Access and Inclusion Grant

This grant delivers funding to support local businesses, not for profit organisations and community groups to improve access and inclusion for people with disabilities. 

The objective of this grant program is to provide funding for access and inclusion improvements for people with disabilities and their families and/or friends to businesses, not-for-profit organisations, and community groups.

There are two (2) streams of funding available within the Access and Inclusion Grant Program.

For further information, to discuss your idea for a grant, or for assistance with your application, please contact the Council's Access & Inclusion Officer on 5832 9700 or email communityadmin@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

Grant guidelines

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, applicants must:

• be a properly constituted legal entity or be auspice by such a body that is able, and willing, to accept legal and financial responsibility for the project
• be free of debt to Greater Shepparton City Council and have no outstanding acquittals from previous Greater Shepparton City Council grant programs
• be based within the municipality of Greater Shepparton or provide services or benefits primarily to the Greater Shepparton community
• have sufficient funds available to satisfy the matching requirement of the Access and Inclusion Grant Program
• have the required building / planning permission to carry out the proposals sought by the grant application and prior to undertaking works
• have demonstrated full compliance with any existing building and/or planning requirements of Greater Shepparton City Council and/or any other statutory building authority/ies
• ensure all relevant approvals and permits are sought and written notification is received on this matter from the grant recipient for the proposed works under this grants program, within a four-month period of the date of funding offer

What will NOT be funded?

• applications from agencies or departments of the Australian and Victorian governments
• applications from schools or educational institutions, unless the proposed project can demonstrate significant involvement of and benefits for the wider community
• projects with participation limited to the school community will not be considered
• projects that duplicate existing services or programs
• projects that deliver a religious or party-political message where the purpose is to advance the organisation’s religious beliefs or political views, irrespective of what those beliefs or views may be
• projects located where there are gaming machine venues
• organisations that receive funding/revenue from the sale or profit of alcohol, tobacco and/or gambling
• requests for retrospective funding, including reimbursement of costs already incurred and funding for projects that have already commenced or have been completed before successful grant applications are announced
• general operating expenses such as utility bills, lease or rental payments, wages or salaries, project management costs, etc.
• repair of facilities damaged by vandalism, fire or natural disasters where the incident should reasonably be expected to be covered by property insurance
• applications for projects that engage in activities that promote discrimination, violence or anti-social behaviour
• applications received after the closing date

Matched Funding

Stream 1 Access and Inclusion Grant (non-capital)

This stream of funding requires the applicant to match funds on a 1:1 basis i.e. Council will contribute $1 for every $1 spent by the applicant without the Council’s contribution, not exceeding the maximum grant amount of $1,000.  The matching contribution in this stream can be in-kind.

Stream 2 Access and Inclusion Grant (minor capital)

This stream of funding requires the applicant to match funds on a 4:1 basis - i.e. Council to contribute $4 for every $1 spent by the applicant - where Council’s contribution would not exceed the maximum grant amount of $10,000.  For example, if you intend to apply for a $10,000 grant, you will need to match this budget with a financial contribution of $2,500. The funds matching component of this stream cannot include in-kind contributions.

Project Documentation

Stream 1 Access and Inclusion Grant (non-capital)

To allow the Grant Assessment Panel to appropriately assess an application, the applicant is required to provide copies of all documentation including but not limited to the following as part of any grant application:

• a detailed project plan outlining the activities and the projects to be funded through the proposed program
• expected outcomes/anticipated benefits to the community
• examples/samples of the proposed activity/project (where appropriate to do so)
• a detailed budget for the proposal

Stream 2 Access and Inclusion Grant (minor capital)

To allow the Grant Assessment Panel to assess an application, the applicant is required to provide copies of all documentation including but not limited to the following as part of any grant application:

• evidence of building ownership or permission from the building owner to undertake the proposed buildings, works or signage
• plans or drawings detailing the building’s existing condition and proposed changes or upgrades
• photographs of the building and area/s to be upgraded
• evidence of discussions with relevant authorities e.g. Council’s Statutory Planning Team and/or building authorities for any permits required for the proposed buildings, works or signage
• expected outcomes/anticipated benefits to the community
• at least one quotation for proposed works
• a detailed budget for the proposals including the cost for any/all required building and/or planning permits

General Budget Information

The budget must include details on all income (all sources of funding that will be used to deliver the project) and expenditure (all costs involved in the project).  Income and expenditure figures in the budget table of the grant application form must be equal.

A quotation must be provided with your application if any one item exceeds $1,000.

Assessment

A panel of Council Officers, with broad organisational representation, will be appointed to the Grant Assessment Panel, which will assess all applications.

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria and applications then ranked in order of score:

• community benefit
• demonstrated improvement in achieving access and inclusion outcomes for community and / or visitors and / or customers
• project feasibility
• matching component
• evidence of community support

All applicants will be notified as to the outcome of their application via the email address provided in the application.

Please refer to the timetable on Greater Shepparton City Council’s website to confirm the estimated date that applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application.

In some cases, the Grant Assessment Panel may consider an application as more suited to one of Council’s other grant programs. If this occurs, Council will contact you to inform you of this decision and may ask for additional information.

Grant Timeline

Approvals

In some cases, approvals/permits may be required to carry out the proposed project. Applicants should discuss their project with the responsible body e.g. Council or other relevant Government department before submitting an application.

Any offer of grant funding will be conditional to applicants obtaining any relevant regulatory approvals.  The approval/permit must be obtained within 6 weeks of your offer of funding or an extension negotiated and approved.  Council Officers can assist applicants with offering advice on the process to seek the required approvals.

Attachments

To assist with the approval of your application please provide attachments relevant to support your group’s vision for the festive decorations detailed in your application, including:

• Pictures/specifications of materials or products you have sourced.
• Approval from the relevant land owner.
• Drawings/designs of proposed capital works.
• Quotes for the proposed application.

Acquittal

You will be required to provide an acquittal to Council when your project is completed. Your acquittal must include:

• a summary of the project including your feedback on the things that went well and things that you have learned from the project
• a financial statement must be completed attaching a copy of any receipts
• copies of promotional materials, photographs or videos to promote the grant program through Council publications and its website

The acquittal process is mandatory and important because it enables Council to continuously evaluate the success of the grant program.

All projects will be required to be completed and acquitted within 30 days of completing the project.

Any applicant that fails to submit the acquittal documents will be ineligible to apply for funding under any future rounds of the grant program until the acquittal process is completed and reviewed by Council.

Things to consider when upgrading your business to provide better access