Youth Opportunities Program 2024/25 - Round 13

Funding is for new projects that enable marginalised young people to lead and participate in community development activities.

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Key information

Status: Closed
Grant amount: From $10,000 to $50,000
Application opened: 3 June 2024
Application closed: 15 July 2024, 5:00 pm

Program objective

The Youth Opportunities program provides one-off, time-limited grants for new projects that enable marginalised young people to lead and participate in their communities.

The purpose of Program is to increase marginalised young people’s participation in activities that strengthen their connection and belonging to their communities.

The Program supports organisations to empower marginalised young people to design and deliver community projects, enabling them to:

overcome barriers to participating in the community
build community based partnerships and networks
feel a greater sense of belonging within their community
feel empowered, as their ideas and opinions are respected, considered and acted upon
gain relevant training to support their participation
feel more confident within themselves and their abilities, having expanded their knowledge and skills
be recognised for their efforts as volunteers having given their time to design and deliver community projects
seek further opportunities to participate and stay engaged in their community.

The Youth Opportunities program requires applicant organisations to have spoken with young people and involved them in developing the project proposal prior to submitting a grant application.

Organisations must also involve young people at every stage of the project – from identifying the need and developing the project proposal through to design, project delivery and final review.

This program is administered by Department of Communities and Justice.

Eligibility

Who can apply

Under this Program, eligible organisations are:

incorporated not-for-profit community organisations operating in NSW
NSW Local Councils

For the purposes of this program, organisations deemed to be ‘incorporated not-for-profit community organisations’ operating in NSW include:

incorporated organisations that are registered and approved as not-for-profit bodies by NSW Fair Trading
not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee, registered in NSW (it is preferred but not essential that the applicant organisation in this case holds a valid ACNC registration and/or DGR status)
not-for-profit companies limited by shares, registered in NSW (must be non-dividend distributing)
associations (registered under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 with NSW Fair Trading)
cooperatives (registered under a relevant Act of Parliament)
religious organisations (registered as one of the above or established under an Act of Parliament).

Who the grant is targeted towards

Marginalised young people 12 – 24 years of age who are transitioning from childhood to adulthood and from dependence to independence.Young people who face marginalisation may include but are not limited to young people transitioning from Out of Home Care, young people experiencing homelessness, young people from low socio-economic backgrounds, young people with a disability, young carers, or young people in contact with the justice system.

The program seeks to fund a diverse range of projects from across NSW, particularly in rural and regional areas, and encourages applications from Aboriginal and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse organisations.

Note: projects do not need to cater to all ages. Applicants are encouraged to consider the practicality of keeping age groups close in range i.e 12-14, 15-17, 18-20, and 21-24. Applicants can stream project groups into older/younger teams/groups if warranted, so that activities are more age appropriate.

Types of projects funded under this grant

Projects should focus on giving young people the opportunity to develop a range of skills, including

life skills and healthy behaviors
leadership, communication and teamwork
event management and planning
volunteering opportunities that link young people to further education and training.

When the project can start and end

Projects will commence 01 March 2025 and have till 30 May 2026 to complete all activities.

The project should be started by 1 March 2025 and the project must be completed by 30 May 2026.

Outcomes for projects funded under this grant

Funded projects are expected to contribute towards the following outcomes:

Project Outcomes (short-term)

Increased participation in youth-led and youth-driven community activities indicated by

the number of youth-led and youth-driven community projects funded per round,
the number of marginalised youngpeople directly involved in the planning, design and delivery of the project as volunteers, and
the number of volunteer hours spent on the planning, design and delivery of the project.

Marginalised young people address and overcome barriers to participation indicated by

the number of marginalised young people that attend and participate in events/activities as part of the project.

Marginalised young people participate in activities that strengthen their connection to their local community indicated by

the number of youth-led and youth-driven community events/activities held as part of the project.

Marginalised young people learn a range of skills that strengthen their ability to participate in their local community and support future social and economic participation indicated by

the numberof marginalised young people that undergo training (formal or informal) as part of the project.

Marginalised young people’s contributions are recognised and valued indicated by

the number of recognition activities and events that were held as part of the project.

Program Outcomes (medium-term)

Marginalised young people feel a sense of choice and control (self-determination) in their lives indicated by

the proportion of marginalised young people who report being involved in decision making throughout the project.

Marginalised young people feel a sense of connection and belonging to their local communitiesindicated by

the proportion of marginalised young people who report feeling a sense of belonging in the place and community where they live and
the proportion of marginalised young people who plan to continue to volunteer within their community.

What costs you can apply for

Project Budget

A detailed budget outlining all project related expenses is required as part of the grant application. The following funding limits apply to all applications:

a reasonable portion of the budget can be used for project coordination, including the reimbursement of your young volunteers for pre-identified or agreed expenses (the cost of volunteering should not be a barrier to participation for a young person)
up to 10% of the budget can be used for minor administration costs (promotion, marketing, printing, stationary, postage, external bookkeeping fees if required)
up to 15% of the budget can be used to purchase minor equipment (applicants must demonstrate the need for these purchases in their application)
up to 10% of the budget can be used for catering

Note: funds can only be used for expenses/activities directly associated with the implementation of the project.

