The programs and opportunities are not programs of the Busselton Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This has been put together for your information on behalf of the SWDC.
Grants to support transitioning away from live sheep exports by sea
The Australian Government is inviting applications via an open process to explore the opportunities to maintain and develop:
- interstate and overseas markets for Australian sheep products
- markets for Australian agri-food in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The export of live sheep by sea from Australia will end on 1 May 2028. Australia’s live sheep exports by sea is predominantly destined for markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The intended outcome of this funding is that Australian sheep, agriculture and food industries and supply chain businesses have an increased understanding, knowledge or information about potential market opportunities and stronger business-to-business relationships. For more information visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7295: GrantConnect
Funding for WA schools (public and private) to foster understanding of Aboriginal culture
The PALS grants program supports schools across Western Australia to promote cultural learning and understanding and foster connections between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community members.
The program also aims to promote acceptance of and respect for diversity and the value of Aboriginal perspectives, as well as advancing the common journey towards healing and reconciliation.
All WA primary and secondary schools as well as Department of Education-funded kindergartens are eligible to apply for up to $5,000. Categories include arts, community relationships, connecting to country and culture, inclusive environments, history, and language.
Applications are now open for the 2024 Term 4 round of funding and will close on 28 November 2024. More information on the PALS program and how to apply is available on the DLGSC website: https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/funding/arts-funding/partnership-acceptance-learning-sharing-(pals)(link is external).
Incentives to support owners of vacant properties and short term rentals to lease their properties
The Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) Incentive Scheme and Vacant Property Rental (VPR) Incentive Scheme offer cash incentives to owners to transition their properties onto the long-term rental market. To qualify, owners are required to provide a minimum 12-month lease agreement to new, long-term tenants. Applications for both schemes have been extended from November 2024 to 30 June 2025, with the aim of unlocking around 400 extra long-term rental properties for Western Australian families. To qualify for the for Phase 2 of the VPR Incentive Scheme, a vacant property must have been vacant for the six-month period between 4 May 2024 and 3 November 2024.
Applications for both of the Phase 2 incentive schemes open from 9am on 4 November 2024.
For further information on the STRA Incentive Scheme payment visit: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-energy-mines-industry-regulation-and-safety/short-term-rental-accommodation-incentive-scheme and for information on the Vacant Property Rental Incentive Scheme payment visit: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-energy-mines-industry-regulation-and-safety/vacant-property-rental-incentive-scheme.
The Australian Government’s Office for Youth has opened applications for the 2025 Youth Advisory Groups!
The Youth Advisory Groups work with the Australian Government on the development of policies or programs that matter to young people. Each group has a specific area of focus. The 2025 Youth Advisory Groups are:
- Civic Engagement Youth Advisory Group
- Climate Change and Water Youth Advisory Group
- Creative Industries Youth Advisory Group
- First Nations Youth Advisory Group
- Prevention of Gender-Based Violence Youth Advisory Group
The online application form will be open from 28 October 2024 and will close at 08:59 pm (AWST) on 17 November 2024.
Find out more by joining the Office for Youth’s information session on Monday 11 November at 3pm (AWST) Register on the Office for Youth website: youth.gov.au/get-involved or apply directly at Youth.gov.au.
On Farm Connectivity Program Round 2
This Federal Government funding assists Primary Producers to take advantage of digital agribusiness solutions to boost productivity and improve safety.
Projects that are eligible for funding must:
- Assist Primary Producers to take advantage of agribusiness solutions to boost productivity and improve safety
- Supply eligible connectivity solutions and associated eligible equipment listed at Appendix B to an eligible Primary Producer (see Appendix C)
- Sell, install and deliver eligible connectivity solutions and associated eligible equipment to the eligible Primary Producer at 50 per cent of the purchase price up to $60,000 (GST exclusive
- Have at least $2,000 (GST exclusive) in total eligible expenditure
The grant (rebate) amount will be up to 50% of the cost of eligible equipment item/s and eligible primary producers can received multiple rebates up to the amount of $30,000. The minimum grant (rebate) amount is $1,000 (GST exclusive) and the maximum grant (rebate) amount is $30,000 (GST exclusive). Eligible Primary Producers may receive multiple rebates up to the amount of $30,000 (GST exclusive). Funds will be allocated on a first come first served basis until funding is exhausted. For more information visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7074: GrantConnect
Harmony Week grants – now open!
