1 Introduction
Community Services Directorate (CSD) is pleased to announce the availability of the 2021-22 ACT Women’s Grants Program, including the ACT Women’s Safety Grants and the Participation (Women’s) Grants.

2 Aim
The ACT Women’s Grant Program provides funding support to individuals, organisations and community groups for innovative projects to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of ACT women.

3 Funding Categories
Eligible organisations may submit one (1) application under each of the categories: ACT Women’s Safety Grants; and Participation (Women’s) Grants. Eligible individuals may only submit one (1) application under the Participation (Women’s) Grants.

If you wish to discuss your proposal please contact the ACT Office for Women during business hours on (02) 6205 5681 or email women@act.gov.au.

3.1 ACT Women’s Safety Grants
ACT Women’s Safety Grants support innovative projects to advance the following priorities identified in the Fourth Action Plan 2019-2022 under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022:

• Primary prevention is key
• Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children
• Respect, listen and respond to the diverse lived experience and knowledge of women and their children affected by violence
• Respond to sexual violence and sexual harassment
• Improve support and service system responses

3.2 Participation (Women’s) Grants
Participation (Women’s) Grants support innovative projects that promote the priorities of the ACT Women’s Plan 2016-26.

The ACT Women’s Plan 2016-26 sets out a course of action to work towards gender equality and to introduce targeted measures to improve outcomes for women who experience intersecting forms of discrimination as a result of factors such as disability, race, age and socio-economic status.

The Participation (Women’s) Grants support projects which have a direct impact on women, in the areas of health and wellbeing; housing and homelessness; safety; economic security; and/or leadership.

Support will be given to programs, projects or research that align with the ACT Women’s Plan 2016-26 and have a positive impact on women and girls by:

• Advancing gender equality in the ACT; and/or
• Leading to better understanding and/or better outcomes for women who experience multiple forms of discrimination due to intersecting factors such as poverty, disability, age, violence, trauma, ethnicity and/or language barriers.

The ACT Women’s Plan 2016-26 identifies the following priority areas for action:

• Health and Wellbeing;
• Housing and Homelessness;
• Safety;
• Economic Security; and
• Leadership.

A copy of the ACT Women’s Plan 2016-26 is available on the Women ACT website.

4 Available Funding
A total of $180,000 (GST exclusive) is available in the 2021-22 funding round across both funding categories.

Grants are one-off funding for eligible applicants for projects of up to 12 months duration and are not intended as a recurrent funding source.

Organisations are eligible to apply for and receive funding in both grant categories, however the maximum amount of funding available to a single organisation is $20,000 (GST exclusive) per project across both categories.

4.1 ACT Women’s Safety Grants
A total of $100,000 (GST exclusive) is allocated to the ACT Women’s Safety Grants category.

Individuals are not able to apply in this grant category.

Community organisations operating in the ACT may apply for a grant up to a maximum of $20,000 (GST exclusive).

Applications are welcome from consortia and will be considered for amounts of $20,000 (GST exclusive) per organisation applying. Organisations may only apply for a grant in one consortium under the ACT Women’s Safety Grants.

4.2 Participation (Women’s) Grants
A total of $80,000 (GST exclusive) is allocated to the Participation (Women’s) Grants category.

Individuals may apply for a grant up to a maximum of $5,000 (GST exclusive).

Community organisations operating in the ACT may apply for a grant up to a maximum of $20,000 (GST exclusive).

Applications are welcome from consortia and will be considered for amounts of $20,000 (GST exclusive) per organisation applying. Organisations may only apply for a grant in one consortium under the Participation (Women’s) Grants.

5 Eligibility Requirements

5.1 Organisation Eligibility Requirements
Only organisations that meet all the following eligibility requirements may apply:

1. Be a non-government, incorporated entity that is not-for-profit;
2. Have no overdue reporting obligations for any previous ACT Government grants including evaluations, acquittal reports and audited financial statements (please note you may not be able to receive a grant if obligations have not been met);
3. Provide a service/program which will be located primarily in the ACT and primarily for the benefit of ACT residents; and
4. Have not received funding from another source to deliver or provide the same or similar project/program.

Organisations that are not incorporated must be auspiced by an incorporated entity with an Australian Business Number (ABN).

Only one application under each of the two funding categories i