Media releases: 20 January 2025
Applications now open for $50,000 grants
FRRR and VFFF are inviting applications from eligible individuals for grants of $50,000 through the Backing the Future program. The funding supports people aged 18+ to develop innovative ideas that enhance the lives of people aged 12-30 in remote, rural and regional Queensland.

Unlike many other programs our Foundations offer, Backing the Future funds individuals and doesn’t require the backing of a community or not-for-profit organisation, eliminating one of the barriers that often exists in accessing philanthropy.
VFFF CEO, Jenny Wheatley, said VFFF is excited about the program’s potential to discover and back truly transformative ideas.
“We have already supported 17 incredible community changemakers in QLD through previous rounds of this program, and we look forward to backing 10 new ideas that will create lasting impacts for young people in their communities,” she said.
“Another thing that makes this a unique opportunity is that the focus is on new ideas and initiatives. To be eligible, projects need to have been in development for less than three years. We’ve deliberately put this time-limit on it, as we know that often, the hardest part of getting a project off the ground is securing initial funding to test the idea. This is especially true in rural and remote areas, where high costs and smaller populations make piloting new projects even more challenging,” she explained.
“Backing the Future bridges this gap by trusting communities and leaders to create transformative opportunities for young people when provided with the right resources – both money and capacity-building support.
“The feedback we have had from previous grantees is that they deeply appreciate the unique opportunity that Backing the Future offers, especially the trust and willingness to back an idea in its infancy.
“Providing early-stage support has given past participants the confidence to develop their ideas and deliver real impact for young people. It’s so rewarding to hear about Backing the Future funding leading to the development of new events, social enterprises and charities that continue to benefit young people across QLD,” Ms Wheatley said
One of the inaugural QLD grant recipients, Jameson Harvey, used his $50,000 grant to deliver robotics workshops in remote QLD schools, breaking down barriers to STEM education. Jameson describes the Backing the Future grant as a unique opportunity to resource the deep work needed to support access for very remote communities.
“Access to robotics and 3D printers is hard to come by in regional and remote communities. To see students walk into the classroom a bit nervous and unsure about these fancy technologies, and then, by the end of the session, walk away confident in programming and design skills—even skills that were tricky for me to learn—is incredibly rewarding.”
This is the first QLD round delivered by VFFF and FRRR. This partnership leverages VFFF’s ability to fund individuals and FRRR’s extensive reach, ensuring the funding reaches even the most remote parts of the state. Additionally, FRRR provides capacity building support to successful applicants.
FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, said that FRRR is excited about the potential for Backing the Future to bring new opportunities and activities for young people in remote, rural and regional QLD.
“We know that young people are the future of vibrant, resilient and sustainable rural communities. By providing opportunities that strengthen their connection and open doors to new possibilities, we can empower them to create transformative outcomes for themselves and their communities.”
Applications for the Backing the Future program are invited from anyone aged 18+ who has an idea that will benefit young people in remote, rural or regional communities. Applications close 17 March 2025.
FRRR encourages anyone interested in applying to reach out to FRRR’s Youth Futures team to have a chat about the potential project. To ensure as many people as possible hear about opportunity, FRRR staff will be visiting in the Burnett and Emerald regions. Dates and venues will be shared on FRRR’s social media channels and the team is excited about the opportunity to meet face to face with the hidden gems who are quietly doing work in community.
For those outside those regions, FRRR will host a webinar to explain more about the program and answer questions at 12 noon (AEST) on Wednesday, 5 February 2025. Register at: https://events.humanitix.com/2025-qld-backing-the-future-grants. To learn more, visit www.frrr.org.au/backing-the-future or call 1800 170 020 and speak to FRRR’s Youth Futures Manager, Lauren.