NSW COVID Regional Community Support Program
The COVID Regional Community Support Program (CRCS) recognises that locally-based groups in remote, rural and regional NSW played a critical role in supporting their communities to navigate the impacts of COVID.
CRCS is a two-part program, designed to support eligible not-for-profit organisations, community groups, and associated volunteer-based organisations that were involved in supporting individuals and families affected by COVID lockdowns.
The first stream, which is now closed, offered contribution towards reimbursement for the costs of personal and care hampers, while a second stream of the program will support community projects that increase capacity for service provision in ongoing and future pandemic events.
This program is funded by the NSW Government and delivered by FRRR, on behalf of the NSW Reconstruction Authority, the successor organisation to Resilience NSW, established in December 2022.
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Reimbursement stream
The Reimbursement Stream is now closed.
This program is now closed.
News & Links
How to apply – Capacity Building Stream
Please read the information on each of the four tabs below to make sure this is the right grant for your project.
If you want to explore other grant options, please go to Find Funding Now.
I have a question, who can I talk to?
April Merrick
1800 170 020
nsw.hamper@frrr.org.au
Confirm you are eligible to apply for this grant
To make sure this is the right grant for your community, please read the grant information below carefully. Click on each headline to reveal the detail.
What are the program objectives?
Program objective
The program intends to support eligible not-for-profit organisations, community groups, and associated volunteer-based groups that have incurred expenses in delivering food and personal care hampers to individuals and families affected by COVID lockdowns, and to community groups that are likely to provide ongoing services to affected members of the community, building resilience within these communities to mitigate future pandemic events.
Capacity Stream objective
Focus on building capacity within these organisations and communities to support ongoing community need during the pandemic and grow resilience to future shocks and stressors, such as a future pandemic.
How much funding is available? Are there priority areas?
Thanks to the NSW Government, $700,000 in funding is available through the Capacity Building Grants Stream – to support community projects that increase capacity for service provision in ongoing and future pandemic events.
Grants of up to $50,000 per organisation are available.
While all requests will be considered, higher priority for funding for both streams will be attributed to the areas below:
- Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations; and
- Not-for-profit organisations located in smaller, more remote locations.
Who is eligible to apply for a Capacity Building Grant?
To apply, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a not-for-profit organisation with either an Incorporation Certificate and/or an ABN. If you are unsure if your organisation is a registered not-for-profit (e.g. if you are a Co-operative, Other Unincorporated Entity, Public Company or Trust), please contact FRRR;
- Be located anywhere within rural, regional or remote NSW. Community groups located in the following LGAs are also eligible to apply: City of Blue Mountains, Central Coast Council, City of Hawkesbury, Wollondilly Shire;
- Be a not-for-profit community group or organisation that has / is supporting community members affected by COVID isolation health orders, and/or is likely to provide ongoing services to community members to support ongoing community need during the COVID pandemic;
- Organisations can apply to both the capacity building stream and the one application per stream;
- Organisations who are acting as the legal organisation for one or multiple delivery organisations can submit multiple applications as the legal organisation and can also submit an application for their own organisation.
Please note, you will be considered ineligible if the:
- Application is submitted by individuals, sole traders, private or commercial businesses (as per the submitted ABN);
- Application is submitted by an organisation that is not a legal entity (i.e. a registered not-for-profit), without the written consent of the governing / partnering body who holds the ABN / Incorporation Certificate;
- Application is submitted without required financial documentation (see Important Notes on the Gather Information tab);
- Application is for a project or activity that has already occurred / is occurring prior to the announcement of funding;
- Application is incomplete. NOTE: Due to the volume of applications received, applications are assessed based on the documentation received at the time of application. FRRR is unlikely to follow up missing documentation after applications have been submitted.
If you need to share this information with others, you can download the guidelines above.
Gather information to support your grant application
Important notes re: Application Requirements
Please read the information below to support the planning and preparation of your project. It also sets out what you MUST include for your project to be considered. There are plenty of helpful resources to support you along the way.
Need some more help?
If at any time you need help with your application, don’t hesitate to contact the FRRR office on free call 1800 170 020 or email us at nsw.hamper@frrr.org.au.
Eligible Legal Entities
Every application needs to include an organisation that holds either an ABN or Incorporation Certificate. If your organisation doesn’t have that, your application may still be funded but you need another organisation’s support, which we refer to as the ‘legal organisation’ (with your organisation being the delivery organisation). This situation often occurs when the organisation delivering the activity or project is a branch of an overarching organisation – such as a local CWA or YMCA branch. In this case, the CWA or YMCA would be the legal organisation.
Even though your organisation may complete the application (and did the work), it’s the ‘legal organisation’s’ legal and if successful financial information that needs to be provided. They also need to provide a letter of support, confirming they are willing to play this role.
