Our Country Our Future (Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation – ILSC)

Funding to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to own and manage land and water interests across Australia
Includes planning, infrastructure, on-Country management and culture activities
Ongoing program
No maximum grant request

Our Country Our Future is the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation’s (ILSC) principal national funding program supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to own and manage land and water interests across Australia. The program offers direct funding for purchasing, managing and/or developing land or water-related interests, alongside advice and capability support (including information, knowledge and training), and facilitation/advocacy to build partnerships and market opportunities.

It can support a wide range of projects from acquiring a land or water-related interest, to planning/feasibility, infrastructure, equipment, on‑Country management and “Caring for Country” activities, improving access to culturally significant Country, cultural maintenance and revitalisation, training/employment opportunities, and urgent health and safety issues on Country.

Key Requirements

Indigenous benefit and outcomes focus: Projects should address a defined need/opportunity and deliver outcomes and opportunities for First Nations peoples and communities, aligned to long‑term outcomes described in the guidelines.
Country-related scope: Your project must involve the acquisition or management of land and/or water-related interests.
Consent and support: Projects must have the support of the relevant Indigenous land/water holders, including consent for the proposed use.
Eligibility and compliance: Applicants must meet eligibility criteria and be compliant with their incorporating legislation and any existing agreements with the ILSC.
Competitive, fixed budget assessment: The program is competitive with a fixed budget and projects are assessed objectively and comparatively against assessment criteria (including opportunity/outcomes, project viability, financial health and capability).
Project viability and co-investment: Assessment considers whether the proposal is realistic/achievable, sustainable beyond ILSC funding, and whether there is sufficient financial or in-kind contribution/co‑investment to support delivery.
Due diligence documentation: Applications require supporting documentation (e.g., business/feasibility plans, financial forecasts, evidence of partnerships and support; and for capital works, cost estimates and plans).
Contracting and reporting obligations: Funded projects may require contracts, progress reporting, evaluation and financial acquittals; acquisition projects have additional requirements (including longer reporting periods)

What is eligible for funding?

Purchase a land or water-related interest.
Commence or expand a land or water-based enterprise.
Undertake planning and/or feasibility assessment.
Build or upgrade infrastructure, plant or equipment
Improve an organisation’s service delivery (where tied to eligible Country-related outcomes)
Conduct on‑ground management activities to Care for Country (land, water, biodiversity, cultural heritage)
Enable or improve access to Country with cultural significance.
Maintain, support and revitalise culture.
Develop opportunities for formal and informal training and/or employment.
Address urgent health and safety issues on Country (people, livestock, environment).

What companies are eligible for funding?

Eligible entities:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups seeking support for projects related to land and water interests.
For acquisition projects: an incorporated, Indigenous‑controlled entity (or in the process of becoming incorporated) is required.
For management projects: applicants may include:
- an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander holder of land or a water-related right; and/or
- an organisation interested in investing in Indigenous-held land or waters (noting the ILSC’s constraints around what it can fund).
Entity types permitted to receive grants of land/water-related rights (examples provided):
- Corporations incorporated under the CATSI Act 2006;
- Corporations where all members are Indigenous persons (e.g., certain associations / companies limited by guarantee);
- Companies limited by shares where a controlling interest is held by Indigenous persons.

Other considerations:

For management projects, the ILSC can fund only where land interests or water-related rights are held by an eligible ATSI corporation or Indigenous person(s) (e.g., freehold/lease/licence/management agreement/native title; and water rights such as water take rights, fishing licences, native title rights).

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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