Strengthening Rural Communities – Rebuilding Regional Communities

Crossenvale Community House catering trailer — *Photo credit: Cath Grey*

From February 2022 until February 2024, a special funding stream to support communities adversely affected by the COVID pandemic is available in partnership with the Australian Government.

The Rebuilding Regional Communities stream runs in parallel with our Bushfire Recovery and Small & Vital streams within our flagship Strengthening Rural Communities program.

The Rebuilding Regional Communities stream received grant funding from the Australian Government.

Grants are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that assist communities to recover from and adapt to the impacts of the COVID pandemic. Funds can support community-led, place based initiatives that:

Enhance the process of recovery from the COVID pandemic for remote, rural and regional communities;
Reduce social isolation and foster stronger, more resilient remote, rural and regional communities; and/or
Sustain local, regional, rural and remote organisations and their work.

Proudly funded by

Previous rounds

Currently assessing Round 13 – announced late September 2022
Currently assessing Round 12 – announced June 2022
SRC Round 11 (S&V and BR)
SRC Round 10 (S&V and BR)
SRC Round 9 (S&V and BR)
SRC Round 8 (S&V, LL and BR)

Current round

Closes: 5pm AEST 31 May 2022

Announced by:
September 2022

View Grantseeker Workshop recording

Future rounds

Opens: 1 June 2022

Closes: 30 August 2022

Funding announced by December 2022.

About the program

The Rebuilding Regional Communities stream runs in parallel with our Bushfire Recovery and Small & Vital streams within our flagship Strengthening Rural Communities program.

Thanks to the Australian Government, funding is now available in remote, rural and regional areas in all States and Territories. A total of $5 million will be provided nationally from 2022 to 2024 through two funding tiers:

Grants up to $10,000 (always open) for communities with fewer than 50,000 people; and
Grants up to $50,000 (offered twice a year until November 2023), for communities that are classified as remote, rural or regional as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Australian Geography Standards.

Eligible projects will have a focus on recovering from or adapting to the impacts of COVID in remote, rural, and regional communities and may include:

Supporting, training or attracting volunteers;
Events and activities to reconnect the community;
Enhancing community spaces to increase community use;
Developing services and support to assist vulnerable people, and people experiencing disadvantage;
Purchase of equipment or resources to strengthen organisations that support communities.

If you want to explore other grant options, please go to Find Funding Now.

Ready to apply?

I have a question, who can I talk to?

Our state-based Grants Officers are your go-to people for any program related queries for the SRC program.

NT / WA: Lisa Mahon
QLD / NSW: Jaclyn Troy
VIC / TAS / SA: Vivienne McCrory

Ph: 1800 170 020 or
Email: covidsupport@frrr.org.au

Check your eligibility

What information needs to be provided?

Apply
now

For more information on the Strengthening Rural Communities program, and the Rebuilding Regional Communities stream in particular, please call FRRR on 1800 170 020.

Inspiration – Past projects

Explore some of the projects we’ve previously funded to see how other organisations have helped their community thrive.

Rebuilding Regional Communities stream

Woman wearing a mask delivering a Xmas meal to a resident at his house.

Connecting through COVID in Woomelang

Around half of all residents in Woomelang, VIC live by themselves. The Woomelang & District Bush Nursing Centre organised a number of gatherings and lunches to combat isolation that was exacerbated by restrictions during the COVID pandemic – including home deliveries during lockdowns! What a great outcome for Woomelang.

Man and boy wearing helmets with welding equipment in a workshop.

Boosting capacity to support COVID response

Boys to the Bush provides support to disadvantaged youth in Central NSW. They received funding to purchase workshop equipment for applied construction and maintenance projects, which help disadvantaged youth affected by COVID lockdowns connect and learn life skills, as well as earn accreditation towards employment in their community.

Responding to COVID in East Arnhem Land

The Gong-Dal Aboriginal Corporation in East Arnhem Land in the NT used part of their grant to employ experienced facilitators to work with and support a COVID-response group specially formed by Yolŋu leaders to provide intercultural advice to government agencies and other stakeholders and ensure culturally safe and appropriate community engagement.