the grant provider to check. Contact details are always listed and whilst they may need to call you back, it will always be worth it.
Sometimes there is information you need to include that requires a third-party involvement – Financial reports from your accountant or letter of support from council or RDA are sometimes requested. It is good to have a clear understanding of these aspects of your application early on in your process and well in advance of the closing date. The guidelines usually outline this, but it is a good idea to print out a sample copy of the application to prepare your answers if you can. Allowing time for third party prepared documents is always a good idea.
Copy the questions across to MS Word or equivalent to make sure you have met the word/character count requirement and to more easily edit as required.
If it is jobs – make sure you clearly articulate how many jobs and of what type, full-time, part-time, casual it will generate. If it is social or community outcomes, provide as much information in a concise manner as to convey how this outcome will be achieved. Remember the issuer of the grant will want to see particular outcomes – so its important to highlight these and be mindful of their jurisdiction.
A lot of applicants think the maximum grant amount is the amount they should apply for – $20,000 for example has people applying for the full $20,000 amount. If you are looking it from an assessor’s perspective, they will be seeking to approve the maximum number of grant applications, that achieve the greatest outcomes sought by the grant program. If you have an almost identical application that is asking for $2,000 less and able to achieve the same outcome, with only one more application able to be funded, who do you think will get it? Remember, the assessors are essentially gifting public funds and are accountable to the public for the rationale behind the funding provided.
Grant funds are not usually given to entities that don’t have a need for the funds, – the idea that ‘I would rather use your money than mine to fund this’ is not going to work. Think about this aspect carefully.
There will almost always be a contract – or grant deed, that outlines all the payment milestones (what needs to be achieved to activate a partial payment of the overall grant funds). These are usually standard template documents, but you can negotiate some terms, and you may have commercial-in-confidence agreements that are tied to the project. Be aware the government will want to highlight their successful grant applicants and projects and the deeds are always listed for public access to ensure transparency and accountability of use of public funds; if there is sensitive information in the grant deeds – make sure you negotiate clearly prior to signing any grant deed any critical information that needs to be redacted or ‘blacked out’ and any announcements are sensitive to commercial in confidence dealings and announcements. Lastly, If RDA has been helpful in your application, we would love the feedback, you can do that here.
Don’t lose hope, government grant funding is competitive and this outcome is going to be the case for some. Learn from it and gain feedback if you can – you will get better from it. Consider alternative funding sources and speak to us at RDA about if we can help you get your project back on track.
Take it one step at a time – working through these points will help you to self-assess and assist in putting together the best application you can – giving you a better chance of funding. At the end of the day, if you qualify and these funds help bring a project forward or help get it over the line at all, it is a great way of building your next project without diluting your shareholding, pay interest on a loan or having to put it off for a time when it is a less risky proposition or even indefinitely.
This COVID era is a challenging one and government recognizes that industries and communities need support, they have been actively offering grants to help achieve the right outcomes and many of us can do with support to get our business, community or industry to the next level.
If you have identified you qualify and need to run through any aspects of your application – speak to us, we would love to help you.
Here’s our latest grant-related news articles.
The project will provide a high-quality regional tennis facility by reconstructing existing and constructing new tournament quality courts.
Australian Government seeks feedback on $68 million digital inclusion programs for First Nations, including Wi-Fi, digital mentors, and support hubs.
State Government invests $18 million in drought support for South Australian farmers, including grants, mental health initiatives, and resilience planning.
Grants up to $10,000 support grassroots initiatives strengthening rural communities. Applications are assessed quarterly on a rolling basis.
Grants of up to $100,000 are available through Green Industries SA’s LEAP program to support sustainable and circular economy projects.
Grants between $20,000 and $200,000 support projects conserving Indigenous languages and celebrating cultural expressions. Applications close 25 November 2024.
PIRSA is offering the Vineyard Resting Rebate (Round 2) for South Australian red winegrape growers trialling the use of Ethephon.
$2M to $6M grants for projects that improve drought and climate resilience by enhancing landscape function and ecosystem services.
The Regional Airports Program offers grants to improve safety, services, and connectivity at regional airports, supporting essential aviation operations.
Round 3 of the Mobile Network Hardening Program offers $20 million to improve mobile resilience in disaster-prone regional areas.
$150 million of funding over three years to support urban precinct projects.
Up to $40 million for projects enhancing drought resilience on farms, with applications closing on 19 November 2024.
Up to $1500 support to provide household and bill relief; assisting red wine grape growers and their families.
Grants between $20,000 and $50,000 for projects that promote community participation, equity of access, and overall wellbeing.
Scholarships for women at all stages of their careers to access partial scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $6,000.
The grant offers funding of up to $20,000 per project to support the creation, enhancement, or accessibility of community infrastructure.
The South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) invites South Australian tourism businesses to submit an Expression of Interest.
Up to $42,000 for project development, or $7,000 in learning and development bursaries. Applications close on 9 October 2024.
This grant up to $100k supports producers who enhance wine tourism by offering great cellar door experiences.
Grants of $15,000 in Indigenous Business, Education, Agriculture, Women in Regional Business, Health, Tourism, and Arts.
$18 million in funding to support technology suppliers who can help farmers adopt on-farm digital solutions like connected machinery and sensors.
Barossa Village are planning 100 housing options for older residents in Nuriootpa, with a focus on community integration and wellbeing.
Funding of up to $100,000 for multicultural organisations to upgrade equipment or improve infrastructure to better serve your community.
Up to $5,000 to bring inspiring public art projects to life within the Light Regional Council area.