Why is this important?
This program is only able to distribute funds to not-for-profit organisations with an ABN or Incorporation Certificate, and FRRR needs to know that the organisation with that ABN / Incorporation Certificate understands and agrees to carry out their responsibilities in relation to your project, if successful.
Financial information
Applications received without the requested financial information are ineligible. Providing incorrect financial information is currently the most common reason why applications are not able to be considered. You must attach the following:
- For organisations that have audited financial reports: Attach the most recent annual audited statements;
- For organisations that do not have an annual financial audit: Attach the most recent 12 months Income and Expenditure Statement. If you have a Balance Sheet, please also submit this;
- For organisations less than one year old: Provide Bank Statements for the period you have been operating.
Please note:
- If financial documents are more than 18 months old, please provide an explanation as to why the organisation does not have more recent documents;
- Bank Statements are only acceptable as financial documentation if your organisation has been operating for less than one year;
- Please explain any deficits and steps to sustain the organisation financially;
- Provide a brief explanation of any large financial surplus or current assets and reasons why FRRR funds are still required;
- Income and Expenditure statements must cover a full 12-month period;
- FRRR conducts a broad range of due diligence queries when reviewing applications, such as: reviewing current and past incorporation, DGR and ACNC status. If your organisation has happened to have their incorporation status, DGR status or ACNC status changed or ACNC registration revoked or voluntarily withdrawn, please let us know the reasons for this.
Please contact us if you cannot provide required financials or you are unsure about what to provide.
Why is this important?
FRRR uses this information to understand your organisation’s financial viability and ability to manage grant funds.
Project budget
You must include a project budget that clearly shows the items that FRRR grant funds would be used for and that also shows all income and expenses related to your project.
Budgets should be realistic and must add up – i.e. total expenditure must match total income.
Applicant contributions in cash or in-kind are highly regarded. Quotes or detailed rationale for items over $1,000 are required, where possible. Note: FRRR suggests costing unskilled volunteer labour at $41.00 per hour.
For more info on costing volunteer labour, visit: https://www.fundingcentre.com.au/help/valuing-volunteer-labour.
Why is this important?
A clear budget helps FRRR to understand the size of your project, exactly how FRRR funds will be spent and helps demonstrate community support for your project through in-kind contributions either from your organisation or partners / community members.
Helpful resources:
Supporting materials
FRRR strongly recommends that you provide supporting materials such as letters of support, community plans, survey results, photographs, media clips and research reports that can show broad community support and partnerships involved in the project.
Large documents should be referenced and explained in the application.
Why is this important?
FRRR seeks to fund projects that are well-supported by the broader local community, are locally-led and delivered, show good partnerships and benefit multiple parts of the community. As FRRR is not always familiar with your community, our staff consider support material as evidence toward understanding the level of community need, benefit and support.
Helpful resources:
Clear project information
Each application is assessed on its ability to address local priorities and benefit the broader community. A clear description of exactly what the grant funds will be used for, when and where the project will happen, who will benefit and who will be involved in delivering the project, why the project and grant funds are needed, how funds will be spent and how the activities and success of the project will be recorded, evaluated and shared.
Where possible, we encourage you to make it really clear that your organisation is ready and able to deliver the project and, if required, provide ongoing support for the initiative.
Why is this important?
FRRR needs to clearly understand your project to assess its merits. Applicants should focus on addressing the what, when, where, who, why and how of the project, as this is the best way to clearly communicate the details of the project.
A ready community is best placed to achieve the aims of your project, so during assessment, our staff look for information that tells us that good leadership, skills and awareness exist in your community to support the project now and in the future.
Helpful resources:
Focus area
We have grouped the kinds of projects communities commonly ask us to help fund into seven areas, which we call the Activity Tree:
1. Building community resilience
2. Developing organisational resilience and capacity
3. Enhancing environmental sustainability
4. Fostering cultural vibrancy
5. Lifelong learning and education
6. Economic strength
7. Improving community health and social wellbeing
We ask you to nominate one of those seven areas when you apply. So, before you lodge your application, download the Activity Tree to help you identify your focus area.
Why is this important?
FRRR makes grants to communities, but we also need to be able to demonstrate to our funding partners where communities need support.
Application process for the Capacity Building Grants Stream
Applications closed 5pm AEST, Thursday 26 May 2022.
Applications will be submitted through FRRR’s online portal – Grants Gateway. FRRR staff are available on request to assist grantees with any questions relating to grant applications.
Please contact FRRR if you have questions about any aspect of the Grants Gateway online application form.
Before you submit your application via the online Grants Gateway, please ensure you have:
Helpful resources:
It is time to submit your application. If it is helpful, you can download a sample copy of the application form.
Please read the instructions on how to use the Grants Gateway How-to Guide and have your questions answered with our Grants Gateway FAQs.
