City of Darwin has established a COVID-19 Response Grants Program to provide funding of up to $10,000 to community groups or organisations to create and deliver innovative solutions to meet the changing needs of the community due to the impacts of COVID-19.

The second round of $100,000 will be for projects delivered between 1 July and 31 December 2020.

The COVID-19 Grants Program round 2 opens Monday 11 May 2020 and closes at 5.00pm on Wednesday 27 May 2020. 

Apply online here.

Before applying, we encourage you to read the frequently asked questions.

Who Can Apply

• Funding is available for new projects and initiatives, not existing programs or operational costs. 
• Organisations must be incorporated or be auspiced* by an incorporated organisation for the purposes of this application;
• Proposed activities must occur within the timeframe specified for each funding round; and 
• Activities must occur within the Darwin municipality.

*Auspice – if you are unincorporated or an individual you will need the support of an incorporated organisation to act as a sponsor, to be an intermediary for financial purposes. If required, please contact us for support in connecting you with a suitable organisation.
 

Applying for a Community Grant

Contact the Community Development Officer if you have any questions about the Community Grants Program.

08 8930 0645

communitygrants@darwin.nt.gov.au

Guidelines

Guidelines - Community COVID-19 Response Grants Program (Word version)

Guidelines - Community COVID-19 Response Grants Program (PDF version)

Frequently Asked Questions 

I’ve applied for a grant before. Can I apply again?

Yes. However, you should only apply for funding if it is for a new initiative.

Can my organisation submit more than one application?

Yes, but it’s likely that only one will be funded.

How much money is available?

There is $150,000 in the Community Grants pool, with two rounds of $50,000 for community-based grants each year, and one round of $50,000 for community-based environmental grants.

What’s the maximum I can apply for?

The maximum grant amount is $10,000, but you may not receive that full amount.

Can I apply again for funding for a project that has previously received funding?

Only if you are applying for a new initiative as part of that project. Organisations can’t be funded for exactly the same initiative more than once.

Can I apply again for funding for a project that has previously been unsuccessful?

Yes, but call for some advice first so that you know why it wasn’t successful the first time. Sometimes projects are not successful because there too many good applications to fund them all and a slightly stronger application succeeds.

My organisation hasn’t sent in the acquittal (final financial report) from our last project. Can we still apply?

To be eligible for a new grant, your organisation needs to have sent in the acquittal. Please speak to the Community Development Officer if you have any questions about this.

Can I get funding for general expenses for my organisation?

No, grant funding is for the expenses of a project, not organisational costs, like insurance cover for example.

Can I apply for money for wages?

Yes, but only the wages for the project, for example facilitator wages to run a workshop.

Can I apply for a grant as an individual?

No, these community grants are only available to not for profit organisations and groups.

When will I know if I have been successful?

All applicants will be notified by email within six weeks of applications closing.

​Do you accept hand written applications?

No. We have moved to a new system and to maintain the integrity of the data, all applications will need to be submitted through this system. 

What if I’m late with my application?

The system will not allow you to submit beyond the closing time and date. We cannot accept late submissions.

Can I get advice about what to apply for and what to write?

Yes, call the Community Development Officer on 08 8930 0645 or email communitygrants@darwin.nt.gov.au

The guidelines say that projects should be sustainable. What does that mean?

This means that projects either need to start and end during the funding period or that there is a way they can continue after the funding has been spent.

Round 1 COVID-19 Response Grants Winners:

• Darwin Community Arts Incorporated (CemeNTstars Disability CONNECT Project)
• Danila Dilba Biluru Butji Binnilutlum Health Service Aboriginal Corporation (COVID 19 Community Awareness and Safety)
• Sri Lankan Australian Friendship Association (SLAFA-City of Darwin-COVID-19 Support)
• Total Recreation NT Inc. (Inclusive Online Fitness)
• Parap Family Centre Inc. (Meals for carers at Parap Family Centre)
• SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre (Participation Project and Developmental Work for Post COVID–19 events re engagement 2020)
• HeartKids Ltd (HeartKids Virtual Playgroup Support Program)
• Melaleuca Refugee Centre Torture and Trauma Survivors Service of the NT Inc. (COVID19 Community Support)
• Nepalese Association of Northern Territory Incorporated (Emergency support to members of Nepalese community of Darwin severely affected by COVID-19)
• Wildcare Inc. (Storage for COVID19 supplies)
• Kyle Walmsley, auspiced by Brownsmart (Lower the Bar - a community mobile, site specific, live performance delivery service)
• Nightcliff Music, Arts and Culture Inc. (Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival 2020 @ Home 'Music on the Move')

Total $49,922.00

Round 1 Commmunity Grants Program 2020/2021 Winners:

• Amazing Miss Deb, auspiced by KidsCan (Learn to unicycle at home with coaching from Amazing Miss Deb)
• Digital Inclusions Northern Australia (Building Darwin’s Digital Capacity and Confidence in the online world)
• NT Writers’ Centre Inc. (Not Your Average Online Book Club)
• Darwin Community Arts (Together While Apart - skill share series)

Total $32,780.20

Environment Grants Recipients

• COOLmob, a project of the Environment Centre NT (COOLmob Sustainable Apartments Project)
• Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation (Darwin Harbour Clean-Up 2019)
• Royal Australian Artillery Association (NT) Inc. (Landscaping of Gun Embankment)
• Lakeside Drive Community Garden (Open Community Garden Day - Site Preparation)
• Carolyn Macdonald, Auspiced by Brown’s Mart (High Tides at Casuarina Square)
• Greening Australia (Whose Rat is That?)
• Parap Primary School (Boomerang Bags)
• Girl Guides NT Inc (Tress, Vegetable and Herb Gardens)
• Parap Village Traders Associations (Bring your own, wash and reuse/ recycle)
• Climate Action Darwin, Auspiced by Environment Centre NT (Darwin,  A Climate Awakening)
• Australian Association for Environmental Education NT (Sustaining Urban & Peri-urban Endangered Reptiles – SUPER)

Total $43,943.10