2024/25 Community Projects Program

Submissions are now being accepted. Submissions close at midnight 1 June 2025 (AEST).

2024/25 Community Projects Program

 

Program Guidelines

Applicant Guide

  • Applications will be received under the Community Projects Fund for project proposals that deliver a benefit to the community and are align with the program categories contained within these Program Guidelines.
  • Projects will generally be of a non-ongoing nature and delivered within the financial year in which funding is provided.
  • Applications received under the project threshold will be determined within four weeks of being received.
  • Applications received above the project threshold will be referred to the quarterly budget review and be determined within 12 weeks of being received.
  • Consultation with the respective Councillor is strongly encouraged prior to submitting an application.

Program Categories

Community services and development

Project threshold: < $5,000

Projects funded to develop and build capacity within the community may include, but are not limited to, supporting the following:

  • CPR and First Aid courses
  • Referee courses
  • Citizen science services
  • Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation

Community activations

Project threshold: < $10,000

Projects funded or sponsored to deliver a community activation may include, but are not limited to, supporting the following:

  • Commemorations
  • Local events

Note: you will need to complete a Park Booking Form for activities within City parklands.

Equipment and resources

Project threshold: < $5,000

Projects funded for the purchase of minor equipment and resources may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Computers and software
  • Sports equipment
  • Defibrillators
  • Whitegoods

Capital works

Project threshold: < $25,000

Projects funded for minor capital works may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Strategic asset planning
  • Air conditioning systems
  • Security systems
  • Investigations and planning reports

Note: you will need to complete and attach a Proposed Project Form for works at a Council premise.

Eligibility

Applicants

Who can apply?

A community organisation will be eligible to apply for a community grant if they:

  • Are an incorporated association or are auspiced by an incorporated association; or
  • Are a registered charity with the ACNC; and
  • Are located in or primarily provide services to the City of Gold Coast Local Government Area; or
  • Primarily provide services outside the City of Gold Coast Local Government Area, but the initiative is in the public interest of the City of Gold Coast community.

Who can’t apply?

  • State or Federal Government agencies/departments 
  • Unincorporated entities
  • Political participants and advocates

Projects

Projects must:

  • align to an outcome within the City Vision
  • demonstrate a benefit to the Gold Coast

Projects must not:

  • provide a direct financial benefit to an individual

Assessment

Criteria applied to the assessment of projects will consider:

  • alignment to the City Vision
  • value for money and competing priorities
  • quantity of applications previously received and funded
  • advice provided by subject matter experts
  • consultation with the relevant Councillor

Acquittal

All grant funds provided under this program greater than $1,000 must be acquitted within one calendar month of project completion.

A bi-annual program summary will be circulated to stakeholders with relevant information and published to the corporate website.

A register of community grants will be maintained for inspection.

Submitting your application

You will find a review and submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it.

Once you have reviewed your application you can submit it by clicking on 'Submit' at the top or bottom of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the compulsory questions are completed and there are no validation errors.

Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible.

When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email you used to register.

If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email then you should presume that your submission has not been submitted.

Supporting documentation

You may need to upload/submit attachments to support your application. This is very simple, but requires you to have the documents saved on your computer, or on a storage device.

You need to allow enough time for each file to upload before trying to attach another file. Files can be up to 25MB each; however, we do recommend trying to keep files to a maximum of 5MB – the larger the file, the longer the upload time.