Harmony Week will take place from 15 – 21 March 2025 and encourages everyone to experience, explore and appreciate Western Australia’s wealth of cultural, religious and linguistic diversity. The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries is offering grants of $2,000 to support community-led activities promoting and celebrating multiculturalism in WA for inclusion in its annual Harmony Week campaign. To be eligible, Harmony Week activities should involve culturally and linguistically diverse communities as part of their coordination and be open to participation from the broader community.  Harmony Week grant applications close at 4:00 pm Monday 18 November 2024. For more information visit Harmony Week grants | OMI
Funding for screen industry capacity building program
Ahead of the opening of the Perth Film Studios in 2026 the WA State Government, through Screenwest, is investing in the screen industry through the provision of funding to fast-track growth in key sectors of the Western Australian screen industry. Screenwest is seeking industry development proposals in the unit, lighting, gripping/rigging and catering departments, with the aim to build capacity in these sectors. Funding of up to $100,000 is available for capacity development to support screen studio and location-based productions across the State. Applications close on Thursday, 6 February 2025 at 5:00pm AWST. Guidelines, application materials and eligibility criteria are available on the Screenwest website at https://www.screenwest.com.au/funding-incentives/skills-business-support/
Register to receive local (SW) State Government tender updates
South West Local Content Advisor Zoe Bodycoat has commenced a regular e-update detailing current State Government tenders within the SW in order to increase awareness amongst local businesses (small, medium or large) about local opportunities. Currently many State Government tenders make provisions for small or medium businesses to sub-contract to larger businesses if they don’t have capacity to be the sole contractor but would still like to be involved. To receive the updates please email Zoe Langbridge zoe.langbridge@swdc.wa.gov.au
Future Drought Fund Resilient Landscapes Program
The Australian Government is inviting organisations via an open competitive process to apply for a grant under the Future Drought Fund Resilient Landscapes Program grant opportunity. Applicants can apply for a minimum of $2 million up to a maximum of $6 million GST exclusive. Through this funding it is intended that projects will enable farmers to be prepared for, and have the capacity and diversity of options to respond to drought. Projects will also promote learning and capacity building by communicating with farmers about the results of practices, technologies or approaches through demonstrations, field days and case studies.
Applications must involve a consortium of partners, with a lead organisation nominated as the ‘applicant’. Each applicant must develop a theory of change for the project as part of the application process. For more information visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7157: GrantConnect
Grants for Financial Wellbeing Hubs
The Australian Government is inviting organisations to apply in an open competitive grant process to deliver services under the Families and Communities Program – Financial Wellbeing and Capability (FWC) Activity – Financial Wellbeing Hubs from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030.
Financial Wellbeing Hubs will provide integrated, co-located financial counselling, financial capability and emergency relief (material and financial aid) services, and access to safe and affordable financial products in areas with high levels of financial vulnerability such as socio-economic disadvantage.
Financial Wellbeing Hubs have a strong focus on early intervention and financial capability, while also supporting people who are experiencing financial crisis. Financial Wellbeing Hubs contribute to the FWC Activity by helping eligible people to access information, advice and support to address financial issues, make informed choices and build longer-term financial capability and resilience.
Financial Wellbeing Hubs may be targeted towards First Nations communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, youth, people with a disability and people impacted by family and domestic violence.
Applications close on the 9th of December 2024- for more information visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7240: GrantConnect
Funding for Aboriginal teacher scholarships
Applications are open for the Bob Hawke Aboriginal Teacher Scholarships 2025. The scholarships, offered annually, support Aboriginal people aspiring to be secondary teachers to complete a postgraduate or undergraduate university qualification. The undergraduate scholarship is valued up to $30,000, while the postgraduate scholarship is valued up to $16,000. Both scholarships include a $2,000 appointment allowance for those who start full-time employment as a teacher in a Western Australian public school within 12 months of completing the teaching course. Applications close 18 March 2025. For more information about the scholarships, visit https://www.education.wa.edu.au/aboriginal-teacher-scholarships
Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program
The Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program provides grants to enhance the safety and accessibility of aerodromes in remote and very remote areas of Australia. The maximum grant amount is $4,000,000. The grant will be up to 50% of eligible project costs. Applications close on the 13th of December 2024. For more information visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7179: GrantConnect
Commonwealth Financial Counselling and Financial Capability Grants
The Australian Government is inviting organisations to apply in an open competitive grant process to deliver services under the Families and Communities Program – Financial Wellbeing and Capability (FWC) Activity – Commonwealth Financial Counselling and Financial Capability across Australia from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030. The Commonwealth Financial Counselling and Financial Capability services contribute to FWC Activity outcomes by helping eligible people to address their financial problems, make informed choices and build longer-term financial capability.
