Regional Aboriginal Partnerships Program – Round 2 Frequently Asked Questions

The Regional Aboriginal Partnerships Program (RAPP) aims to advance Aboriginal communities in regional NSW through culturally strong and Aboriginal-led economic development initiatives.

The RAPP Round 2 is a targeted, non-competitive grant round. The objectives of the RAPP Round 2 are to:

• build on strong connections with culture and identity, to enable Aboriginal businesses and organisations to achieve positive economic, social, cultural and emotional outcomes
• create focused partnerships with Aboriginal young people, schools and businesses which can support meaningful and more stable employment outcomes
• support emerging and established Aboriginal businesses and organisations in strengthening their operations to help them to grow and invest
• establish pathways for employment and skills development that can lead to better social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal people
• build capacity in Aboriginal organisations and Local Aboriginal Land Councils to activate Aboriginal-owned land assets and support the delivery of funded projects that can ensure sustained economic betterment for Aboriginal communities.

In a targeted, non-competitive grant round, specific applicants are invited to submit applications that are assessed individually, without comparing them to others.

The RAPP is administered by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

All applications will be assessed for eligibility and only eligible applications will be considered for funding.

Eligible applicants must have an ABN and be one of the following:

• A Local Aboriginal Land Council or NSW Aboriginal Land Council
• An Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under relevant legislation
• A business, charity, or not-for-profit organisation with at least 50% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ownership/membership/directorship.

Applicants must demonstrate financial viability and have at least $20 million in public liability insurance or secure it before entering a Funding Deed if successful.

Projects that are eligible for funding under the RAPP (Round 2) must focus on at least one of the following:

• capacity building (i.e., strengthening capacity for organisations to grow and expand)
• program delivery
• renovations or improvements to buildings that will improve economic capability
• small cultural events (<$25,000).

Examples include:

• Industrial machinery, tools, and equipment to grow organisation
• Business case development and strategic planning
• Leadership and management training
• IT and software upgrades
• Cultural and leadership camps
• Employment programs.

Projects must be located within and deliver primary benefits to one or more of the 93 regional Local Government Areas (LGAs – listed below), Lord Howe Island or Unincorporated Far West.

Applications open on Friday, 19 July 2024 and will close at 1pm on Sunday, 20 October 2024. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible as applications may close sooner if funding committed reaches the total funding available.

The total available funding for the RAPP (Round 2) is $1.1 million.
Applications for funding can be for a minimum of $5,000 up to a maximum of $150,000 per project:

1. A total of $300,000 has been allocated to small projects ($5,000 - $25,000)
2. A total of $800,000 has been allocated to larger projects ($25,001 - $150,000).

Where the funding allocated to either small or larger projects is not fully exhausted, the ability to use these funds in future rounds or for other projects will be assessed on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of the Department.

Not required, but cash or in-kind contributions can be included in the application.

Projects already started or receiving NSW Government or Australian Government funding are ineligible. Funds cannot cover insurance costs, land, vehicles, core business operations, and retrospective funding for completed projects.

Contact a Regional Aboriginal Partnerships Manager to discuss the project and obtain the application form. Submit applications via the SmartyGrants portal by the deadline.

Yes. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they are financially viable and have at least $20 million public liability insurance or be willing to secure the insurance before entering into a Funding Deed if the application is successful. Please note that insurance cannot be funded by RAPP Round 2 grants.

Applicants must be a business, charity, or not-for-profit organisation, incorporated under Commonwealth, state or territory legislation, that has at least 50% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ownership/membership and/or directorship, and is operated for the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Aboriginal ownership or directorship of an organisation will be validated through Supply Nation, NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, or other appropriate means such as a Statutory Declaration.

Yes, if they are one of the eligible applicant types listed.

Eligible entities may choose to partner with another organisation to deliver their project. 
Ineligible entities (except for insolvent companies) can be part of a joint application, but the lead applicant must be an eligible entity.

