Aboriginal Languages Community Investments Program 2021

Program Overview

The Aboriginal Languages Community Investments Program 2021 aims to progress the functions of the Aboriginal Languages Act 2017 (NSW) by supporting the reawakening, growth, nurturing, promotion and awareness raising of Aboriginal languages in communities across NSW.

The Aboriginal Languages Trust is investing $800,000 in NSW Aboriginal local community groups and organisations who have a community focus on delivering Aboriginal language activities, building workforce capability and promoting the appreciation and use of Aboriginal Languages.

Organisations must be a not-for-profit incorporated Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation located in NSW.

When can I apply for funding?

Applications open on 1 February 2021 and close on Friday 12 March 2021.

Date	Task
1 February 2021	Community Investments Program opens
12 March 2021	Community Investments Program closes
15 March 2021	Assessment and approval of applications
28 May 2021	Agreements executed
18 June 2021	Funds released
1 July 2021	Projects commence with end date negotiated on an individual project basis
August 2021 - June 2022	Project reporting and financial acquittals due

How much can I apply for?

Three tiers of funding are available, depending on your project’s aims:

Category	Amount	Aims
Reawaken	Up to $20,000	Encourage the development of new or emerging language activities by providing Aboriginal groups and organisations with the initial investment to support and launch new activities that aim to lead to ongoing language activities Provide support to develop the capacity of Aboriginal groups and organisations who are doing language work on a smaller scale (i.e. small groups and/or short term projects) so that they can grow their activities.
Grow	Up to $50,000	Grow projects or activities that have been in progress, are having positive outcomes and are seeking to expand Support projects to expand from schools to the broader community Develop the capacity of groups or organisations who have been involved in language activities and are ready to grow.
Nurture	Up to $90,000	Build the strategic capacity of more established groups or organisations to continue language activities already in place Ensure existing activities continue in the longer term and expand into new communities or partnerships.

Who can apply for funding?

Organisations must be a not-for-profit incorporated Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (i.e. an organisation initiated by, controlled and operated by Aboriginal people and/or governed by a board or committee of Aboriginal people which is connected to the community, or communities, in which they deliver the services).

Organisations must be located in NSW to be eligible for funding.

For further details on who can apply for funding, please refer to the Guidelines.

Guidelines

For further information including eligibility and selection criteria, download the Aboriginal Languages Community Investments Program 2021 Guidelines.

Apply now

To apply for funding you will need to complete and submit the relevant application form, which includes a Community Languages Plan, through our secure online grants system, SmartyGrants.

Please note, once your application form is submitted in SmartyGrants it can no longer be changed.
We recommend contacting the Aboriginal Languages Trust, prior to submitting your application. Staff of the Trust can assist with any questions or queries you may have (see contact details below).

What support is available to me?

We have a range of resources to assist you with your funding application.

Please note, the Frequently Asked Questions document is regularly updated to include additional questions raised by applicants during the Program, to provide further clarity for other applicants (Last updated on 18 February 2021).

If you need assistance or advice after reading these, you can contact a staff member of the Aboriginal Languages Trust between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday on 1800 019 998 or via email at conversation@aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au.

If you are experiencing technical issues while completing the online form, please contact SmartyGrants:

E: service@smartygrants.com.au
PH: 03 9320 6888
Support Desk Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm AEST, Mon - Fri.

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