Applications close on the 2nd of December 2024. For more information visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7241: GrantConnect
Indigenous Languages and Arts funding
The ILA Program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to express, preserve and maintain their cultures through Indigenous languages and arts activities. Applications close on the 25th of November 2025.
Grant funding allocated through the ILA program supports activities that conserve, revitalise and sustain Indigenous languages and create, promote and celebrate Indigenous cultural expression.
The type of activities that will be funded are:
- Supporting the use of spoken language in everyday life by facilitating language practise
- Supporting community members to improve their language knowledge and skills
- Recording, preserving and making available Indigenous languages using digital technology
- Facilitating the use of Indigenous languages in everyday life
- Developing, producing, presenting, exhibiting or performing a diverse range of traditional and contemporary Indigenous art forms
- Promoting and celebrating Indigenous art forms and providing access to arts activities
For more information visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7243: GrantConnect
Connecting Schools Grant
Eligible schools can now apply for the State Government’s popular Connecting Schools Grant, with $225,000 available to support students and their families to get active for the trip to school.
The grants are offered through a partnership between the Department of Transport and Department of Education and are awarded to schools achieving results through the Your Move Schools(link is external) program. The grants provide a key opportunity for schools to improve bicycle infrastructure and develop students’ road safety skills. Packages include bike and scooter parking facilities, skills tracks, bike skills and road safety education workshops to support and encourage greater active travel within the school community. Grant applications close on Friday, 15 November 2024. For more information, visit the Connecting Schools Grant webpage(link is external).
Building Women’s Careers funding program
The Building Women’s Careers (BWC) Program will establish partnerships to drive structural and cultural change in the construction, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital and technology industries and sectors.
The BWC Program seeks to sustainably address structural and cultural barriers to women’s participation in Vocational Education and Training (VET) and employment.
The intended outcomes are:
- strong, diverse and enduring partnerships to develop and deliver innovative, scalable partnership projects to drive structural and cultural change in women’s participation in VET and the workplace
- increased access for women to higher-paying and skilled VET-based careers in male dominated occupations as measured by:
- the availability and use of policies and strategies to implement and embed gender equality in VET and the workplace
- improved availability and use of employment conditions and arrangements that support people to balance work and caring responsibilities
- reduced and removed structural and cultural barriers, (for example poor access to ‘good flexibility’ or employee-oriented flexibility, an excess of ‘bad’ flexibility or employer-oriented flexibility, gendered occupational and industry segregation, and disrespect and discrimination) that prevent women from accessing and participating in VET and the workplace
- an increase in the recruitment, promotion and retention of women in male-dominated occupations
- an evidence base of practical changes that can be implemented across the broader economy to reduce occupational gender segregation and increase women’s participation in VET and male-dominated industries, sectors and occupations.
For more information visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7210: GrantConnect
Financial Wellbeing Capability Activity- Financial Counselling for Gambling
The Australian Government is inviting organisations to apply in an open competitive grant process to deliver services under the Families and Communities Program – Financial Wellbeing and Capability (FWC) Activity – Financial Counselling for Gambling from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030.
Commonwealth Financial Counselling services contribute to the FWC Activity outcomes by helping eligible people to address their financial problems, make informed choices and build longer-term financial capability. Commonwealth Financial Counselling services provide access to free, confidential and non-judgmental information, advice and advocacy to eligible people experiencing financial difficulty. If you are an Unincorporated Association please see the Grant Opportunity Guidelines for more information on eligibility. Applications close on the 2nd of December 2024. For more information please read the Grant Opportunity Guidelines Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7249: GrantConnect
Mobile Network Hardening Program- Round 3
Round 3 of the Mobile Network Hardening Program (the Program) is intended to strengthen the resilience of mobile network communications in regional, remote and peri-urban Australia. The Program provides co-funding to Mobile Network Operators, Mobile Network Infrastructure Providers and Network Management Providers to increase the resilience of mobile telecommunications infrastructure to assist communities during and after a natural disaster or emergency. Round 3 is funding projects located in areas impacted by, or at risk of a natural disaster of the Program, and located in regional and remote Australia and the peri-urban fringe of 19 capital and major regional cities.