Next round of applications opens 6 November, 2024. Download the guidelines.
Guidelines are now available to help eligible applicants prepare their grant applications.
A unique opportunity for wine professionals to enhance their expertise by learning from global counterparts. Apply by 23 August, 2024.
Support for maintenance and conservation works, alterations, or additions to heritage properties. Closes 30 September.
Capital works grants for projects that enhance liveability, social cohesion and local amenity. Closes 26 August.
Grants up to $2 million for infrastructure projects that aim to strengthen regional communities.
Yalumba, Barossa Museum, and Seppeltsfield have succeeded in their applications for grants from the Activating Heritage Tourism Program.
Grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 are available to support early-stage commercialisation projects, or $100,000 to $5 million for more mature projects.
Up to $25,000 available to support early childhood qualifications.
A two-year pilot initiative to support women-led businesses in South Australia.
$10,000 to $50,000 grants to support new and improved tourism products and experiences in or near national parks, reserves, wilderness protection areas, or marine parks.
The ERF aims to assist business and industry in key areas to grow jobs, improve productivity, increase exports and support value adding tech in SA.
The luxury $80m six-star Oscar Hotel at Seppeltsfield Winery is among the projects benefiting from the South Australian government’s Economic Recovery Fund.
This program offers financial support ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 for projects that align with the Northern and Yorke Landscape Plan’s priorities.
The Barossa Creative Industries Centre is set to repurpose and expand the historic Barossa Regional Gallery, transforming it into a landmark $13.92 million cultural hub and creative industry precinct.
The Government of South Australia, alongside Tribe Global Ventures, is offering a remarkable opportunity for tech entrepreneurs eager to take their businesses to the international stage.
A fund of $2.8 million to address barriers to participation and fund female-friendly sporting facilities, programs, and equipment.
Expressions of interest are sought from creatives at any career stage, from individual artists to leaders of arts organisations seeking practical, accelerated skill development in business and marketing.
Grants of between $5,000 and $15,000 are available to operators committed to elevating the quality of heritage tourism products.
Grants up to $10,000 to empower communities by enhancing digital capabilities, fostering resilience, and promoting environmental sustainability.
Up to $25,000 available to those in the livestock and permanent horticulture sectors, enhancing their resilience against drought and aiding recovery from natural disasters.
Green Industries SA is offering grants of up to $100,000 for projects that advance the circular economy and promote the use of recycled materials in South Australia.
$50,000 scholarships available to support artists travel across a range of disciplines.
The Australian Government is offering up to $1 billion over five years for projects that reduce disaster risks and improve resilience, with matching funds from state, local governments, and others.
Collaborate with researchers, gain up to $200,000 funding, and drive innovative industry solutions. Apply now!
The Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Rebuilding Regional Communities (RRC) program gives small remote, rural and regional communities across Australia the opportunity to access funds for a broad range of initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities.
An opportunity for local councils to reimagine and revitalize their public spaces, encompassing laneways, main streets, civic plazas, and other communal areas. Deadline closes February 9, 2024.
The Innovative Models of Care (IMOC) Program Grant is an initiative aimed at improving health services in non-urban Australian communities.
Foundation Barossa, in collaboration with Kids Under Cover, Centacare, and Homburg Real Estate, has stepped up to address youth homelessness in the Barossa with emergency accomodation options.
Explore the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Program: grants from $50k to $5 million, tailored advice, and support for startups and SMEs’ innovative commercialization projects.
The fund aims to assist businesses and industry in key areas to grow secure, well-paid jobs, improve productivity, increase exports, and support innovation. Closes December 15.
The Food and Beverage Development Fund SA Inc. is providing financial aids ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to hospitality students.
Grants of $5k-$100k for live music venues, festivals, and organisations that champion quality original Australian live music. Closes October 17, 2023.
Attention South Australian sheep and goat producers! 🐏 You can now receive a 50% rebate on electronic identification (eID) devices purchased in 2023.
Up to $5,000 for musicians and industry entrepreneurs for mentoring and personalised professional development.
At the forefront of South Australia’s business excellence, Jeremy Blanks from Tarac Technologies, representing Barossa Valley, stands out as the sole local talent among the distinguished 2023 Industry Leaders Fund (ILF) Scholars.
The Department of Social Services is offering up to one-third of the cost to build Changing Places facilities in Local Government Areas that currently do not have one. Changing Places are accessible toilets with extra features and more space to meet the needs of people with disability and their carers.
$10,000 to $50,000 grants to boost nature-based tourism in South Australia. Applications are open until September 14, 2023.
The Australian Government recognizes the pivotal role of wine tourism in the nation’s economy. To bolster this, the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant seeks to support and incentivize wine and cider producers who actively promote wine tourism. Qualified wine producers may be eligible for a grant payment equivalent to 29% of the notional wholesale…
The Australian Government has officially opened applications for the $400 million Regional Precincts and Partnerships Grants Programme.
Applications are now open for the Enabling Infrastructure Program. Designed for medium to large-scale infrastructure projects, the program encourages value-added investment that broadly benefits the regional community.
If you have a dream of enhancing your nature-based tourism venture, the Experience Nature Tourism Fund (ENTF) might just be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. The South Australian Tourism Commission has created the ENTF to spur investment in nature-based tourism experiences in South Australia. With an impressive $2M funding pool, this initiative aims to…
Apply for the Growing Regions Program, offering grants up to $15 million for capital works projects in regional and rural Australia. Don’t miss this transformative opportunity!