2026/27 DISCRETIONARY GRANTS PROGRAM

APPLICANT GUIDE

The Discretionary Grants Program is allocated funding each financial year to support community organisations to deliver projects primarily intended to benefit a particular divisional area and its residents. Funds administered under the Discretionary Grants Program are considered discretionary funds pursuant to the City’s Community Grants Policy and s202 of the Local Government Regulation.

Funding is limited and the submission of an application does not guarantee funding.

Each Councillor, including the Mayor, is allocated an annual Discretionary Grant Budget of $48,484.00 to support eligible community projects. Applications requesting between $250 and $10,000 are welcomed.

An organisation may only submit one application to the Discretionary Grants Program per financial year.

Applications open: 1 August 2026

Applications close: 14 August 2026

Late applications will not be accepted. Applications received after the published closing date and time will not be considered under any circumstances.

BEFORE YOU APPLY

Before commencing an application, applicants are encouraged to:

• Review these Guidelines in full.
• Obtain any required quotes, approvals and supporting documentation.
• Ensure the project can be completed within the financial year.
• Consult with the relevant Divisional Office, or the Office of the Mayor for Mayor's Discretionary funding.

Early preparation will assist in ensuring your application can be assessed efficiently.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for funding, applicants must:

• Be an incorporated association registered with the Queensland Government; or
• Be auspiced by an incorporated organisation; or
• Be a Queensland P&C Association; or
• Be a Queensland Rural Fire Brigade; or
• Be a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC); and
• Be 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 where the proposed initiative is in the public interest of the Gold Coast community; and
• Deliver a project that aligns with an outcome of the Council Plan; and
• Deliver a project that primarily benefits a single divisional area and its residents.

Applicants must provide evidence of their eligibility by attaching the following documentation to their application:

• Incorporated Associations – A copy of a current Incorporation Certificate issued by the Queensland Government under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld).
• Queensland P&C Associations – A letter from the School Principal confirming the organisation is the recognised P&C Association of the school.
• Queensland Rural Fire Brigades – A letter of support from the relevant Area Manager, Rural Fire Service Queensland.
• ACNC Registered Charities – A copy of the organisation's current ACNC registration certificate.

The following organisations are not eligible to apply:

• State or Federal Government agencies or departments.
• Unincorporated entities (unless auspiced by an incorporated organisation).
• Political participants and advocates.

Failure to provide the required supporting documentation at the time of application may result in the application being deemed ineligible.

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

Projects must:

• Align with an outcome of the Council Plan.
• Primarily benefit a single divisional area and its residents.
• Deliver a clear community benefit.
• Be completed within the 2026/27 financial year.

Projects must not:

• Provide a direct financial benefit to an individual.
• Receive funding from another City of Gold Coast funding source for the same project.

ASSESSMENT

The Discretionary Grants Program is a discretionary funding program.

Applications will be assessed by the relevant Councillor against the objectives and priorities of the program.

Assessment may consider:

• Alignment with the Council Plan.
• Demonstrated community benefit.
• Benefit to the relevant divisional area.
• Value for money.
• Previous funding received through City of Gold Coast grant programs and compliance with funding conditions.
• Availability of funding within the relevant divisional allocation.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome via the email address provided in the application form.

ACQUITTAL

All grant funds must be acquitted within one calendar month of project completion.

Organisations with overdue acquittals may be deemed ineligible for future funding until all acquittal requirements have been satisfied.

A program summary will be published on the City of Gold Coast website.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the navigation panel. Your application must be reviewed before it can be submitted.

Once reviewed, click Submit at the top or bottom of the screen, or via the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all mandatory questions have been completed and any validation errors have been resolved.

Once submitted, no further editing or uploading of supporting documentation will be possible.

Upon submission, you will receive a confirmation email containing a copy of your application.

If you do not receive a confirmation email, you should assume your application has not been successfully submitted.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Depending on your application, you may be required to provide:

• Certificate of Incorporation or ACNC registration.
• Auspice Agreement (where applicable).
• Quotes or estimates.
• Evidence of approvals or landowner consent (where applicable).
• Any additional documentation relevant to the proposed project.

Files can be uploaded directly through the application form.

Please allow sufficient time for files to upload before attaching additional documents. Individual files can be up to 25MB; however, applicants are encouraged to keep file sizes below 5MB where possible to minimise upload times.