Since 2017, the Stronger Country Communities Fund (SCCF) has provided $660 million for more than 2,530 regional projects.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: From $100,000
- Application opened: 5 August 2022
- Application closed: 23 September 2022, 5:00 pm
Program objective
Stronger Country Communities Fund - Round 5
The Stronger Country Communities Fund (SCCF) Round 5 will see a further $160 million in funding for 530 community projects that increase the wellbeing of regional NSW communities, including up to $50 million for projects delivered by community organisations.
The projects include upgrades to local parks, sporting fields, community halls and community led programs all which will increase the wellbeing of regional communities.
The Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 5 aims to boost the wellbeing of communities in regional areas by providing new or upgraded social and sporting infrastructure, or community programs that have strong local support.
A total of $160 million is available, including up to $50 million for projects delivered by eligible community organisations.
Projects must be for infrastructure or community programs that boost the wellbeing of regional areas through improved amenity and positive social outcomes. Funding is available for local community and sporting infrastructure, street beautification, projects enhancing accessibility and inclusion for people with disability, projects improving outcomes for Aboriginal people, and community programs and local events.
This program is funded and administered by Department of Regional NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
- Applicants must be an incorporated entity and hold an Australian Business Number (ABN), Australian Company Number (ACN), be registered with NSW Fair Trading under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 or incorporated under an Australian federal, state or territory Act of Parliament.
- Eligible Council Applicants: NSW Regional Councils, Regional Joint Organisations of Councils, Section 355 Committees of Council
- Eligible Community Applicants: Community organisations registered as incorporated associations, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, Lord Howe Island Board, Unincorporated Far West groups.
Who can’t apply
- Unincorporated organisations, individuals and for profit and commercial organisations are ineligible to apply
- Councils in Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle.
Projects must be for infrastructure or community programs that boost the wellbeing of regional areas through improved amenity and positive social outcomes. Community amenity projects must be for either:
- construction of new, or upgrades to existing, local community infrastructure
- construction of new, or upgrades to existing, local sporting infrastructure
- capital works related to street beautification and other public places that promote the health, happiness and wellbeing of the community
- delivering programs that benefit the local community and provide public benefit
- infrastructure to assist the delivery of general community programs
- infrastructure or community projects or programs which improve and promote accessibility and inclusion.
Please see the Program Guidelines (PDF 6.29MB) for a full list of eligible project examples.
Projects are not eligible for funding if they are:
- located outside an eligible regional Local Government Area
- not submitted by an eligible entity
- located across multiple Local Government Areas boundaries
- exclusively for planning activities (e.g. master planning or heritage studies)
- for the maintenance or construction of local roads or other ongoing core service infrastructure works that are the ordinary responsibility of council or other levels of government
- for the delivery of essential or core government services funded from another source, such as local government, NSW Government or Commonwealth Government
- seeking retrospective funding to cover any project component already completed before applicants are informed of the outcome or funding is announced
- for ongoing staff or operational costs beyond three years from project announcement for programs, or any ongoing staff or operational costs for infrastructure projects
- for a general works package without specific scope, costs and location (e.g. ‘upgrading lighting at sports ovals’ without identifying the work required, number of sites or locations)
- exclusively for marketing, branding, advertising or product promotion, including tourism marketing
- providing direct commercial and/or exclusive private benefit to an individual or business
- not clearly providing benefits that will significantly contribute to the objectives of the Stronger Country Communities Fund.
View the Program Guidelines
For more information about the Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 5, including key dates, eligibility and assessment criteria, please see the Program Guidelines (PDF 6.29MB).
Online Information Session
An online information session was held on Wednesday 17 August 2022 to provide an overview of the program, guidance on the eligibility requirements and application process, and to answer questions from potential applicants.
View Frequently asked questions
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 5 will be a single stage application process.
Council applicants will be required to submit all their projects (up to a maximum of 10 projects) in the one application form.
All applications need to include:
- a clear project scope
- a project plan
- a project budget based on quotes or detailed estimates, reasonable assumptions or previous experience with similar projects
- landowner consent (DOCX 66.39KB) if the land is not owned by the applicant
- proof of incorporation for community groups
- evidence of $20 million Public Liability Insurance in the name of the applicant
- evidence of project co-contribution for projects requesting $2 million or more in funding (if applicable)
- a letter of support from the relevant NSW sporting organisation if a sports-related project is seeking over $2million in grant funding (if applicable)
- evidence of community consultation and strong community support for the project
For Council applications these will need to be provided for each project included in the application.
Start the application
Applications for Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 5 must be submitted online via SmartyGrants.
This is a single stage application process.
Council applicants will be required to submit all their projects (up to a maximum of 10 projects) in the one application form.