Round 3 funding will be delivered in two streams:
- a $10 million (GST exclusive) ‘Regional and Remote Australia’ stream for projects that deliver Resilience Upgrades in regional, remote and very remote Australia; and
- a $10 million (GST exclusive) ‘Peri-Urban Fringe’ stream for projects that deliver Resilience Upgrades in the peri-urban fringe of capital and major regional cities.
Applications close on the 20th December 2024. For more information visit Current Grant Opportunity View – GO7279: GrantConnect
Financial Wellbeing and Capability Activity- Food Relief
The Australian Government is inviting organisations to apply in an open competitive grant process to deliver services under the Families and Communities Program – Financial Wellbeing and Capability (FWC) Activity – Food Relief nationally from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030. Food Relief contributes to the FWC Activity outcomes by increasing Commonwealth-funded Emergency Relief providers’ access to a cost-effective supply of food and material aid, for provision to eligible clients experiencing financial crisis. Material aid is practical assistance given to people in financial crisis. This may constitute items such as toiletries and personal hygiene products, cleaning products, blankets, clothing, essential school supplies, and essential white goods. If you are an Unincorporated Association please see the Grant Opportunity Guidelines for more information on eligibility.
This grant opportunity will be open for 6 weeks for applications on GrantConnect.
Please read the Grant Opportunity Guidelines to find out if your organisation is eligible. Applications close on the 2nd of December 2024. For more information visit Closed Grant Opportunity View – GO7250: GrantConnect
Electric vehicle grants to support charging stations across the State
The third round of Charge Up Grants to support not-for-profits, small businesses, and local governments to install charging infrastructure throughout Western Australia is now open.
Charge Up Grants – which cover up to half of the costs for installing EV infrastructure – are designed to increase the availability of EV chargers throughout WA, including at workplaces, local attractions and tourist destinations, and for public charging along key travel routes. Charge Up Grant applications opened on 8 October 2024 and close on 30 June 2025. For more information on the Charge Up EV Charging Grants, visit: www.wa.gov.au/chargeup
Waterwise offers and rebates for the SW- rainwater tanks, replacement of toilets and showerheads
Waterwise offers are now available to eligible residents in 19 South West towns, helping save precious drinking water in the lead up to another hot, dry summer. This year, Water Corporation customers in each eligible South West community can exchange two old showerheads for waterwise alternatives under a free Showerhead Swap Program.
In addition, households in all participating towns can access a rebate for the purchase of a new rainwater tank, or to plumb in or replace an existing tank. A $300 rebate for a weather-based irrigation controller is available to limited customers in Dunsborough and Yallingup. For the first time, all Water Corporation scheme water customers in the South West – including those in communities not participating in the Waterwise Towns Program – will also be eligible for rebates towards the purchase of:
- a new rainwater tank, or to plumb in or replace an existing tank; and
- to replace a single flush toilet with a waterwise dual flush toilet.
This offer, available from mid-November, is in response to heightened demand on water supplies following an extended hot, dry summer earlier this year.
Weather-based Irrigation Controller Rebates are a limited offer and only available for purchases made between 1 October 2024 and 31 May 2025 until allocations are exhausted. Showerhead Swap is available until 31 May 2025, while stocks last.
For more information or to apply, please visit watercorporation.com.au/waterwiseoffers
Dolphin Discovery Centre seeking CEO
The Dolphin Discovery Centre are now looking for a experienced person with well developed business acumen to lead the DDC team into a bright and sustainable future. The CEO will be working alongside experts and leaders in marine research and sciences, as well as a newly formed Board. This recruitment is not being run by the SWDC -contact details for the recruiter are in the advert. https://www.seek.com.au/ceo-jobs/in-Bunbury-WA-6230?jobId=79657582&type=standout
Financial Wellbeing and Capability Activity- Emergency Relief
The Australian Government is inviting organisations to apply in an open competitive grant process to deliver services under the Families and Communities Program – Financial Wellbeing and Capability (FWC) Activity – Emergency Relief across Australia. The Emergency Relief program contributes to the FWC Activity outcomes by providing immediate financial or material aid to eligible people in financial stress or hardship and who have limited means or resources to help them alleviate their financial crisis.If you are an Unincorporated Association please see the Grant Opportunity Guidelines for more information on eligibility.
This grant opportunity will be open for 6 weeks for applications on GrantConnect. Applications close on the 2nd of December 2024. For more information visit Closed Grant Opportunity View – GO7242: GrantConnect