Grants

Round 1 of the Community Grants is now OPEN and will close Monday 20 February, 4pm.

Council's Community Grants provide support to new, innovative and emerging local community development projects and initiatives that align with Council's strategic objectives.

Two funding streams are open, small grants up to $3,000 and partnership grants up to $10,000.

See the guidelines below for further information. Please note that it is a requirement of the guidelines to speak with a grants officer about your project idea before submitting an application.

2023 Round 1
OPENS - Monday 30 January 12am
CLOSES - Monday 20 February 4pm

Apply online here

Community Grants Guidelines 2023
Frequently asked questions - Community Grants Program
Risk assessment template
Auspice Agreement
Acknowledgement Guidelines

For more information about our Community Grants Program contact a member of the Community Partnerships Team on 03 5471 1700 or email: grants@mountalexander.vic.gov.au

Register for our mailing list to receive email updates about Council's grant programs.

List of projects funded

Below are some of the projects Council has proudly supported through the Community Grants Program:

Most recent round:
Community Grants 2022 Round 2 - Successful Applicants

Previous rounds:
Community Grants 2022 Round 1 - list of funded projects
- 2021 (Round 2)
- 2021 (Round 1)
- 2020 (Round 2)
- 2020 (Round 1)

Project Acquittal/Project Completion Reports

Successful applicants from previous funding rounds must complete an acquittal for their project online via SmartyGrants.

1. Go to: https://mountalexander.smartygrants.com.au/, and log in with the username and password you used to submit the application.
2. Click on “My submissions”.
3. Click on “Project Completion Report” directly under the submitted application to complete the report.

If you did not submit your application online, please contact grants@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.

There are currently no scheduled information sessions.

For queries regarding our Community Grants program, please call Sarah Gradie on 5471 1790.
For queries regarding our Events Grants program, please call Lucie Curry Cheenne on 5471 1857.

Mount Alexander Shire Council is pleased to announce that 15 groups were successful in the latest round of Events Grant funding and will share in $34,000 to activate events across the shire.

Congratulations to the following events:
• The MAIN Game 2023
• Castlemaine Jazz Festival
• A European Australian connection
• Castlemaine Fringe REACTIVATE 2023
• Town Folk Festival 2023
• Castlemaine Gift Athletic Meeting
• Taradale Mineral Springs Festival
• Maldon Twilight Dinner
• Newstead Live Music Festival Live'n'Local
• Harcourt Applefest
• Autopia
• Campbells Creek Collectables Fair
• The Peter Turner Memorial Show and Shine
• Merv Dean Memorial 3 Day Tour
• Easter Engine Rally

The next round of Events Grants will open on 20 February 2023 for events held in the second half of 2023.

Mount Alexander Shire Council allocates funds each year to support events in the local community that align with the goals in our Council Plan 2021-2025 and other strategic directions.

The Events Grants program provides a transparent and equitable process for local groups and organisations to seek funding and in-kind support from Council.

Funding can be used for a wide variety of event related costs such as:
- Venue Hire
- Equipment Hire
- Wash Against Waste Trailer
- Marketing
- Traffic Management
- and much more, please refer to our guidelines below for more details.

The Program aims to provide support to events that:

• Foster community, economic and/or cultural development in Mount Alexander Shire
• Consider impacts on the environment and surrounding community
• Are accessible, inclusive and welcoming of everyone
• Are safe and compliant.

View the Program Guidelines for details

Previous rounds:
- 2021-2022 Round 2
- 2021-2022 Round 1
- 2020-2021 Round 2
- 2020-2021 Round 1
- 2019-2020 Round 2
- 2019-2020 Round 1

Other documentation
Events Grants Program Auspice Agreement

We have updated the amount available for the year-round quick response grants to $500 to support more events and running the program at a different time of year to the community grants. Events running from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 are eligible to apply.

Apply here!

View the Program Guidelines for details

If you have any questions please contact the Venues and Events team on 5471 1700 or email us at events@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.

Project Acquittal/Project Completion Reports
Successful applicants from previous funding rounds must complete an acquittal for their project online via SmartyGrants.

1. Go to the SmartyGrants Website, and log in with the username and password you used to submit the application.
2. Click on “My submissions”.
3. Click on “Project Completion Report” directly under the submitted application to complete the report.

Council’s Quick Response Youth Grants provide grants of up to $1000 for local young people to run their own youth focused activities and projects.

Young people (aged 10 to 25 years of age) can apply for a Quick Response Youth Grant at any time of year.

For more information, see the Quick Response Youth Grants 2018/2019 guidelines and application form.

For support in developing your ideas and submitting your application contact Council's Youth Development Officer, on 5471 1700 or email youth@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.

Below are some of the projects Council has proudly supported through the Quick Response Youth Grant Program:

Quick Response Youth Grants

Mount Alexander Shire Council, in collaboration with GrantGuru, have developed a free online search tool to assist businesses, not-for-profits and individuals in the Mount Alexander Shire to find grant opportunities.

Grant Connect Mount Alexander is a comprehensive platform that includes all local, state and national funding opportunities available from across a range of sectors, as well as other useful information and tips on grant writing. To start searching for grants visit Grant Connect Mount Alexander.

Coronavirus funding support
Grant Connect has a new addition to support local businesses and community groups to access funding opportunities during coronavirus. All coronavirus funding opportunities are listed via the Quick Lists: Coronavirus Funding tab. The Quick List tab can be found on the Grants Connect front page.

If you require any assistance in navigating Grant Connect Mount Alexander or have any questions please contact the Grants team on 5471 1700 or email grants@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.

Our Community provides advice, resources and training for community groups on applying for grants. More information is available on the Our Community website at www.ourcommunity.com.au.