Apply for the Capacity Building Stream
Applications close 26 May 2022
Applications for the Resilience NSW COVID Regional Community Support Program: Reimbursement Stream are now closed.
Applications are being assessed, and recipients will be announced in late April, 2022.
The information below will help you learn more about this stream.
If you have any further questions, please contact April Merrick by emailing nsw.hamper@frrr.org.au or free call 1800 324 855.
About the program
What is the program targeted at?
The Reimbursement Stream intends to support eligible not-for-profit organisations, community groups, and associated volunteer-based groups that have incurred expenses in delivering food and personal care hampers to individuals and families affected by COVID lockdowns. Eligible hampers for the program are those delivered to people who were directed by Health orders to stay in isolation and had no other means to access food or personal care themselves. These grants provide a contribution that will enable organisations and groups to reimburse volunteer expenditure. The program will not fund individual volunteers directly.
Who can apply?
Community groups and not-for-profit organisations with an ABN or Incorporation Certificate who have been actively involved in the distribution of food / personal care hampers and expended own funding, staff / volunteer time or other resources.
- Not received any significant funding or reimbursement of organisation / volunteers’ expenses from other funding programs to support the distribution of hampers; AND
- Groups need to be located anywhere within rural, regional or remote NSW. Community groups located in the following LGAs are also eligible to apply: City of Blue Mountains, Central Coast Council, City of Hawkesbury, Wollondilly Shire.
How big are the grants?
Up to $30,000 per organisation.
When will the funds become available?
Tuesday, 26 April 2022.
How big is the funding pool for this round?
Currently a total of $200,000 has been made available for this stream.
What is the geographic scope?
Anywhere within rural, regional or remote NSW. Community groups located in the following LGAs are also eligible to apply: City of Blue Mountains, Central Coast Council, City of Hawkesbury, Wollondilly Shire.
What is the population preference?
All applications will be considered, but higher priority for funding for both streams will be attributed to not-for-profit organisations located in smaller, more remote locations.
What is the organisation preference?
All applications will be considered, but higher priority for funding for both streams will be attributed to Aboriginal-controlled Community Organisations.
What type of items can be reimbursed?
Funds are available for contribution towards reimbursement of costs already incurred by community groups from 1 July 2021 to 31 January 2022 to support the distribution of food and personal care hampers. This can include:
- Fuel and / or car running costs;
- Delivery costs such as freight, couriers or other paid transport costs to deliver hampers to individuals and families affected by COVID lockdowns.
If the organisation provided support in other ways such as:
- Providing storage, logistics support, provision of PPE or other assistance, it will need to attach evidence of expenditure for supporting activities that were not delivering hampers. Examples of these materials can be receipts, invoices, expenditure statements, volunteer rosters, or other relevant evidence.
What timeframe do the costs have to be incurred?
- From 1 July 2021 to 31 January 2022.
What can’t be funded?
- Costs not related to delivering food and personal care items to individuals and families affected by COVID lockdowns.
- Costs incurred outside of the timeframe of 1 July 2021 to 31 January 2022.
- Requests from individual volunteers.
Can I submit more than one application?
Organisations can only submit one application for the Reimbursement Stream.
Organisations who are acting as the legal organisation for one or multiple delivery organisations can submit multiple applications as the legal organisation and can also submit an application for their own organisation.
What evidence is required to justify my application?
Applicants are asked to complete a Reimbursement Details form which asks the questions:
- Number of Hampers delivered, location(s) where hampers were delivered, number of round trips 20km or less, and / or number of round trips greater than 20km.
- If your organisation or volunteers were not involved in delivering the hampers to people in need, but expended your own funds supporting the hamper distribution program in other ways (e.g. storage, logistics, PPE etc), please specify the activities and the costs for which you are seeking reimbursement.
How is the reimbursement claim validated?
Information provided in the application about hamper distribution and support for which applicants are seeking reimbursement will be verified by FRRR with Resilience NSW and/or other mechanisms involved in the coordination of local COVID response arrangements.
What is the assessment process for the Reimbursement Stream?
Information provided in the application about hamper distribution and support for which applicants are seeking reimbursement will be verified by FRRR with Resilience NSW and/or other mechanisms involved in the coordination of local COVID response arrangements.
An Assessment Committee made up of FRRR, NSW Government and sector representatives will make the final recommendations for funding.
What are the reporting requirements for the Reimbursement Stream of this program?
Successful applicants will need to confirm they have received the funds by providing written confirmation the funds have been deposited into their nominated bank account. More information on this process will be provided to the successful organisations.
If you have significant issues accessing a stable internet connection, please contact our team to discuss an alternative way of applying:
Ph: 1800 324 855 or Email: nsw.hamper@frrr.org.au
