COMPACT Partnership Projects Grants: community-led initiatives valued between $50,000 to $100,000 per year for projects up to two years.
The proven COMPACT Program recognises that socially cohesive communities are more resilient communities in the face of adversity and crisis. Whether we are dealing with bushfires, floods, terrorism, or a global pandemic, we know that more connected communities are more resilient to, and recover more quickly from, adversity.
COMPACT supports partnerships and collaboration between community, non-government, youth, sports, arts/media, educational and other organisations by providing grant funding for innovative, evidence-based community projects.
Successful applications will bring together partners or consortia with the demonstrated experience, expertise and capacity to engage and effect real positive change in young people (aged between 12-30), families and communities within a community resilience and conflict resolution frame.
Successful applications will ideally bring together two or more partner organisations with different skill sets to support COMPACT objectives.
Eligible organisations can apply for funding between $50,000 to $100,000 per year for projects up to two years.
These grants are now closed.

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COMPACT is a first-of-its-kind community resilience-building initiative to counter extremism. COMPACT recognises that, beyond the threat of violence, extremism threatens social cohesion and community harmony by promoting fear, hate and division in society.
In responding to this threat to community harmony, COMPACT takes a whole of-society approach to community resilience, where “resilience” means proactively building and maintaining strong, responsive and collaborative networks that operate across communities and sectors, and that can mobilise to respond to challenges and threats, resolve conflict and actively promote social cohesion.
This sense of resilience operates across the full continuum of risk mitigation to support community Preparedness, Prevention, Response and Recovery.
At the program-level, the collective outcomes we work towards can be described as follows:
- 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.
COMPACT is a flagship program contributing to the Community Resilience strategic priority under Stronger Together, the Multicultural NSW Strategic Plan 2021-2025:
Expanding robust relationships that inspire people to foster social cohesion, stand united against divisive forces and come together in times of need.
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Funded COMPACT partnership projects will build on the strengths of our diverse society to address one or more of the following objectives:
- To inspire and empower young people to stand up and stand united against extremism, hate, fear and division as champions for community harmony
- To support communities and build resilience to threats to community harmony in NSW arising from local and global issues
- To build robust, sustainable networks, relationships and partnerships across communities
- To promote community understanding of the value and benefit of cultural diversity.
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COMPACT partnership projects can address the project objectives listed above through one or more of the following youth engagement methods:
- 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 and 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 social cohesion
- Critical thinkers and problem solvers: includes methods to train and upskill young people to critically identify and effectively respond to threats to community harmony and resolve community conflict in online and offline context
- Intergenerational interpreters: includes youth-led methods to support intergenerational communication and understanding, address issues of intergenerational trauma and conflict, build resilience at the family level, and promote the value of diversity across generations
- Volunteers and humanitarians: includes methods to engage young people in volunteering, community service, charity and local and/or international humanitarian work with a clear benefit to local communities
- Community connectors: includes methods of cross-cultural, cross-regional, and interfaith engagement that bring communities together and foster trust, collaboration and cohesion
- Sports for social cohesion: includes methods to engage young people, break down barriers, 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.
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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.
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.
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COMPACT partnership grants are awarded on merit following a rigorous assessment process. Applications for COMPACT partnership grants are assessed by a multi-agency panel than 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, the Community Resilience strategic priority under Stronger Together, and the COMPACT 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 properly multicultural 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
- Applicant organisation demonstrates a commitment to multicultural principles.
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
- Proposal has a plan for effective evaluation, including data collection
- Project partners have the demonstrated capacity and cultural competency to engage young people and diverse groups
- Proposal demonstrates an understanding of risk and has a plan for risk management, including the ability to adhere current and future health directions and advice.
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
- The organisation adds strategic value, knowledge and experience to the COMPACT Alliance
- The project fulfils a niche 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 partner
- 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
- Project partners have a track record of working collaboratively with other organisations.
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Eligible not-for-profit organisations are invited to apply for $50,000 to $100,000 (excl. GST) per year for projects up to two years. Projects will be delivered in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years.
Eligible not-for-profit organisations 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.
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Funding is not available for:
- applications seeking to undertake activities that contradict current health directions and advice
- 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.
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All successful applicants (organisations) will be required to:
- adhere where required to the NSW Government’s Public Health Orders and perform the requirements of the project in a COVID safe way
- 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.