COMPACT works across communities and sectors to inspire people to foster social cohesion, stand united against divisive forces and come together in times of need.

At the program-level, our community partners work together to build Community Resilience across the four areas of community Preparedness, Prevention, Response and Recovery:

• Preparedness: Proactively build and support committed, collaborative, responsive community networks
• Prevention: Break the cycle of hate: the community champions cultural diversity and community harmony
• Response: Community networks and relationships mobilise to stand up and stand united in the face of threats to community harmony
• Recovery: Community networks and relationships mobilise to support each other and maintain or restore social cohesion in the wake of an incident or crisis.

Funded COMPACT Partnership Projects will build on the strengths of our diverse society to address one of more of the following objectives:

1. To inspire and empower young people to stand up and stand united against extremism, hate, fear and division as champions for community harmony;
2. To support communities and build resilience to threats to community harmony in NSW arising from local or global issues;
3. To build robust, sustainable networks, relationships and partnerships across communities;
4. To promote community understanding of the value and benefit of cultural diversity.

COMPACT Partnership Projects can address the project objectives listed above through one or more of the following youth engagement methods:

Digital citizens: includes methods to engage and empower young people to build safer, more harmonious online communities and to protect each other from online hate and other digital harms.

Peacebuilders & humanitarians: includes effective peacebuilding and conflict resolution methods and volunteering, community service, charity and local and/or international humanitarian work with a clear benefit to local communities.

Creative communicators: includes creative methods to amplify the voices of young people and tackle tough issues like hate and polarisation through art, music, writing, traditional and digital/social media, public speaking or performance.

Networkers & influencers: includes methods to create and sustain active, effective networks of youth leaders, allies and influencers, in both online and offline contexts, that can activate against divisive forces and promote community harmony.

Community connectors: includes methods of cross-cultural, cross-regional and interfaith engagement that bring communities together and foster trust, collaboration and cohesion.

Thought leaders & changemakers: includes methods to facilitate constructive dialogue and debate, enhance critical thinking and ethical social action, and inspire young people to defend democracy, diversity and human rights.

Team players: includes sports, games and play to engage young people, break down barriers, combat racism, reinforce positive messages, and create support networks, mentoring opportunities and positive role models.

Other innovative youth engagement methods will also be considered. Successful applications in any of these youth engagement methods will clearly demonstrate capacity and competency to engage young people of all genders and from a diverse range of cultural and religious backgrounds.

The COMPACT Alliance is a voice and a force for community harmony.

The COMPACT Alliance is a robust network of community partners who all share a commitment to Australia’s peaceful and harmonious way of life. In addition to implementing partnership projects, COMPACT partners all participate as full members of the COMPACT Alliance.

The COMPACT Alliance is a key component of the COMPACT model of community resilience. Since 2016, the COMPACT Alliance has been implementing a program of joint activities designed to strengthen the Alliance as a resilience network and to support the development of a COMPACT Community of Practice.

The COMPACT Alliance meets regularly to progress a range of practical work items on program evaluation, practitioner training, capacity building, research showcases, safety and wellbeing, communications, and other areas to support good practice.

Membership in the COMPACT Alliance provides a unique opportunity to collaborate with other COMPACT partners and connect with key NSW Government agency personnel.

The annual COMPACT Alliance Summit, hosted by the Minister for Multiculturalism, is a forum for showcasing initiatives, learning and adapting from shared experience, and forging new collaborations for future projects.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to participate to a two-day COMPACT Alliance Summit as part of their formal induction into the COMPACT Program.

COMPACT Partnership Project grants are awarded on merit following a rigorous assessment process. Applications for COMPACT Partnership Project grants are assessed by a multi-agency panel that includes an independent expert.

All applications for grants are reviewed to ensure compliance with eligibility criteria and required documentation.

The Assessment Panel will make recommendations for grant funding to the Minister for Multiculturalism who will approve successful applications.

Not all grant applications will be successful. Both successful and unsuccessful grant applications will be notified in writing. Multicultural NSW does not provide feedback regarding unsuccessful/successful applications.

The COMPACT Grants Assessment Panel applies the following criteria in assessing grant applications, with each given equal weighting.

Appropriateness

Assessment considerations may include:

• Proposal demonstrates a clear understanding and appreciation of the objectives, rationale and context of the COMPACT program
• Proposal aligns with the whole-of-society, resilience-based approach of the COMPACT program and the program-level objectives
• Proposal addresses one or more of the COMPACT project-level objectives
• Proposal adopts one or more of the COMPACT program youth engagement methods
• Proposal is based on robust and relevant evidence, consultation and/or experience
• Project is well targeted and has a strong method for engaging relevant groups and for securing community support and feedback
• Project has a whole of society focus that brings communities together and promotes social cohesion, rather than targeting the needs of specific cultural or religious groups
• Demonstrated clear need for the proposed project.

