Multicultural Festivals and Events Program

Small stream applications will undergo an eligibility assessment by DFFH.

Medium and large stream applications will undergo an eligibility assessment, followed by an assessment of the responses to the assessment criteria by DFFH.

A panel will then review applications in all streams. The panel includes representatives from the Victorian Multicultural Commission and other relevant experts.

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs makes the final decision, based on recommendations from the assessment panel. The department will advise your organisation whether you are or are not successful.

All decisions made by the department or the Minister for Multicultural Affairs are final. This includes decisions made in relation to any aspect of the funding application and assessment process to: 

• offer or award a grant under this program, or
• withdraw the offer or cancel the grant funding agreement

If successful, your organisation must enter into a Victorian Common Funding Agreement (VCFA) with the department. This must happen within 30 days of your funding offer. If a grant offer is not accepted during this period, the department may withdraw the grant.

The funding agreement will outline:

• the grant terms and conditions, including use of funds
• key deliverables and due dates
• reporting requirements.

The department will make grant payments according to set milestone deliverables. The milestones will be set out in the funding agreement.

The department will send successful applicants their VCFA electronically. Hard copies of the VCFA will not be sent.

Your organisation must complete the online signing of the VCFA by the specified cut-off date. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of the VCFA and no funding will be provided.

The department will publish successful event details (including organisation name, event name and grant funding provided) on this webpage.

Your organisations must use all funds during the activity period of 1 January to 30 June 2024 for activities, as outlined in the funding agreement. In addition, your organisation must meet any funding conditions set out in the letter of offer or funding agreement. This includes the following requirements:

• minimum attendance
• matched funding
• the minimum cash requirement (if applicable). 

Failure to meet these requirements may mean your organisation will need to return funding to the department.

Organisations are no longer required to submit evidence of their public liability insurance with their funding agreements. However, this continues to be a condition of funding. All events supported through the program must have active public liability insurance to cover the event. 

When will grant activities need to be completed?

Successful grant recipients must deliver all grant activities between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024.

To be eligible for funding in future, all final reporting must be up to date.

Do I need to acknowledge the Victorian Government for the funding?

The Victorian Government is to be acknowledged in speeches and presentations, and mentioned in any media releases, flyers, programs, or other documents relating to your funded event.

Suggested acknowledgements:

• Made possible by the Victorian Government through the Multicultural Festivals and Events Program
• With thanks to the Victorian Government and the Multicultural Festivals and Events Program
• Funding provided by the Victorian Government through the Multicultural Festivals and Events Program

I want to invite a representative of the Department and/or an official to attend my event.

Contact us at multicultural-festivals.events@dffh.vic.gov.au to discuss the opportunity further.

What happens if a project is unable to be completed?

If, for any reason, your organisation is unable to complete your planned event, you must inform the Multicultural Affairs Programs and Grants Team immediately.

If the Victorian Common Funding Agreement (VCFA) has not been signed, then the offer of funding will be withdrawn.

If the agreement has been signed and funds paid, the funds must be returned, and the Multicultural Affairs Programs and Grants Team will assist you to cancel your VCFA so you can apply for other funding in future. Please contact the Multicultural Affairs Programs and Grants Team for further information at multicultural-festivals.events@dffh.vic.gov.au.

My organisation wants to use the grant funds on a different event, is this allowed?

Once an organisation has been funded, they enter into a legally binding contract with the Department. If an event will not occur in accordance with their application form, as stipulated in the funding agreement, they are legally bound to first notify the Department of this change. For example, this can include a change in the date of the event or the nature of the event activity.

The Department must review and approve this change prior to the organisation proceeding with any changes or spending grant funds on purposes that differ from the original application and funding agreement. Organisations can report changes by submitting a project variation form via the Reporting changes to your multicultural grant project webpage.

What happens if an organisation has used funds on costs which aren’t supported by the MFE Program?

MFE grant funds can only be used on supported costs. If organisations use these funds on items which are listed in the guidelines as costs which cannot be supported by the MFE Program (e.g. gift packages, travel outside Victoria, Public Liability Insurance) or for costs which do not relate to the activities outlined in the application form and funding agreement (a face-to-face or digital event) the organisation will be financially obligated to cover these costs and return funds to the Department.

What reports will need to be provided throughout the project?

A final report is required at the end of your project. These reports are a declaration of how organisations have spent allocated funds to deliver their supported events and that expenditure was in alignment with the MFE Program. The Multicultural Affairs Programs and Grants Team are available to support you through this process if required.

Larger grants have lengthier final report obligations. They will be required to provide a more detailed financial acquittal to ensure the proper use of public funds. A link to complete the final report online will be emailed to you before the due date.

Organisations that have been successful in previous grant rounds: