Grant guidelines - community climate change action grants

The Tasmanian Government is committed to taking practical climate action and collaborating with the Tasmanian community to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions, or lower, from 2030, and increasing the resilience of Tasmanian communities to the impacts of a changing climate.

Climate change will impact all Tasmanians. Our response to a changing climate is dependent on the strong interest and expertise across our communities.

1.1. Objectives

This program offers grants for projects that meet one or more of the following objectives:

• Improving information and knowledge sharing including providing accessible and useful information about climate change, educating, or raising awareness about the impacts and opportunities of a changing climate.
• Reducing emissions including practical, targeted, on-ground community action that supports behavioural change and social innovation.
• Building resilience to the impacts of a variable and changing climate, including stronger social connections to increase resilience to future climate-related shocks and stresses, or supporting vulnerable community members to prepare for climate impacts, such as extreme weather, or energy and food insecurity.

This program is administered by the Climate Change Office in Renewables, Climate and Future Industries Tasmania (ReCFIT), Department of State Growth, on behalf of the Crown in the Right of Tasmania.

The Tasmanian Government has allocated $350,000 to support a wide range of community-level actions that improve information and knowledge about climate change, reduce emissions and build resilience to a changing climate.

The program will provide grants of between $2,000 and $20,000 to eligible applicants. Applicants can apply for grants for multiple projects.

This is a competitive grants program. Applications will be competitively assessed using the assessment criteria and funded based on a comparative rating scale. Because the program has limited funding, and we expect that there will be a high number of applications, not all eligible applications will be successful.

To be eligible for a grant you must:

1. be one of the following:
   • not-for-profit organisation
   • Australian charity
   • incorporated association
   • local government entity
   • recognised natural resource management body
   • recognised industry peak body or organisation
   • research institution
   • tertiary education institution
2. have an existing and ongoing presence in Tasmania.

We may ask you to provide information or documentation to support your eligibility claims, either as part of the application process or after you have submitted your application.

We may use third-party software to check the authenticity of the information you provide.

This program has limited funding. Not all eligible applicants will receive a grant.

Regardless of whether you meet the other eligibility criteria, you will NOT be eligible for a grant if you are:

• an individual
• a for-profit organisation/entity that is NOT explicitly identified in the list of eligible organisations (such as a natural resource management body or industry peak body)
• a State or Australian Government entity
• an entity whose primary purpose is political activity
• an otherwise eligible entity that has overdue obligations, or is engaged in a dispute, with an existing grant with the Department of State Growth
• an otherwise eligible entity that is subject to any legal disability, including bankruptcy or liquidation, including pending proceedings.

We will not assess applications from ineligible applicants.

If you have any questions about who can apply or the eligibility criteria, please contact the Climate Change Office by email: climatechange@recfit.tas.gov.au or phone: 03 6166 4466.

You may work in partnership with others to deliver a project, provided the lead organisation is an eligible applicant, and the project is otherwise eligible. For example, an individual/a group of individuals or a school can partner with a not-for-profit organisation to deliver a project, provided the not-for-profit entity lodges the application, and the project meets the eligibility criteria.

In such cases, you will need to include details of how the partnership will work, including:

• identification of the roles and responsibilities of each organisation or individual in the partnership
• how the applicant will engage project partners to successfully facilitate the project, and
• a letter of support from each partner detailing the partner’s contribution to the project, including any financial, resourcing, expertise, or in-kind support.

The lead organisation will hold full responsibility for the project, including any insurance, legal, financial, and liability associated with delivering the project in accordance with the grant agreement.

The Climate Change Office recognises the crucial role of the community in mitigating and adapting to a changing climate. This program aims to support a wide range of community climate change-related initiatives, including projects of varying scales across a range of locations. Unique and creative projects are welcomed, including small-scale projects that address the objectives of this program at a local level.

Below are some examples of the types of projects that may be supported:

• community gardens cultivating shared produce
• energy efficiency initiatives
• community clean-up events
• citizen science monitoring programs
• community education programs and workshops
• initiatives to restore local native ecosystems, such as invasive weed control programs
• projects that empower children and young people to respond to a changing climate
• projects that uplift and support vulnerable groups within the community to respond to a changing climate
• revegetation or regeneration initiatives
• creation and distribution of locally-focused climate change-related educational materials
• projects that aim to improve the resilience of vulnerable community assets
• upcycling, reuse and repurpose initiatives
• community-focused active transport initiatives
• programs that build community and social resilience to climate change
• creative projects that build climate literacy
• purchase, installation, or upgrades of renewable energy systems in community facilities.

