Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative – Small Network Grants

Small Network Grants are now available to community organisations in remote, rural and regional Australia to develop and deliver one-off events or initiatives to strengthen community networks and capabilities that build drought preparedness.

Through this initiative, with the support of the Australian Government, we are investing in the future by enabling agriculture-dependent communities to identify and act on their drought preparedness priorities at a grassroots level and in ways that best suit their communities.

The Small Network Grants will fund networks, community events, training initiatives, community infrastructure, development and learning initiatives that assist local people and communities to strengthen social capital and capability to prepare for future droughts.

Grants are available across two rounds in :
– Stream 1: Grants up to a maximum of $20,000; or
– Stream 2: Grants up to a maximum of $50,000 (dependent on location).

How to apply

Please read the information on each of the 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?

Contact our Community Engagement Coordinators for any program related queries for the Small Network Grants.

  • NSW, QLD, VIC: Fiona Bradshaw
  • NT, SA, TAS, WA: Alysia Kepert

Ph: 1800 170 020 or 
Email: futuredrought@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 detailed in the Program Guidelines below carefully. Click on each headline to reveal the detail. If you need to share this information with others, you can download the guidelines below.

Gather information to support your grant application

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.

Please contact FRRR if you have any questions about the following information.

Your grant application MUST include:

Need some more help?

We have a large selection of resources on our Grant Seeker Resources Page to help you along the way.

Submit your grant application via the Grants Gateway

Applications are now closed. Funding will be announced in mid-late June.

Please contact FRRR if you have questions about any aspect of the Grants Gateway online application form.

Apply now for
grants up to $20K
(Stream 1)

Apply now for
grants up to $50K
(Stream 2)

Helpful resources:

It is time to submit your application. To help you plan and prepare your application, you can download a sample copy of the application forms:

Please read the instructions on how to use the Grants Gateway How-to Guide and have your questions answered with our Grants Gateway FAQs.

Before you submit your Expression of Interest via the online Grants Gateway, please ensure you have:

  • confirmed you are eligible to apply for this grant
  • checked that you are an eligible legal entity
  • provided the financial information required
  • spoken to an FRRR contact person where you were unsure of any requirement
  • gathered community support for the project
  • checked the information you are providing to make sure it is clear and relevant to the project
Small Network Grants Program: Definitions and Frequently Asked Questions

Please read the information below to help you learn more about the program.

If you have any further questions, please contact Kate Nolan, Program Manager, by emailing futuredrought@frrr.org.au or free call 1800 170 020.

Lessons learnt from previous drought shared amongst the network are of such high importance, and this funding has created a platform for us to be able to do that across our community: making brave decisions to pick up your commodity and move it to a more safer place off your farm where someone else looks after it; for fear of hanging onto it in a drought, would devastatingly mean losing it all together. It is important to share real & raw drought stories like this within our drought preparedness forums, as it allows others insight, energy and a safe educational space other to think outside the box.”

Grant recipient from Networks to Build Drought Resilience program

Inspiration – Past projects

Explore some of the projects we’ve previously funded through the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program to see how other organisations have helped their community thrive.