Applicants can submit multiple applications but must apply separately for each project, except where an applicant plans to run the same program in multiple places and can submit a single application featuring all the locations where the program will run.

Applications are assessed for eligibility and then merit. Subject matter experts may be consulted. An assessment panel reviews and moderates the applications. Each application will be assessed on its merits before a recommendation is made in writing to the decision maker.

Applications will be initially assessed by the Department for eligibility as they are received.

Eligible projects will then be merit assessed and recommendations provided to the assessment panel.

The assessment panel will convene on a regular basis once one of the following occurs:

• at least 20 applications have been received and assessed by the Department; or
• the application period has run for at least four weeks and the applications received have been assessed by the Department; or
• the value of applications received and assessed by the Department is equal to or greater than $400,000.

A local member of the Regional Aboriginal Partnerships and Outcomes team can assist with the application process.

Eligible project costs

Up to 25% of the requested funding may be allocated to contingency and up to 10% of the requested funding may be allocated to project management and administration.

Design, regulatory application and approval costs may be listed separately to project management and administration costs and therefore do not fall under that 10% maximum.

Ineligible Project Costs

• Costs that would be considered business-as-usual activities.
• Core government activities or business operations and administrative running costs.
• Marketing, advertising, or product promotion including signage, with the exception of promotional activities specifically related to the project and are essential to its success.
• Activities, equipment or supplies that are already being supported through other sources.
• Financing costs, including interest and debt financing.
• Purchase of land, buildings and vehicles such as cars, trucks, vans, motorhomes and boats, with the exception of equipment specifically related to broader project and essential to its success.
• Capital expenditure for the purchase of everyday business activities such as office furniture and equipment, computers, printers and photocopiers, with the exception of equipment specifically related to a broader project and essential to its success.
• Costs involved in the purchase or hire of software (including user licenses) and ICT equipment, with the exception of equipment and software specifically related to a broader project and essential to its success, including software and equipment that will enable the project to be accessible and inclusive.
• Buying or upgrading equipment that is not fixed to a particular site, with the exception of equipment specifically related to a broader project and essential to its success.
• Costs such as rent and utilities unless specifically related to a broader project.
• Staff training and development costs not specifically related to the project.
• Insurance costs (applicants must hold and maintain adequate insurance coverage for any liability arising as a result of their participation in funded activities).
• Costs related to obtaining human resources used on the project, including job advertising, recruiting, and contract negotiations.
• Depreciation of plant and equipment beyond the life of the project.
• Operational expenditure, including but not limited to regular repairs and maintenance, with the exception of expenditure specifically related to the project and essential to its success.
• Opportunity costs relating to allocating resources to the agreed grant project.
• Projects that require ongoing grant funding from the NSW or Australian government.
• Projects that will proceed without any NSW Government financial assistance.
• Retrospective funding to cover any project component that is already complete before funding is announced.
• Funding for any ongoing staff or operational costs.

A position can be funded if it is linked to delivery of a project, program or activity outlined in the application.

Funding for a position that is business as usual and not linked to the project, program or activity outlined in the application is ineligible.

Non-fixed equipment, supplies or vehicles are eligible for funding if they are an essential component required for the delivery of the overall project or program detailed in the application. Equipment and non-fixed assets cannot be the sole components of a project or program.

Projects must commence within 6 months of the return of the applicant’s signed Letter of Conditional Offer with Confidentiality Agreement and be completed within 2 years from the commencement date of a funding agreement or funding deed.

Commencement of a project refers to any project development activities (including planning works, development application preparation or submission, procurement planning or contractor engagement).

Successful applicants will be notified in writing via a Letter of Conditional Offer with Confidentiality Agreement.

The signed Letter of Conditional Offer with Confidentiality Agreement is returned to the Department which must be returned within 7 days. 

The Contracting, Grants Management and Compliance team will initiate contracting once letters of offer and signed confidentiality agreements are returned by grant recipients. 