To be eligible for a grant under this program, your project must:

• meet one or more of the objectives of this program
• be undertaken in Tasmania
• (where the project is location-based), have written approval and appropriate permissions to undertake the project from the property owner and any other required parties
• commence before 30 April 2025
• be completed by 31 December 2026
• have a project budget that gives a breakdown of the total cost of the project, which is equal to or higher than the funding amount requested
• have not already been supported through other Tasmanian Government funding sources.

Your project may form part of a broader program of work provided that it independently meets all project eligibility criteria and the scope of the project, including start and end points, and links with other phases of the program of work, are clearly articulated in your application.

Please note that this program aims to support community action on climate change. Applications must focus on the delivery of community-centred initiatives. While a project may incorporate elements of research, this program will not fund projects that are focused solely on undertaking climate change-related research.

We will not fund projects that:

• do not meet at least one of the objectives of this program
• have already commenced, been publicly announced, or been completed
• are already being supported through another Tasmanian Government funding source
• involve purchasing an asset that will not be owned and/or controlled by one of the project partners
• do not demonstrate a direct benefit to the Tasmanian community
• are solely to produce research, without a direct connection and benefit for the community
• are for events that are primarily for fundraising
• are designed to pass on the grant funding to third parties
• duplicate projects already underway or planned in that particular community
• do not hold the regulatory or planning permissions or permits that are required for the intended project
• request a funding amount that includes any of the following ineligible expenses:
  • costs not directly related to the project, including marketing, advertising, or promotional costs, organisation operating costs, insurance, staff training, maintenance and travel costs
  • gifts/sponsorship/membership fees
  • costs related to preparing the grant application and any project variation requests
  • permit, licensing, and approval costs
  • purchase of uniforms
  • lease or purchase of land or buildings
  • debt financing and financing costs, including interest.

Your application must demonstrate that you are an eligible applicant (see Section 3) and that your project is eligible (see Section 6).

Applications that meet the eligibility requirements will then be assessed competitively, based on the evidence you provide in the application, against the following four assessment criteria.

Applications should be submitted using SmartyGrants.

For assistance using SmartyGrants, please see the applicant help guide

Contact us to discuss any issue preventing you from using SmartyGrants to submit your application.

Applications for this grant will be competitively assessed. When you submit your application, you should receive a confirmation email. Please keep the email as confirmation that your application has been submitted. If you don’t receive a confirmation email within 24 hours, please contact the Climate Change Office by email: climatechange@recfit.tas.gov.au or phone: 03 6166 4466.

If you do not have internet access, please contact us to discuss alternative ways to apply.

1. You should read the guidelines and any frequently asked questions carefully before you start an application. The application form is designed to help structure your responses to the eligibility and assessment criteria.
2. This is a competitive process. Meeting the eligibility criteria will not automatically guarantee you are awarded a grant.
3. You will not be able to change your application once it has been submitted. You should ensure that all supporting documentation provided is accurate and is attached correctly before submitting.
4. You should complete and lodge your application online via the SmartyGrants website
5. Once you have submitted your application via SmartyGrants, you will receive an automatic receipt by email. This receipt will include details of the application and a unique application ID.
6. Applications will be assessed by an assessment panel. Information you supply may be subject to authenticity checks using third party software before being submitted to the assessment team or panel.
7. You will be advised of the outcome of your application once the independent panel has assessed all applications.

Applications close on 27 September 2024 at 2:00 pm. We will not accept applications received after the closing date and time.

An Assessment Panel will be established comprising Tasmanian Government individuals with relevant knowledge and experience.

Applications will be assessed based on the extent to which they meet the eligibility and assessment criteria detailed in these program guidelines, compared to other applications received.

During the assessment process the department may, at its discretion, ask you for more information to support or clarify your application. This information must be provided within three working days, unless otherwise advised. Failure to provide further requested information within the timeframe may result in the application being unsuccessful.

We aim to notify all applicants of the outcome of their application by 8 November 2024.