After the application is submitted
The Department of Regional NSW will review projects against the Program eligibility requirements and facilitate the assessment of projects against the assessment criteria. Through the assessment process, the department may request additional information from the applicant/s. The department may also seek advice from other NSW Government agencies or other third-party providers (such as probity advisors) to assist with the assessment of projects.
The Stronger Country Communities Fund Assessment Panel will review project eligibility and assessment outcomes and form a list of projects that are deemed suitable/not suitable for government consideration. The Assessment Panel may recommend part-funding of projects where there is insufficient funding available for the whole project or where only a component of the project is considered suitable for funding. This may include part funding projects under the minimum grant threshold of $100,000.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of each application and will be offered a feedback information session for any unsuccessful application.
Successful applicants will be notified confidentially from November 2022 or as soon as possible after a grant is approved, at the NSW Government’s discretion.
Support and contact
The Department of Regional NSW can offer support and assistance for Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 5 applicants. Please contact our team via the details below.
Phone: 1300 679 673
Email: sccf.enquiries@regional.nsw.gov.au
Please include the name of your Local Government Area when emailing your enquiry.
Program evaluation
Findings of the Process Evaluations of Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 5 and Resources for Regions Round 9
Supporting Regional Communities to Develop Community Infrastructure, Programs, and Events
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has invested in several programs that deliver enhanced social infrastructure, community programs and events for regional communities. That funding has been designed to improve the lives of people living in regional communities by improving access to and facilitating participation in community-based activities.
The Stronger Country Communities Fund (SCCF), and the Resources for Regions (R4R) Programs provided two pathways for regional communities to access funding for social and community infrastructure. Since 2017, the SCCF has provided $660 million for more than 2,530 regional projects across five rounds. Beginning in 2012, R4R ran for nine rounds and delivered $560 million into regional NSW to support 355 projects. R4R was designed to support regional NSW communities impacted by mining, and later included communities impacted by gas exploration.
Recent Process Evaluations of the final rounds of each of those programs (SCCF Round 5 and R4R Round 9) have considered the implementation strategies for each program. The similarities and differences between the funds, in terms of their design and outcomes, provide insights that can inform funding strategies for the provision of community-focused infrastructure, programs and events into regional communities into the future.
Of the $160 million allocated to SCCF5, $157 million was allocated - $109 million to local Councils and $48 million to Community Organisations. R4R9 funded the highest number of projects in the program’s history and provided up to $140 million of funding for 113 projects across 26 eligible Local Government Areas (LGAs). Most projects supported economic and community infrastructure.
Summary and Recommendations
The outcomes of both Process Evaluations are similar. There remains demonstrable strong support for programs that enable community-based social infrastructure. There is also ongoing support for programs and events, which typically are delivered by community organisations. Both SCCF5 and R4R9 were fully subscribed, with the number of eligible applications exceeding the available funding.
Both SCCF 5 and R4R 9 also showed Councils are reliable funding partners and can work with community organisations to deliver infrastructure, programs and events. However, supporting community organisations to identify projects needed by their local communities is critical. Both programs also illustrated the importance of early and effective communication between the Department and its stakeholders.
One of the differences between the two programs is that while SCCF5 was a competitive funding opportunity, R4R9 provided Councils with certainty about the amount of funding available. This facilitated planning and prioritisation for Councils and their local partners. It also meant that when faced with decisions about where to deploy resources to ensure submission deadlines were met, Councils prioritised R4R9 over SCCF5. In other words, non-competitive funding allows better planning by (and so better applications from) Councils and the local community organisations with which they collaborate. Timely announcements of that funding allow for the Department to better support Councils and community organisations in the preparation and delivery of their applications.
The SCCF5 Evaluation Report includes four considerations for implementing programs in the future. These related to the sequencing of application windows for multiple programs, and opportunities to further strengthen program communication, application and assessment processes.
The R4R9 evaluation report includes three key strategic recommendations related to funding models and program communication.
- Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 5 Program Evaluation (PDF 815.63KB)
Resources for Regions Round 9 Program Evaluation (PDF 816.77KB)
Date of publication: July 2024
Rounds Three and Four
Round Four of the Stronger Country Communities Fund delivered $100 million to support 435 projects to improve the lives of people in regional NSW. Almost half the investment went towards projects supporting female participation in sport.
In 2019, Round Three provided $100 million for community projects with over half the total funding dedicated to youth related projects, including include indoor sports programs, creative arts and culture projects, mentoring and skills training services.
Rounds 1 and 2 evaluation
In Round One, $100 million was invested to improve community facilities such as town halls, recreation areas, shared paths and playgrounds. Through Round Two, a further $200 million was invested to provide community and sports-related infrastructure.
Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 1 and 2 Process Evaluation
Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 1 and 2 Outcome and Economic Evaluation