Pictured: Birds and Beans Community Café in Reservoir, a social enterprise which received funding from the Suburban Revitalisation Program.
About the Community Grants
A part of the Our Suburbs: Local Living Fund, the Community Grants Program recognises that community organisations are key to building social connections and that they have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local community organisations will be supported by the grant program to undertake minor building refurbishments or purchase equipment that is key to continuing their important work and contributing to local economic and social revitalisation by:
- Improving community facilities
- Increasing wellbeing and social cohesion through supporting increased participation and connections
- Building a stronger sense of place and connection to local centres.
Applications closed Sunday 14 August at 11:59pm.
To view the Our Suburbs: Living Local Fund Community Grants successful recipients and projects click here.
The $15 million Our Suburbs: Living Local Fund was established as part of the Victorian Budget 2022-2023 to support metropolitan Melbourne’s suburbs to recover and thrive.
The Fund has been designed to drive the economic and social recovery of the suburbs hardest hit by the pandemic. It will provide funding for local community-building projects that promote social connections, enhance liveability, and revitalise suburban shopping strips and activity centres.
The Government also recognises that the shift to more people working from home has created additional challenges and opportunities for Melbourne’s suburbs. Specifically, this shift creates a significant opportunity to support economic growth and enhanced community connections in our suburbs.
The fund will be delivered through two grant programs:
The purpose of the Living Local - Community Grants Program is to support:
- Community organisations to facilitate and support improved social connections
- Community organisations to connect with vulnerable community members and volunteers to re-engage and participate in community settings
- Improved access to community venues for people of all abilities.
The objectives of the Community Grants are to:
- Increase community connection, capacity, access and participation
- Develop and enhance a stronger sense of community belonging and connection
- Enhance local social outcomes.
Grants will be competitively awarded to community organisations to buy equipment and undertake minor building refurbishments to support them to continue their important work
Community organisations can seek from $2,000 (ex. GST) up to $20,000 (ex. GST) of grant funding for eligible equipment and minor refurbishments.
To be eligible, the proposed equipment and building works must directly contribute to improving social connections, access to and participation in the activities undertaken by the community group at its publicly accessible venue.
Eligible equipment that may be funded includes:
- appliances such as fridges, ovens and other kitchen equipment
- furnishings for general use such as tables and chairs
- minor building refurbishments including carpets, other floor coverings, kitchen improvements and maintenance
- technology such as laptops or audio-visual equipment
- replacement of existing ageing or inadequate equipment
- accessibility aids (e.g. standing tables, braille signages, hearing loops)
- program equipment (e.g. cooking equipment, tools, art and craft supplies)
- trailers.
Metropolitan Melbourne Local Government Areas eligible to apply include:
- Banyule
- Bayside
- Boroondara
- Brimbank
- Cardinia
- Casey
- Darebin
- Frankston
- Glen Eira
- Greater Dandenong
- Hobsons Bay
- Hume
- Kingston
- Knox
- Manningham
- Maribyrnong
- Maroondah
- Melbourne
- Melton
- Monash
- Moonee Valley
- Merri-bek
- Mornington Peninsula
- Nillumbik
- Port Phillip
- Stonnington
- Whitehorse
- Whittlesea
- Wyndham
- Yarra
- Yarra Ranges
Applicants must provide details about the items they propose to purchase and must attach a written quote.
Projects must be completed by 1 June 2023.
Further details can be found in the Community Grant Guidelines.
Further information
We’re here to assist.
We can assist you with advice and translation and accessibility support via phone on the Business Victoria Hotline 13 22 15.
The Living Local Fund also offered grants for projects in rural and regional Victoria. For further information, visit the Regional Development Victoria website.