WE SWIM Place-Based Partnerships

Total funding available: Approximately $1,500,000 (excl. GST).
Funding available per project: Up to $100,000 (excl. GST).
Matched funding requirement: Co-investment is strongly expected. Matched or higher cash and in-kind contributions across the consortium are anticipated.
In-kind contributions may include pool access, lane space, staff time, transport, venue access, communications support and workforce pathways.
Activities expected to run: 01 November 2026 to 31 May 2027.
Applications close: September 24 2026

The WE SWIM Place-Based Partnerships program supports large-scale collaborative initiatives designed to improve water safety outcomes for multicultural communities experiencing elevated drowning risk and barriers to participation. The program aims to reduce drowning risk, improve access to swimming and water safety education, strengthen social cohesion, support workforce development and build long-term local capability.

Funding supports partnerships operating across multiple local government areas or defined regional corridors where multicultural populations are concentrated. Projects must bring together community organisations, councils and aquatic service providers to deliver coordinated, culturally responsive activities. Funded partnerships are expected to engage communities through co-design, develop sustainable delivery models and create stronger connections between multicultural communities and local aquatic services. The program is funded by the Australian Government and delivered by Royal Life Saving Society - Australia

Key Requirements

Reduce drowning risk: Improve swimming and water safety skills, hazard awareness and safe behaviours among refugees, recently arrived migrants, multicultural communities and international students.
Increase access and equity: Remove financial, cultural, language, gender and geographic barriers that prevent participation in swimming and water safety education.
Strengthen social cohesion: Create new and stronger connections between multicultural communities, aquatic facilities, swim schools, clubs and local councils.
Develop workforce pathways: Create opportunities for people from multicultural backgrounds to participate in aquatic workforce and leadership roles.
Build sustainable local capability: Establish long-term partnerships and systems that continue culturally responsive water safety activities beyond the funding period.
Activate WE SWIM pillars: Projects must deliver activities aligned to one or more of WE CONNECT, WE WELCOME, WE PROMOTE and WE LEARN pillars

What is eligible for funding?

Community co-design workshops.
Referral pathways into aquatic programs.
Pool familiarisation visits.
Family swim days.
Partnership forums connecting councils, aquatic providers and community organisations.
Cultural responsiveness training for venue staff.
Community-informed program scheduling.
Women-only or family-friendly participation settings.
Bilingual orientation support.
Multilingual water safety messaging.
Community leader outreach activities.
Seasonal water safety campaigns.
School and family-focused communications.
Subsidised swimming and water safety lessons.
Gender-sensitive swimming programs.
Beach and inland water safety education.
Swim and Survive program delivery.
Lifesaving and workforce pathway activities.
Transport assistance and modest swimwear support that directly enables participation

What companies are eligible for funding?

Eligible lead applicants must:

Be an incorporated not-for-profit organisation or other incorporated body with appropriate governance and financial capability.
Apply on behalf of a consortium.
Include at least two multicultural, settlement or community partner organisations.
Include at least one council or council representative.
Include at least one water safety organisation and/or aquatic provider.
Demonstrate co-designed planning with the communities being served.
Commit to safety, cultural safety and monitoring requirements.
Deliver activities within a multicultural LGA, across multiple LGAs, or within a regional corridor or hub.

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.

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