Multicultural Venues Program guidelines

I am excited to announce the launch of the Multicultural Venues Program.

The Victorian Government remains committed to providing safe, accessible and culturally appropriate spaces for our multicultural communities.

This new program will support this endeavour by providing funding to multicultural community organisations to hire venues for community meetings and gatherings.

By contributing towards the cost of community gatherings and meetings, we are empowering communities to meet regularly in-person. These connections strengthen cultural identity, foster a sense of belonging and build the social cohesion that underpins thriving multicultural communities.

Having spaces to gather is key to enable Victoria’s multicultural communities to continue making social, cultural and economic contributions to our state every day.

I encourage eligible multicultural community organisations to apply for this important program. Together, we can continue to honour and preserve our cultural diversity and ensure that every Victorian feels a sense of belonging.

The Hon. Paul Edbrooke MP
Minister for Multicultural Affairs

The Multicultural Venues Program (the Program) offers grants to multicultural community organisations towards venue hire for the purpose of regular community or organisation activities.

These activities must support Victoria’s multicultural communities to:

• come together and share their history and traditions
• build connections and networks within their community.

Important information to consider

• Grant funds can only be used to pay for the costs of hiring a venue.
• No other costs associated with the activities to be held at the venue can be supported by grant funds.
• The program is intended to support regular venue hires such as weekly or monthly hires, it does not support venue hire for annual performances, events or festivals.
• If venue hire costs are greater than the grant amount offered, the applicant organisation pays all costs above the grant amount.
• Eligible venues include, for example, community halls and centres; council facilities and meeting rooms, museums, theatres, galleries, and sport facilities.

Key terms

Multicultural community organisation

A Multicultural community organisation is an organisation that is governed, managed, and primarily led by members of a specific multicultural ancestry, cultural, language, or faith community. Its primary purpose is to support, represent, and respond to the needs, interests, customs, traditions, and wellbeing of people from that particular multicultural community. The organisation may deliver activities, services, programs, advocacy, or community connections that strengthen and preserve the cultural, linguistic, religious, or social identity of its members.

Venue

A venue is a space / room / facility / building available for hire to multicultural community organisations. The venue must be owned and operated by a not-for-profit community or public sector organisation.

Hire

Hire refers to the applicant organisation paying for a venue for a specific time period in which to undertake a specific activity.

Applicant organisations must have been incorporated before 16 March 2026.

The Program supports regular, smaller-scale hires - such as hire of meeting rooms or a venue for community activities, rehearsals, organisation meetings - primarily for organisation members.

Funding cannot be used to hire a hall or venue for festivals or other events, such as cultural festivals or celebrations, concerts or performances. Applications for festival and event support should be made to the Multicultural Festivals and Events program.

The Program does not support hiring private commercial facilities such as hotels, restaurants/cafes or function centres.

Funding is discretionary - there is no guarantee you will receive funding or the amount you request.

Supporting Community Diversity

The Multicultural Venues Program aims to support diversity among Victoria’s multicultural communities and encourage organisations to take an inclusive and intersectional approach. All applicants are encouraged to consider the diverse needs and experiences of community members including, for example, women, seniors, LGBTIQA+ people, youth, and children.

To be eligible to apply for funding, your organisation’s application must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Organisation eligibility: meet all the organisation eligibility criteria.
• Venue eligibility: hire a local council, state government or not-for-profit venue.
• Grant activity eligibility: venue hire is the only eligible grant activity that aligns with the aim of the Program.
• Mandatory document: submit a completed Hire Activities Plan.

Who is eligible to apply for a grant?

To apply, your organisation must meet all the criteria in the table below.

If you are an unincorporated association or community organisation without an ABN, you can apply using an auspice but specific rules apply. See “What is an auspice arrangement” for more information.

Who is not eligible to apply for a grant?

Organisations that are not eligible to apply include:

• any organisation which is not a Multicultural community organisation
• unincorporated legal entities (unless applying with an eligible auspice)
• individuals and sole traders
• organisations that are commercial enterprises or set up to make a profit (except social enterprises)
• public or private companies limited by shares (unless a foundational document can prove not-for-profit status)
• registered pre-, primary and secondary schools – (NB: community language schools are eligible.)
• Local Government Authorities (LGAs) – unless acting as an auspice
• political organisations
• organisations that are primarily service providers (such as health, aged care or NDIS providers)
• organisations delivering activities that are the responsibility of another Victorian Government portfolio or department
• organisations that have not complied with the terms and conditions of previous grants.

What venues can be hired with Multicultural Venues Program grant funding?

Eligible venues for hire – what will be funded

Only venues owned and operated by Victorian councils (local government), state government, multicultural community organisations and not-for-profit organisations are eligible to be hired.

Eligible venues with spaces for hire include:

• community centres, halls, and hubs
• facilities which belong to other multicultural community organisations
• local council owned and operated facilities
• neighbourhood houses
• youth centres
• camp facilities
• museums and galleries
• theatres
• sports clubs and sporting facilities
• government schools (public or state)
• council or state government function centres and venues

Ineligible venues – what will not be funded

Ineligible venues include:

• venues located outside of Victoria
• private sector venues such as hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, function centres and event venues
• private residential homes
• non-government schools
• any accommodation rooms/facility.

