Grant applications

Who can apply?

To apply for a grant, your organisation or group must meet the following eligibility criteria.

Program eligibility

Requirements	Your organisation must:
Have a current Australian Business Number	Have a current ABN matching the organisation’s name in your application. To check if your organisation has a current ABN, go to ABN Lookup.
Be an incorporated legal entity	Be an incorporated legal entity through one of the following: under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) or the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic) or equivalent legislation in a neighbouring state, or registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria or the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, or a body corporate constituted under section 8 of the Aboriginal Lands Act 1970 (Vic).
Be a not-for-profit	Be a not-for-profit demonstrated under one of the following: registration with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC)(opens in a new window) or registration as an incorporated association with Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV)(opens in a new window) or registration as a company limited by guarantee with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)(opens in a new window) or be a social enterprise with a clearly stated purpose or mission related to supporting First Peoples, multicultural or multifaith communities.
Have public liability insurance	Have an appropriate level of public liability insurance to cover all aspects of the proposed funded activity – or you must have an auspice arrangement with an organisation that has this insurance cover.
Have no overdue grant requirements	Be up to date with all requirements for current grants administered by Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria. To check if your organisation is up to date with grant reporting requirements, email antiracism.strategy@dpc.vic.gov.au
Agree to the Victorian Government Values and Commitment to Social Cohesion	Agree that employees, contractors, and volunteers will uphold and promote the Victorian Government Values Statement while delivering your grant activities. Read the Victorian Government Values Statement.

Stream eligibility

Stream	Your organisations must be:
Stream 1: First Peoples anti-racism grants	A First Peoples-led community-controlled organisation, community group, Traditional Owner group, or social enterprise. See definition of community-controlled organisation.
Stream 2: Multicultural and multifaith community anti-racism grants	A multicultural or multifaith community organisation, community group, or social enterprise. See definitions of multicultural and multifaith community organisations.

Stream

Your organisations must be:

Stream 1:
First Peoples anti-racism grants

A First Peoples-led community-controlled organisation, community group, Traditional Owner group, or social enterprise.

See definition of community-controlled organisation.

Stream 2:
Multicultural and multifaith community anti-racism grants

A multicultural or multifaith community organisation, community group, or social enterprise.

See definitions of multicultural and multifaith community organisations.

Auspice arrangements

If your organisation is not incorporated or does not have an ABN, you may consider partnering with another organisation that meets the program eligibility criteria and will accept legal responsibility for the grant. This is known as an auspice arrangement. If the application is successful, your organisation will deliver the activity, but the auspice organisation will be responsible for:

signing the grant funding agreement with the department
ensuring the legal and financial requirements of the grant and funding agreement are met
receiving and distributing grant funds under the funding agreement
ensuring all project activities are completed
submitting reports and financial acquittals on behalf of your organisation.

If you want to propose an auspice arrangement your application must include a letter of support from the auspice organisation, nominating their primary contact person and signed by their Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent)

Please make sure any auspice fees are presented in your budget (maximum of 10 per cent and included within the maximum request of $40,000 (excluding GST) per application).

Partnerships

You may partner with another organisation to deliver your activities. Partnerships can be formed with other community organisations, councils, and local schools; however, the application must be led by a First Peoples-led community-controlled organisation or a multicultural or multifaith community organisations.

Your application must include a letter of support from the partnership organisation(s) that confirms their role in project delivery, nominates a primary contact person and is signed by the Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent).

Partnership applications are still subject to a maximum request of $40,000 (excluding GST) per application.

Cross border communities and national organisations

Funding is available to eligible organisations or groups servicing Victoria’s cross-border communities.

National organisations are also eligible to apply where they regularly operate in Victoria and have a demonstrated history of working with Victorian communities.

These organisations and groups must be incorporated entities registered with an appropriate state regulator and must be able to demonstrate their service to Victorians.

Who cannot apply?

The following entities are not eligible to apply for these grants:

unincorporated legal entities
individuals and sole traders
organisations that are commercial or set up to make a profit (except social enterprises)
trusts
people or organisations outside of Victoria (except for cross-border communities and national organisations that operate regularly in Victoria)
local government authorities
community organisations that are not First Peoples-led or community-controlled or multicultural or multifaith community organisations.

How to apply

- Read the program guidelines carefully.
- Make sure your organisation and project meet the eligibility criteria before you start an application.
- Attend an online information session. Information session details are located at vic.gov.au/local-anti-racism-initiatives-grants-program
- Submit your application by completing the online application form through Grants Gateway.
- Answer all questions and attach all mandatory documents.
- Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Note: There is a limit of one application per organisation. If more than one application is submitted, the department will only consider the first application. All other applications will not be accepted.
Applicants can strengthen their applications by:
- responding carefully to all questions in the application form
- providing strong evidence of the community need for the project and its expected impact
- showing the feasibility and readiness of the project.
- Your organisation will be notified of the outcome of your application in writing after all applications have been assessed and the assessment process is complete
- Funding outcomes are expected from mid-October 2026.
This is a highly competitive grant round and not all applicants will be successful in receiving funding.
Additionally, due to the competitive nature of this program, we may allocate less than the amount requested to successful applicants.
Do not enter into financial or other commitments until you are formally notified of the outcome of your application.
Applications close on Thursday 27 August 2026 at midday (12:00pm).
If you have any questions about your project or the application process, email antiracism.strategy@dpc.vic.gov.au

Updated 30 July 2026