Successful applicants will be asked to enter into a funding agreement with the Department of State Growth.

If your application is successful, you will be required to enter a funding agreement with the Department of State Growth to receive a grant.

The form and terms and conditions of the agreement will be determined by the Department and, together with this application form and the program guidelines, will form the funding agreement.

The agreement will specify any reporting requirements and conditions for acknowledging this grant program as a funding source.

You will not receive payment until the funding agreement is finalised.

If your application is unsuccessful, you may appeal the decision.

The appeals process ensures that all applicants have been treated fairly.

We will consider appeals that relate to administrative process issues in grants management.

All appeal requests must be in writing and addressed to the Director of Climate Change. Your request must be received within 28 days from the date of State Growth notifying you of the decision about your application.

For further information about the appeal process, contact climatechange@recfit.tas.gov.au

If your application is successful, you will be asked for your organisation's bank account details to receive your grant payment.

The bank account must be in your organisation's name. You may be asked to provide a copy of your bank statement or a letter from your bank as confirmation.

Providing incorrect bank account details may result in significant delays or not receiving your grant payment. We cannot guarantee the recovery of funds paid to an incorrect bank account.

You will be required to return some or all the funds if:

• you do not complete the activities required under the funding agreement;
• you do not use any or all of the funding provided;
• your situation changes in a way that prevents completion of the grant; or
• we find that the information provided to us is false or misleading.

Grants distributed under this program may be treated as income by the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

We strongly recommend that, prior to applying, you seek independent advice from a tax advisor, financial advisor and/or the ATO, about the possible tax implications for receiving the grant.

Grants distributed under this program attract Goods and Services Tax (GST).

If you are registered for GST, the grant amount will be grossed up to include GST. A valid tax invoice must be supplied by the successful applicant to State Growth.

Information on invoices can be found on our Business Tasmania website: www.business.tas.gov.au/manage_a_business/invoices

If your application is successful, you will be required to report on the status of your project every six months, as detailed in your funding agreement.

You will also need to provide an acquittal at the conclusion of your project. An acquittal is a statement that confirms the grant was completed as per the funding agreement.

15.1. How to acquit your grant

We will send you an acquittal form using SmartyGrants.

Your acquittal must provide evidence of the outcomes of the project and how the funds were spent. This must include:

• details of the events or activities delivered, including images
• copies of any promotional materials, invoices and receipts
• copies of any written documents produced.

For grants over $10,000, this evidence must:

• be in the form of a written report, and
• include an account of the total income and expenditure for the project.

15.2. Failure to complete an acquittal

If you do not satisfactorily acquit your grant by the due date:

• you may be required to return the funding to State Growth; and
• you may be ineligible for other grants from State Growth.

Contact us to discuss any issue preventing you from acquitting your grant.

State Growth is accountable for its spending of public funds, including providing grants. As part of the accountability process, State Growth may publicise, without further notice, information about the grants provided, including the level of financial assistance, the identity of the recipient, and the purpose of the financial assistance.

If you have received a grant from State Growth:

• despite any confidentiality or intellectual property right subsisting in the grant funding agreement or deed, a party may publish all or any part of the grant funding agreement or deed without reference to another party, and you consent to the disclosure of your name in this context.
• all obligations under the Personal Information Protection Act 2004 (Tas) still apply.

You must take care to provide true and accurate information. Any information that is found to be false or misleading may result in action being taken and grant funds, if already provided, may be required to be repaid to State Growth.

Information provided to State Growth may be subject to disclosure in accordance with the Right to Information Act 2009.

Personal information will be managed in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act 2004. This information may be accessed by the individual to whom it relates, on request to State Growth.

State Growth may use and disclose the information you provide for the purposes of discharging its functions under the program guidelines and otherwise for the purposes of the program and related uses. State Growth may also use information received in applications and during the delivery of the project for reporting purposes.

Although care has been taken in the preparation of this document, no warranty, express or implied, is given by the Crown in Right of Tasmania, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information it contains.

The Crown in Right of Tasmania accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage that may arise from anything contained in or omitted from or that may arise from the use of this document, and any person relying on this document and the information it contains does so at their own risk absolutely.

The Crown in Right of Tasmania does not accept liability or responsibility for any loss incurred by an applicant that are in any way related to the program.