What can Multicultural Venues Program grant funding be used for?

No other costs associated with the activities to be held at the venue can be supported by grant funds.

All other costs such as public liability insurance, cleaning, food and beverages, or other third-party contractor costs such as audio visual and equipment hire or staffing or security costs are not eligible to be paid with grant funds and must be paid by the applicant organisation.

The cost of staffing or security employed directly by the venue or bumping-in / bumping-out costs or specific audio visual or lighting equipment hire costs charged directly by the venue are considered eligible and part of the venue hire costs if they are part of the venue hire fee invoice.

If venue hire costs are greater than the grant amount offered, the applicant organisation pays all costs above the grant amount.

Applicants must also agree to:

• pay any and all additional charges by the venue agreed when booking such as (but not limited to) deposit, bond and cancellation charges.

How your application will be assessed

The program is primarily assessed on eligibility criteria.

All applications will be checked to make sure they meet the eligibility requirements.

When final funding recommendations are being prepared, the department will also consider:

• the scope of an application with respect to the objectives of the Program
• the funding priorities to support regional organisations and priority new and emerging communities
• the diversity and relative proportions of multicultural communities and the range of project locations - to support equitable access to the program from across Victoria.

If your application is successful, the funded amount may be less than you requested. Applicants should consider other funding sources in case your application is unsuccessful or partly funded.

DPC administers the Program and may make retrospective changes to the program guidelines.

Read these program guidelines carefully and:

• make sure your organisation, venue hires and activities meet the eligibility criteria before you start an application
• attend an information session (refer to the Multicultural Venues Program web page)

Submitting your application

Submit your application by completing the online application form

You must answer all the questions. Incomplete applications will not be eligible.

Complete and submit the mandatory Hire Activities Plan document - and provide an Auspice letter if your organisation requires an Auspice organisation.

Only applications providing a completed application and the mandatory document(s) will be assessed.

The Grants Portal, where applications are made, closes electronically at 3pm and so all applications must be completed with all attachments already uploaded before 3pm.

Late applications cannot be accepted.

How to strengthen your application

Applicants can strengthen their applications by responding carefully to all questions in the application form. This will help assessors clearly understand:

• the purpose of your organisation
• the proposed plan of venue hire(s)
• the activities which will happen during the venue hire(s) and
• the benefits for multicultural community participants from the activities and venue hire(s) proposed.

Applicants must attach a completed Hire Activities Plan. Only applications providing this mandatory document will be assessed.

Ensure the required Hire Activities Plan template clearly identifies the proposed hire venue(s), funding sought, date(s) of hire, and activities planned for the proposed hire(s).

Information sessions

To support organisations to prepare their applications, the department will hold information sessions delivered as webinars.

All details, including webinar dates and times, are available at the Multicultural Venues Program web page.

Contact us

We encourage you to ask questions about your proposed project or the application process, for more information please contact the Multicultural Affairs Infrastructure and Strategic Projects Team.

• Email: multicultural.infrastructure@dpc.vic.gov.au
• Call: 1300 112 755 (during business hours)

If your application is successful, project details (project name, description and successful grant amount) will be published on the Multicultural Venues Program webpage.

Funding agreements

If successful, you must enter into a Victorian Common Funding Agreement (VCFA) with the department within a specified timeframe. If a funding offer is not accepted during this period,
it may be withdrawn. The VCFA outlines:

• the grant’s terms and conditions, including use of funds
• any key milestones, deliverables, and due dates
• applicable department policies, including the Victorian Government Values Statement
• that all funded activities must be completed by or earlier than the date specified in the VCFA
• reporting requirements – organisations will need to submit all required grant reports.

Funding conditions

All organisations supported through the program must have active public liability insurance with a minimum cover of $10 million for any one incident. Organisations may be required to submit evidence of their public liability insurance.

Grant funds cannot be used to pay for public liability insurance.

Successful organisations will be paid as outlined in the VCFA.

A note about GST

How GST is applied to a grant is determined by whether the applicant organisation is registered or not registered for GST.

• GST-registered organisations: grant amounts are calculated as excluding GST. The GST will be paid in addition to the grant amount.
• Non-GST-registered organisations: grant amounts are calculated as including GST. The GST will be paid as part of the grant amount.

A note on return of funds

For the Program, the only eligible use of grant funds is towards payment of venue hire costs. The department’s return of funds procedure requires significant additional time and documentation from successful recipients.

It is highly recommended that applicants avoid the return of funds process by requesting only the minimum grant amount which exactly meets their venue hire costs.

• Applicants are expected to seek value for money when using public grant funds.
• Applicants must seek to avoid any waste of public grant funds and need to plan ahead when making an application so that they request only the minimum funding needed.
• Grant funds not spent on the eligible activity, and any unspent or leftover grant funds must be declared and returned in full to the department.
• Applicants should only request “up to” the maximum amount of grant funding they need.

Acknowledging the Victorian Government’s support

Successful organisations need to acknowledge the Victorian Government’s support of your project. Promotional guidelines form part of the VCFA. They include the requirement that all activities acknowledge Victorian Government support through logo presentation on any activity-related publications, media releases, social media or promotional material.

Use the checklist to check you will meet the program requirements before you submit your application.