Who can’t apply

Commonwealth or State Government agencies
schools (including Parents and Citizens Associations), a university or TAFE college
individuals or sole traders
commercial for-profit organisations
sub-contractors engaged to manage or deliver the project on behalf of non-eligible organisations

What costs you can't apply for

Funding must not be used for:

any activity of a commercial nature that is for profit
interstate or overseas travel, scholarships and/or conference attendance
case-management or counseling services for young people
business as usual costs or general operating expenses such as rent, insurance, electricity, water, rates or the running of other programs within the organisation
costs that are not directly associated with the implementation or delivery of the project
capital works (e.g. establishing or refurbishing a youth center/space)
large equipment purchases (e.g. vehicles)
existing projects/programs
projects that deliver outcomes under the school curriculum. Projects that intend on using school grounds or school facilities, cannot be run as part of the school curriculum or other areas of school responsibility

Types of projects not funded under this grant

Projects must not include:

school projects that are part of the curriculum or other areas of school responsibility
interstate or overseas travel, scholarships and/or conference attendance
case management or counseling for young people
religious festivals, rituals, events or promotions, except multi-faith events that involve young people from more than one religion
major capital works (e.g. establishing or refurbishing a youth center)
large equipment purchases (e.g. vehicles)
costs that are not directly associated with the implementation or delivery of the project
operating expenses such as rent, insurance, electricity, water, rates
funding towards the running of other programs within the organisation
existing projects or programs.

Example projects

Projects should focus on giving young people the opportunity to develop a range of skills, such as, but not limited to:

life skills and healthy behaviors
leadership, communication and teamwork
event management and planning
volunteering opportunities that link young people to further education and training.

Types of projects can include, but are not limited to:

mentoring programs
workshops and events
creative arts programs e.g. visual arts, theater, songwriting
life skills, training and professional development programs
community networking
work readiness programs
health and wellbeing events
financial literacy workshops
digital literacy training.

Additional eligibility requirements

Projects funded under the Youth Opportunities program are to involve young people at every stage of the project. It is expected that young people will take an active role in identifying, designing and implementing these projects.

Projects are required to meet the following objectives:

Partner with marginalised young people to deliver a youth-led and youth-driven community project
Improve marginalised young people’s access to and inclusion in community activities such as sport and recreation, cultural and other activities
Provide marginalised young people with knowledge and skills to strengthen their ability to participate in their local community and support future social and economic participation
Recognise the contributions marginalised young people make to their local community.

What your application needs to include

Prepare your application with this checklist

Before you start your application, read the Program Guidelines in full to make sure you understand all the relevant requirements for the Youth Opportunities grants program.

Check Eligibility Criteria (must be an incorporated not-for-profit community organisation operating in NSW or a NSW Local Council) on page 13 of the Program Guidelines.
Make sure you have spoken with young people and involved them in developing the project proposal prior to submitting a grant application. Remember a key element of the Youth Opportunities program is that marginalised young people take an active role in identifying, designing and implementing these projects.
Read over the Project Objectives and Core Components on pages 7-8 of the Program Guidelines to make sure your project adheres to these guidelines.
Read over the Project Budget and Exclusions lists on page 14 of the Program Guidelines to make sure your project fits within these guidelines.
Read over the Assessment Criteria on page 20 of the Guidelines to understand what the assessors are looking for.

Address the eligibility criteria

Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.

Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.

Address the assessment criteria

Each application will be considered on its merits, based on how well it meets the assessment criteria and how it is ranked against other applications. Assessments are conducted by independent assessment panels.Each application is assessed against the following criteria:

The project demonstrates that marginalised young people have had and will have meaningful input at every stage of the project (identifying the need, planning and design, delivery, final review and recognition) - the project is youth-led and youth-driven.
The project improves marginalised young people's access to and inclusion in community activities such as sport and recreation, cultural and other activities.
The project provides marginalised young people with knowledge and skills to strengthen their ability to participate in their local community and support future social and economic participation.
The project recognises the contributions marginalised young people make to their local community.
The project clearly demonstrates substantial benefits to young people compared with the total cost of the project - the project represents good value for money.

Start the application

Application Process

Step 1 – Check your eligibility

Step 2 – Prepare your application via SmartyGrants

Step 3 – Submit your application

Applications can be submitted at any time before the deadline, but no applications will be accepted after the deadline. The SmartyGrants system will automatically shut off at 5:00pm on the due date.
At the end of the online application form, you will be prompted to review your application. Any errors (word limits not reached, questions not completed) will be highlighted in red and you will be prompted to go back and correct the error before your application can be submitted. Carefully check your application prior to submitting.
Once you have reviewed your application and you are ready to submit it, you will need to click the submit button. Once submitted no changes can be made. Simply saving your application does not lodge your application with the Department.
Once your application has been submitted you will receive an automated response from SmartyGrants – a confirmation of submission email. If you have not received this email, your application has not been successfully submitted, or the confirmation email has ended up in your junk mailbox. Please check this before contacting us. You can also log in to SmartyGrants and click ‘My Submissions’ to view your submitted and unsubmitted applications. Submitted applications are identified by a green tick.
If you realise that you have made an error once you have submitted your application please email youth@dcj.nsw.gov.au for assistance before the closing date.
The Youth Opportunities program team can assist organisations with queries regarding the application process, but not the content of the application. If you have any questions regarding the process please email youth@dcj.nsw.gov.au.

Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.

Apply now

After the application is submitted

Successful applications will be decided by: NSW Department of Communities and Justice

The assessment process for the Youth Opportunities program is:

Eligibility assessment: Delegated staff conduct a review to ensure eligibility against the eligibility criteria (see Eligibility Criteria, page 13) and general compliance with these guidelines.
Competitive merit based assessment: Each eligible application will be assessed against the selection criteria by an assessment panel.
Recommendations: The assessment panel will make recommendations to the final decision maker.

Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is 01 March 2025

Support and contact

For information on the Youth Opportunities program, please email youth@dcj.nsw.gov.au

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