NSW Protecting Our Places

A total of $500,000 is available for the 2025 round of the program.
Grants of up to $120,000 can be awarded per project.
Each project must be planned over 2 stages: Stage 1 – Planning, followed by Stage 2 – Implementation
Projects are not automatically guaranteed to progress to Stage 2 unless we are satisfied that the full requirements of Stage 1 have been met

The Protecting Our Places program is a competitive grant initiative that supports Aboriginal organisations and groups in New South Wales to deliver long-term environmental improvements and care for Country.

The program funds projects that restore natural environments and protect culturally significant sites, enabling Aboriginal communities to address their environmental and cultural priorities at a local level.

It also helps build project management capabilities and encourages collaboration between Aboriginal organisations, government agencies, community groups and other partners.

Key Requirements

The program is seeking the following kind of projects:

Enabling Aboriginal communities to gain more autonomy over their projects, strengthening their ability to deliver favourable results for their cultural heritage, cultural practices and the environment.
Promoting the sharing and safeguarding of cultural knowledge among Aboriginal groups, government agencies and the community. This enables Aboriginal people to influence the management and preservation of their cultural and environmental resources on their ancestral lands.
Ensuring land that is culturally important to Aboriginal communities is protected, restored, improved and managed by local Aboriginal groups, land managers and other stakeholders in a way that fosters Healthy Country. This approach deepens the connection between Aboriginal people and their traditional lands and waterways

What is eligible for funding?

Stage 1 – Planning
The primary goal of this stage is to give corporations the opportunity to establish a solid foundation for their project and to plan and prepare for the implementation of on-ground activities in Stage 2.

Key activities in Stage 1 include:

developing a project implementation plan
preparing site action plans
finalising a detailed project budget
obtaining environmental assessment advice such as ecological studies or vegetation reports
creating a clear measures and monitoring plan
securing agreements with partners, such as memorandums of understanding or committee terms of reference
gaining community agreement and support for the proposed project
obtaining necessary permits, licences or approvals, or providing evidence that these processes are either completed or significantly advanced before Stage 2
attending the required 2-day capacity-building workshops.

Stage 2 – Implementation
The focus of this stage is on implementing the activities outlined in the approved project implementation plan. Eligible activities include a wide range of on-ground land and cultural management activities.

Applicants should select activities that will directly contribute to the project’s goals and align with the Protecting Our Places program objectives. The proposed activities must address critical environmental issues and support the strategic priorities outlined in the Trust’s Strategic Plan.

What companies are eligible for funding?

The following NSW Aboriginal community organisations are eligible to apply:

NSW Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALC)
NSW Aboriginal corporations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
NSW incorporated associations registered under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009
Non-distributing NSW co-operatives registered under Co-operatives National Law and associated Acts
NSW registered native title bodies corporate
Australian public companies limited by guarantee operating as a registered charity under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Refer to Section 6: More information for the links to eligible organisations

Other Aboriginal organisations and groups are eligible to apply but will need the support of another organisation which will perform the role of external manager.

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

Industry analysis presentation
Competitor Analysis Presentation
Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.

This grant is open

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