Selection criteria

Applications must address how Festivals and Events will:

• promote cross-cultural awareness and understanding. They must engage a broad cross-section of the NSW community
• ensure NSW’s multicultural communities can celebrate, preserve and share traditions
• be accessible by the general public and are for all communities of NSW

Eligibility & Exclusions

To be eligible for a Stronger Together Festivals and Events grant, applicants must:

• be located within NSW
• show how the Festival or Event will present cultures and traditions
• outline how they will measure success and outcomes, including collecting attendance data to be shared with Multicultural NSW post event
• show co-contributions from applications towards the festival or event. It is unlikely that an application will receive a grant if there is no co-contribution
• confirm other funding sources that are contributing to the total event budget
• confirm past and current funding sources for the past three years
• have acquitted all prior grants
• be a non-profit sharing organisation
• show that the Festival or Event is cost effective and viable with an accurate budget
• have all appropriate insurances and licences
• submit an application using Multicultural NSW SmartyGrants portal before the closing date
• deliver the Festival or Event within the delivery timeframe for the grant. This information is in the grant guidelines and application form
• promote the Multicultural NSW and NSW Government funded event or project on their website and social media platforms

What items cannot be funded?

The following activities are excluded from receiving grant funding:

• political activities
• commercial or fundraising activities
• local councils, unless they have partnered with a community organisation
• celebration of national or independence days of countries other than Australia. Key Australian days including ANZAC Day, Australia Day, Clean Up Australia Day and NAIDOC day can apply
• single faith religious rituals or promotions. Multi-faith events which involve people from more than one religion can apply
• activities that are dependent on recurrent annual funding
• applications that seek support funding the core business of the organisation. This includes supplementing, increasing or continuing ongoing service delivery

Grant funding will not be awarded to any organisation that:

• does not demonstrate a commitment to multicultural principles
• has Redress sanctions as described in the National Redress Scheme
• is subject to a winding up order or has an appointed administrator
• has a pending or ongoing legal case
• is bankrupt
• has no sound financial management and governance

A detailed budget must be provided in the grant application.

In-kind contributions should also be outlined in the grant application.

The budget income and expenditure must balance.

Multicultural NSW strongly encourages co-contributions from applications towards the festival or event. It is unlikely that an application will receive a grant if there is no co-contribution.

Funding restrictions apply for the following items:

• Catering. No more than 20% of the budget can be used for catering
• Administration. No more than 10% of the budget can be used for administrative costs related to the grant funded project delivery. Administration costs include organisation staffing.
• Insurances. No portion of the grant funding can be used towards insurance costs. Including, but not limited to, Public Liability Insurance, Workers Compensation Insurance and Volunteers Insurance
• Capital Expenditure or Purchases. No portion of the grant funding can be used towards capital expenditure or purchase costs. Including, but not limited to, building costs or maintenance and equipment purchase
• Cash Prizes or Gifts. No portion of the grant funding can be used towards cash Prizes or gifts, including gift vouchers
• Independent Audit Fees. No portion of the grant funding can be used towards financial independent audit fees

Application meets eligibility criteria and is not an excluded activity

Applications from ineligible organisations or for excluded activities are not eligible for consideration.

Application form is complete and submitted on time

Incomplete applications will not be progressed for assessment.

Applications that are not submitted online through the Multicultural NSW SmartyGrants portal before the closing will not be progressed for assessment.

Applicants need to register with SmartyGrants to apply. If the organisation has used SmartyGrants to apply for a grant with Multicultural NSW before, they will already be registered.

Attachments are uploaded through the online application form.

Application is appropriate to the Program

Successful applications will clearly and convincingly show:

• how the festival or event will deliver the grant aim
• how the festival or event meets the grant criteria

Application demonstrates capacity to successfully deliver the Festival or Event

Successful applications will clearly demonstrate the organisation’s capacity to deliver the Festival or Event within the available delivery period and within budget.

Applications should clearly identify resources that will be committed to ensure the Festival or Event is a success.

Application presents good value for money

Successful applications will clearly demonstrate value for money with a well-considered, proportionate, clearly itemised budget.

Grants will be awarded for Festival and Events from a diverse range of community organisations, for a diverse range of activities and approaches, and in diverse localities across New South Wales.

Applications are assessed in comparison to all other applications and in comparison to similar applications in terms of locality, cultural focus, and type of activity or approach.

Multiple applications

Eligible organisations can submit more than one application for different Festival or Events. If successful, organisations will only receive one grant within the same funding round.

