Victorian African Communities Action Plan

Community organisations that work with young people and families of African heritage. Evidence of relationships with school communities will be essential.

Community organisations in Victoria may submit applications, provided they are one of the following entity types:

1. incorporated associations (incorporated under state legislation, commonly have ‘Association’ or ‘Incorporated’ or ‘Inc.’ in their legal name);
2. incorporated cooperatives (also incorporated under state legislation, commonly have ‘Cooperative’ in their legal name); and
3. a not-for-profit entity registered under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) or the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic).

Organisations must also have a current Australian Business Number (ABN).

Eligible applications will be assessed against program objectives, eligibility requirements and assessment criteria.

Applications will be required to provide responses to the assessment criteria and submit a detailed project plan and budget.

Once a decision has been made, you will be notified if your application has been successful or not.

All applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

Why is this project or activity needed?

The application clearly demonstrates the link between the proposed activity and a community need.

What will the project or activity achieve?

The application demonstrates:

• how the activity will support the program objectives
• the expected outcomes of the activity

Who is involved?

The application demonstrates the extent to which the proposed activity:

• will reach the target audience/s
• is led by African community organisations

How will the project or activity be delivered?

The application demonstrates the extent to which the activity or project:

• will be designed by, and appropriate for, Victorian’s African communities
• is ready to proceed and supported by a clear plan and realistic timeframes
• is based on sound cost estimates and represents value for money.

How will you measure the success of this project?

The application demonstrates the extent to which information will be collected to measure whether the initiative or project has met its objectives and the intended change has taken place.

Documentation to attach to your application

• A Certificate of Currency for public liability insurance with a minimum cover of $10 million for any one occurrence.
• A letter of support from an auspice organisation, if your organisation is being auspices by another organisation

Grant funds will be paid in line with the approved project plan and milestones outlined in the Funding Agreement.

Grants of up to $300,000 are available to African community organisations for a period of up to 36 months from January 2025 to December 2027 (end of Term 4, 2027).

Grant recipients will be required to enter into a Victorian Common Funding Agreement (VCFA) with the Department of Education.

The Homework Club Grants Initiative is a discretionary, merit-based grant program. All decisions by the Department of Education in relation to any aspect of the funding application and assessment process, including any decision to offer or award a grant under this program, or to withdraw the offer or cancel the grant funding agreement, are final.

Taxation requirements

Applicants are generally expected to provide an Australian Business Number. GST payments may be made to an organisation based on an assessment of approved activities. Grants to organisations not registered for GST may be made on a GST exclusive basis. All project budgets should be submitted exclusive of GST.

Payment of grant funds

Grant funds will be paid in line with the approved project plan and milestones outlined in the Victorian Common Funding Agreement.

Funding acknowledgement

Government contributions to the project must be acknowledged in any relevant publication, promotional material, or news releases. Successful organisations will be advised of these requirements.

Your legal responsibilities

If you apply for a grant you must ensure that the activity that is the focus of your application complies with relevant legislations, regulations, by-laws, mandatory codes and requirements of any Commonwealth, State, Territory or Local Authority. It is your responsibility to be aware of laws and protocols that regulate the way you must conduct your work.

Insurance requirement

The Funding Guideline for Services to Children (Betrayal of Trust) provides that when DE provides funding to non-government organisations for services direct to children, the funded organisation must be:

• Incorporated, so it can be sued in abuse proceedings
• Insured for child abuse.

Providers must report on insurance and incorporation compliance status to meet this requirement including the provision of an Insurance Certificate of Currency.

Insurance Requirement Details

Appropriate insurance is insurance that:

1. Indemnifies for liability for child abuse
2. Indemnifies the funded organisation (FO) for 3rd party personal injury, including shock and mental injury, and does not contain any exclusion or limitations of coverage for child abuse
3. Includes liability for abuse perpetrated by persons associated with the FO including an office holder, employee, volunteer, agent, contractor or another child
4. Is held on a ‘claims made’ or ‘occurrence’ basis [occurrence basis preferred]
5. Specifies a minimum insured amount of $5 million per claim, or in the case of coverage provided on the basis of a monetary aggregated claims amount, $10 million per annum.

Insurance provided by VMIA complies with the requirements of clause 10.3 of the Guideline.

If insurance is on a ‘claims made’ basis [clause 10.3.1] the Funding Agreement must be conditional on the FO agreeing to:

1. Maintain the insurance for no less than seven years following cessation of funding by the Department and
2. Obtain run-off cover for a minimum of seven years in the event that the FO ceases to operate during the term of the Funding Agreement.

If successful, you must enter a Victorian Common Funding Agreement (VCFA) with the Department of Education and Training. This agreement will outline the terms and conditions for the grant and all reporting requirements.

Successful applicants have 10 business days (only) from the Offer of Funding to submit the VCFA.

You must begin your project by 29 January 2025 – or else the funding may be withdrawn (unless an alternative arrangement is pre-negotiated and pre-approved).