Capacity and Capability

Assessment considerations may include:

• Ability of the proposed project to deliver results and achieve objectives, including a convincing explanation as to how the project will meet COMPACT program and project-level objectives
• Host organisation, with the committed support of its nominated partners, has the demonstrated capacity to successfully oversee, implement, manage, deliver, evaluate, report on and acquit the project within timeframe and budget
• Project involves a strong partnership which can build capacity in communities and sustain strong community networks into the future
• Host organisation and/or project partners have the demonstrated capacity and cultural competency to engage young people and diverse groups
• Proposal has a plan for effective evaluation, including data collection
• Proposal demonstrates an understanding of risk and has a plan for risk management.

Value for Money

Assessment considerations may include:

• Proposal provides a well formulated, well justified and well-proportioned budget
• Project leverages or builds upon existing community resources, has secured significant in-kind or cash contributions from partners, and/or has the capacity to attract further investment (other from Multicultural NSW grant funding)
• Project outcomes and/or activities, including community networks forged through the project, are sustainable beyond the COMPACT funding lifespan without depending on renewed COMPACT funding.

Strategic Value

Assessment considerations may include:

• Project complements other successful COMPACT projects to the benefit of the overall COMPACT program
• The project is uniquely positioned to effectively engage demographic or geographic groups, e.g. women, regional communities etc.
• The organisation/partnership/consortia adds strategic value, knowledge and experience to the COMPACT Alliance
• The project fulfils a need that other projects do not
• Proposal demonstrates a clear understanding of risk and has a plan for risk management.

Collaboration

Assessment considerations may include:

• Proposal demonstrates a commitment to the collective objectives of the COMPACT Alliance and to working collaboratively with other COMPACT Alliance partners
• Proposal demonstrates a commitment to the COMPACT Community of Practice, a willingness to learn from other practitioners, and a willingness to share knowledge, insights and good practice for the benefit of other practitioners and the community
• Proposal forms new partnerships that facilitate capacity building and cross-sector collaboration
• Proposal demonstrates a commitment to working with NSW Government agencies as part of the COMPACT Alliance
• Proposal demonstrates a commitment to contributing to the COMPACT Program evaluation.

Eligible not-for-profit organisations are invited to apply for $100,000 to $200,000 (excl. GST) per year for projects from two to four years. Projects will be delivered from 2024-25 to 2027-28 financial years.

Eligible not-for-profit organisations that are:

• currently located in and or servicing NSW communities
• incorporated non-government organisations (not-for-profit)
• registered Associations under an Act of Parliament
• registered Cooperatives under an Act of Parliament
• Company Limited by Guarantee
• Company Limited by Shares (non-profit distributing)
• other community-based organisations registered or established under an Act that are not-for-profit
• an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth) or a Local Aboriginal Land Council under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW)
• to be eligible for funding all organisations must have a valid ABN.

Funding is not available for:

• applications seeking ongoing or recurrent funding for programs
• applications directly from individuals seeking individual personal payments
• applications from for-profit organisations and or commercial enterprises
• applications that are seeking funding for the same stage of a project, or the same project resulting in duplicate funding
• supplementing, increasing, or continuing ongoing service delivery that is the core business of the organisation
• an organisation’s operating costs including office rent and administration costs
• broader work that the organisation already delivers such as services, programs and activities that are not aligned with the priorities and objectives outlined in these guidelines
• reimbursement of expenses already incurred
• covering existing debts or budget deficits of the organisation
• party political activities
• purchase of TV’s, alcohol, tobacco products, gaming services, computer software, entertainment streaming
• capital works and equipment purchases (for example, purchase of phones, computer hardware, laptops, tablets, routers, modems, webcams, entertainment systems, TVs, etc. will not be funded)
• commercial or fundraising activities
• celebration of national or independence days with the exception of key Australian days including ANZAC DAY, Australia Day, Clean Up Australia Day and NAIDOC day
• cash prizes or gifts
• religious festivals, rituals, religious events, or religious promotion, except multi-faith events which involve people from more than one religion
• media productions that have not been endorsed by Multicultural NSW prior to publication or broadcast.

Grant funding will not be awarded to any organisation that:

• has National Redress Scheme sanctions www.nationalredress.gov.au/ The National Redress Scheme has been created in response to recommendations by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Scheme includes sanctions against those Organisations who have been named and failed to join the National Redress Scheme. If your Organisation has redress sanctions, then you cannot apply for Grant funds
• is subject to a winding up order or has an appointed administrator
• has a pending/ongoing legal case
• is bankrupt
• has no sound financial management and governance
• has not demonstrated a commitment to multicultural principles.

Multicultural NSW may seek confirmation or clarification regarding a project’s activities and funds sought as part of this program before funds are released.

All successful applicants (organisations) will be required to participate in meetings with Multicultural NSW as required to share updates, insights, and learnings.

If funding is awarded, the Multicultural NSW Grants Program Terms and Conditions will apply to the grant funding agreement.

Applicants will be required to:

• review the Terms and Conditions and declare that they have read and understood them
• acknowledge that an agreement based on those Terms and Conditions will apply to the grant
• if awarded a grant, agree to comply with the Terms and Conditions in acquitting the grant.

Successful applications for funding must be delivered on time and on budget.