COMMUNITY ICE ACTION GROUP GRANTS
GUIDELINE
BACKGROUND
HOW WILL THIS MONEY BE ALLOCATED?
The Victorian Government delivered an Ice Action Plan on 5 March 2015. It was developed on the advice of the Premier’s Ice Action Taskforce and delivered, as promised, within the first 100 days of the Government. The Victorian Department of Health & Human Services will oversee an annual grants process for four years, with the first round of funding to flow in early 2015-‐16. As part of the plan, the Government will provide $500,000 over four years to fund grassroots Community Ice Action Groups across regional and rural Victoria. In some locations, this investment may allow local community members to come together for the first time to develop local solutions. In other cases, it may allow local community groups to build on existing successful, locally-‐based responses to ice. It will support a range of activities including forums, production and development of communications, promotion of education opportunities and the evaluation of these initiatives and interventions Applicants can make submissions using a short pro-‐forma that must address criteria listed in this document. A selection panel will assess all proposals against the stated criteria provided in this document. The Minister for Mental Health will approve final successful applicants. Project commencement and completion will need to occur within 12 months of grant allocation. HOW MUCH ARE THE GRANTS FOR?
Community Ice Action Groups can apply for grants of up to $10,000. This funding is for 12 months. A total of $125,000 grant funding will be available each year for four years. Amounts are inclusive of GST. WHAT ARE THE GRANTS FOR?
WHO CAN APPLY?
To identify the specific issues related to ice impacting on local community and assist grassroots community groups in those communities to work together on locally-‐driven solutions. Applications are sought from groups of community members who wish to take up this issue in their local regional and rural communities. The funding will be allocated to successful groups to undertake local engagement, education and prevention activities. Local communities will also be expected to support the activities through financial or in-‐kind support from local partners. Organisations may partner with schools, but delivery of specific ice or drug education in schools will not be funded. Initiatives focusing on particularly vulnerable groups such as the Aboriginal community are encouraged. Groups will need to be able to take on legal and financial responsibility for the grant agreement with the Department of Health & Human Services. In some instances, this may require the community group to be auspiced by an organisation that can enter into that agreement on the group’s behalf, hold the funds for the project and ensure it is completed under the terms of the grant agreement. Individuals will not be funded. For the purposes of these grants an auspice organisation will sign the grant agreement, report on the outcomes of the project and submit a financial acquittal of the funds received for the project. The auspice organisation is not responsible for carrying out the work of the project but they are responsible for ensuring it is completed under the terms of the grant agreement. The following entities are ineligible to apply for a grant but may be engaged as partners or auspice organisations in any project: • state or federal government departments and agencies, including Victoria Police • schools and educational institutions. GRANTS CRITERIA
1: Why is this project needed? (20% weighting) • quantifies what local co-‐investment will be provided, either financial or in-‐kind (it is an expectation of funding that there will be some local investment) 3: Who is involved? (30% weighting) The proposal: • demonstrates engagement with those already undertaking local activities in response to local ice issues • demonstrates a partnership approach, identifies key participants and describes their roles • outlines how participants will be engaged and their efforts coordinated to achieve outcomes and to manage and report on projects effectively • describes how the group will function – who will be the fund holder, how decisions will be made and how any disputes will be resolved. The proposal: • demonstrates the need for the proposed project by describing the nature and extent of the local issues and its impact on the community • outlines what has already been done locally/how this will build on existing services and/or community activities 2: What will the project (50% achieve? weighting) The proposal is focused on grassroots community action, and: • clearly describes the specific activities and initiative/s proposed • clearly describes the objectives of the project and the intended outcomes: what are the benefits or changes you expect to see as a result of the proposed activities or initiative? • describes how these benefits / changes will be measured ie how have the intended outcomes been achieved? • provides a rationale/evidence base for the proposed activities Community Ice Action Grants Guideline
TIMELINE FOR ROUND 1:
Wednesday 29 April 2015: Grants advertised Monday 1 June 2015: Applications close Late June 2015: Applicants notified of outcome July 2015: First year funding provided January 2016 Reporting on first 6 months of funding June 2016 Final report on outcomes EXCLUSIONS
This funding is focussed on supporting local community action in regional and rural Victoria. As funding is provided on an annual basis, it will not support ongoing staff funding, asset expenditure or attending conferences. 2
FURTHER INFORMATION
This initiative is being managed by the Department of Health & Human Services. For further information, please email: [email protected]
Community Ice Action Grants Guideline
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