The Youth Participation Fund seeks to fund youth programs and activities and respond to emerging needs across flood affected communities in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. The fund offers small grants between $75,000 and $150,000 to not-for-profit community organisations to run youth activities that facilitate social connection, community resilience and build youth leadership, particularly in relation to disaster recovery.
It is part of the Resilient Kids program supporting young people aged 8 to 18 who were impacted by the 2022 floods. Applications opened 15 January 2024 and closed 16 February 2024. Successful applicants will be announced after 12 April 2024.
Public announcement of successful applicants and their activities
5 April 2024
The Resilient Kids program is funded by Healthy North Coast through a grant provided by the Australian Government and delivered in collaboration with Social Futures. For more information about the Resilient Kids Program and the process Healthy North Coast undertook to develop the program, please visit https://hnc.org.au/resilient-kids/
FAQs and links
Not-for-profit community organisations based in or around the Northern Rivers region
Schools
For-profit organisations
Organisations not based in or around the Northern Rivers region
Social Futures has established an Evaluation Panel to review applications. The Panel consists of representatives from:
Social Futures
Healthy North Coast
young people with lived experience in the priority areas (i.e. neurodivergence, school disengagement, non-binary/ transgender experience)
young people affected by the 2022 floods
youth services.
We would like the successful applicants to roll out their program between April 2024 and May 2025. The Resilient Kids program is funded until June 2025 and all Youth Participation Fund activities must be finalised by 31 May 2025. Applicants can choose the frequency and length of their program across this time frame.
Successful applicants will receive 45% of their grant upon execution of their contract (between April and June 2024).
They will receive a further 45% of their grant upon receipt of their first milestone report and the final 10% upon receipt and approval of their completion report. 264}”>
Successful applicants will be asked to provide a certificate of currency for their public liability, professional indemnity and worker’s compensation insurance. Successful applicants are required to hold a public liability insurance of no less than $20 million and a professional indemnity insurance of no less than $10 million.
Professional Indemnity and Public Liability are necessary and required for all organisations and individuals delivering activities to young people. Workers Compensation is optional.
Yes. Number of total full-time or full-time equivalent staff.
Song writing workshops to explore the impact of the floods on their lives, the lessons they learnt and disaster preparedness
Theatre production exploring disaster recovery and preparedness
We want to hear from organisations running youth programs or activities for young people living in the Northern Rivers.
One-off events or activities (e.g. band/movie nights, community fun days, festivals)
One-on-one or family psychological support services including therapy, counselling, and brief intervention sessions
Programs already funded through government agencies
Activities that duplicate existing services
All staff delivering the program require a current Working With Children check and a criminal history check.
Yes, you can submit up to three applications; for example, one for each priority group.
The financial reports submitted to acquit the funds will need to be in the format provided to you and will need to be signed off by a qualified accountant (i.e. an accountant who holds current membership of either CPA Australia or CAANZ.
Any surplus funds will need to be returned to us.
Healthy North Coast co-designed the Resilient Kids Program with local young people, communities and service providers. This process defined four program activity areas which seek to drive 10 key short-term outcomes to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people.
Yes. Clarence Valley is part of the Northern Rivers region. Eligible food-affected LGAs include Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, and Tweed.
Yes. The grant may cover wages and car hire. Please provide a detailed breakdown of all relevant program expenses in the budget section of your application.
We encourage smaller community businesess and organisations to apply. We look forward to reviewing your application. If your application is successful we can also support creating those partnerships.
We encourage Aboriginal Community Controlled Not for Profits to apply for funding. We look forward to reviewing your application.
The number of full-time employees requested in this question refers to the total employees of the organisation for which the application is submitted.
Yes. You can attach photos, videos and upload links with the grant application portal. Videos can be uploaded to a ‘long text field’. File size the limit is 100MB. Images and documents can be uploaded anywhere we include an attachment icon.
Please refer to the website for information. If you have a specific question, please email an enquiry which will be turned into an FAQ.
Sorry, an application Word document is not available.
Include a breakdown of all relevant running costs for the program. For example, this may include staffing costs, materials and program resource costs, management fees, assets under $5,000, motor vehicle expenses and computer and IT expenses.
No. The purchase of any assets to deliver the program must be under $5000. Please include a budget breakdown in your grant application. An outline of the vehicle costs associated with the running of your youth programs may be included in your budget.
Yes. Clarence Valley is part of the Northern Rivers region. Eligible flood-affected LGAs for this grant application include Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed.
No. Applications must be for programs run in the Northern Rivers of NSW.
The proposal, as outlined, is within the scope of the grant.
Yes, if your program in the Northern Rivers fits within the grant scope outlined on the website, you may apply.
Please refer to the website for information about the grant. If your program fits the requirements outlined, you may apply.
Yes. You may submit more than one application. Please identify and highlight which priority group the program intends to support.
The Youth Participation Fund seeks to support organisations to deliver programs to young people across the Northern Rivers. This application fits within the scope of the funding.
This funding is designed to support children and young people from the Northern Rivers. The programs must be targeted towards young people from this region.
The Youth Participation Fund seeks to fund youth programs and activities and respond to emerging needs across flood affected communities in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. It is part of the Resilient Kids program supporting young people aged 8 to 18 who were impacted by the 2022 floods. If your program supports young people as mentioned above, and your organisation fits within the scope outlined on the website, please apply.
An unincorporated association is not eligible to enter into the contracting arrangement necessary for this grant. If an incorporated organisation is willing to provide auspice for the purposes of this grant, that is a suitable arrangement. The auspicor and auspicee will need to formally arrange this relationship themselves.
Yes. Your grant application may include costs associated with renting a space for the program’s delivery.
Programs and activities must be completed by 31 May 2025.
Yes. Organisations are required to have the Professional Indemnity Insurance requirements outlined.
Programs must be delivered within the Northern Rivers region, including Casino and Lismore. Funding would not cover programs facilitated in/ around Toomelah.
Any auspicing arrangement will need to be made between the organisations seeking and providing auspice, and outlined in the tender response. No preference will be given to an organisation based on the who is providing them auspice.