Available funding pool

Multicultural NSW always receives more funding requests than the amount of funding available. Successful applications will be of a high standard. The limited funding pool and competitive assessment process also means that sometimes even strong applications will be unsuccessful.

Terms and Conditions will apply to the grant funding agreement. Successful organisations are required to:

• review and understand the funding agreement Terms and Conditions
• acknowledge that an agreement based on those Terms and Conditions will apply to the grant
• if a grant is awarded, they will agree to comply with these Terms and Conditions in acquitting the grant

1. What is the Stronger Together Festival and Event Grants Program?
The Stronger Together Grants Program is an initiative by Multicultural NSW aimed at supporting multicultural and multifaith community festivals and events across NSW. The program encourages the celebration of cultural diversity and fosters community harmony.

2. What are the eligibility requirements for applying?

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be located within NSW.
• Present cultures and traditions in their festival or event.
• Measure success and outcomes, including collecting attendance data.
• Show co-contributions towards the event.
• Confirm other funding sources contributing to the event budget.
• Have acquitted all prior Multicultural NSW grants.
• Be a non-profit sharing organisation.
• Ensure that the event is cost-effective with an accurate budget.
• Have all necessary insurances and licences.

3. What types of events are supported by the program? Eligible festivals and events must:

• Promote cross-cultural awareness and understanding.
• Engage a broad cross-section of the NSW community.
• Celebrate, preserve, and share traditions.
• Be accessible to the general public and open to all communities.

4. What items are excluded from funding? The grant does not fund:

• Political, commercial, or fundraising activities.
• National or independence days of countries other than Australia.
• Single-faith religious rituals or promotions.
• Applications that require recurrent annual funding.
• Ongoing service delivery or core business operations of an organisation.

5. Can I apply for more than one grant?
Eligible organisations can submit multiple applications for different festivals or events. However, only one grant will be awarded per organisation within the same funding round.

6. What is the range of funding available?
Grants range from $5,000 to a maximum of $20,000 for festivals and events taking place between March 1, 2025, and July 31, 2025.

7. What is the deadline for applying?
The deadline for submitting applications is 5 PM on Friday, October 11, 2024. No extensions will be provided.

8. How do I submit an application?

• The link to apply for a grant is here.
• Multicultural NSW uses the online platform SmartyGrants for all grant submissions.
• Through the Multicultural NSW website link, you need to log in using the SmartyGrants link to access the online application form.
• If your organisation previously used SmartyGrants to apply for a grant, then the organisation will already be registered and can use existing usernames and log in details, and do not need to set up a new registration/account.
• All required attachments MUST be uploaded through the online application form in SmartyGrants.
• The online application form includes an application checklist to help you check that all the required information has been provided.
• All required fields marked with an * must be completed.
• Multicultural NSW can only accept applications submitted online through the SmartyGrants portal.
• Incomplete and/or non-compliant applications will be considered ineligible and will not be assessed for funding.

9. Are there any restrictions on how the funds can be used? Yes, funding restrictions include:

• Catering (no more than 20% of the budget).
• Administration costs (no more than 10%).
• No portion of the funding can be used for insurance, capital expenditure, cash prizes, gifts, or independent audit fees.

10. What should I include in the project budget?
A detailed, balanced budget must be provided, including in-kind contributions and a clear breakdown of income and expenses. Co-contributions are encouraged.

11. How will applications be assessed? Applications will be assessed based on:

• Alignment with program goals and selection criteria.
• Capacity to successfully deliver the event.
• Good value for money.
• Comparison with other applications in terms of locality, cultural focus, and type of activity.

12. Can local councils apply for funding?
Local councils are only eligible if they have partnered with a community organisation.

13. Are co-contributions required?
Yes, Multicultural NSW strongly encourages co-contributions from applicants.

14. What happens after I have submitted my application?
All applications are checked to ensure the required information has been submitted.

• Eligible applications are assessed by a panel, which include an independent member.
• Once the decision has been reached, all applicants will receive advice in writing detailing the outcome of the applicant.
• For successful applications a funding agreement is provided to the applicant for consideration and signing.
  – If a grant is awarded, your organisation will need to comply with the Terms and Conditions of the funding agreement when delivering the project and to acquit the grant

15. Who can I contact for support?
If you need assistance with submitting your application, please contact Multicultural NSW Grants Team:

• Phone: 02 8255 6779
• Email: [email protected]