All grant recipients are required to execute a Funding Deed/Agreement with DRNSW prior to any payment of grant funding. The Funding Deed/Agreement sets out the terms and conditions of the grant funding, responsibilities of both parties, the milestone deliverables, reporting requirements and the payment schedule. 

Projects must commence within 6 months of an executed funding deed.

The Department is required to publish information about grants awarded on the NSW Government Grants and Funding Finder.

This is one of the criteria in the merit assessment stage for each eligible project. Evidence requirements to demonstrate this should include the following information:

• analysis of what is currently being offered in the area and identification of a service gap
• how the project will benefit the Aboriginal community, organisations and/or businesses
• evidence of community support, examples include:
  • community surveys or polls
  • meeting minutes
  • publications referencing Closing the Gap
  • video testimonials
  • letters of support.

Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by letter once their application has been fully assessed, the Assessment Panel has met to review their application, and funding recommendations have been approved.

Yes. In the SmartyGrants application form there is a table to be completed as a basic risk assessment of your project. Please note that this is only asking for the risks related to your project (not your organisation as a whole) and asks for brief details of how you will manage those risks. The amount of detail to be provided should be proportional to the complexity of your project and the amount of funding requested.

Yes. In the SmartyGrants application form there is a table to be completed as a basic project plan. It asks for the key activities being delivered as part of the project, the location, and expected start and end dates of the activity. There is also a spot for additional information to be provided. The amount of detail to be provided in this project plan should be proportional to the complexity of your project and the amount of funding requested. There is also a spot in the application form where you can attach relevant documents if you wish.

Project plans must have a suitable level of detail commensurate with the funding amount sought.

If you have one activity taking place in multiple places, you can either list each location as a separate activity (e.g., Breakfast Club #1; Breakfast Club #2, with a specific location attached to each), or you can list one activity with a generalised location (e.g., "Orange CBD").

Projects will not be funded if they represent significant risk to the community and/or reputational risk to the NSW Government. If the project is a physical risk to the community (for example, people could get hurt) then you may be required to provide a risk management plan which outlines what steps are needed to mitigate these risks.

Risk categories may include operational, compliance, financial, reputational, environment or resourcing. Risk description may include cost escalations, tight timeframes, weather, trip hazards, chemical hazards, limited project management experience, limited staff and/or personnel etc.

The risk assessment must identify how you will prevent or treat the risk.

To enter a funding deed, successful applicants are required to confirm project information and provide a copy of all relevant and applicable insurances, project approvals (e.g. development approvals, landowner’s consent) and/or other supporting documentation relevant to the project or as requested by the Department, as part of the contracting process.

If a project is successful, the first grant payment will be made once all required documentation has been provided to, and approved by the Department, through forms provided in the online portal and the Funding Deed has been signed by both parties.

The Department is required to comply with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) (the Privacy Act) and any personal information (as defined by the Privacy Act) collected by the Department in relation to the program will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act and its privacy policy (available on our Privacy page).

Any information provided by the applicant to the Department in connection with an application will be collected and stored on a database and will only be used for the purposes for which it was collected (including, where necessary, being disclosed to other Government agencies in connection with the assessment of the merits of an application) or as otherwise permitted by the Privacy Act.

You must be able to provide evidence (such as quotes or detailed estimates) to support your budget. 

If your application is successful, you will be required to produce receipts for all project costs, dated within the project start and end dates for reimbursement.

Costs incurred prior to the execution of the funding deed are not eligible and will not be reimbursed.

Information is required about the key personnel who will be responsible for the delivery of the project, including their qualifications and experience. 

We are looking for experience relevant to the delivery of the project. For example, has the person worked on projects that have been successfully delivered in the past? Have they worked in roles that demonstrate that they have the skills required to deliver the project? This can be either paid or volunteer work.

Once the value of submitted applications reaches or exceeds the total funding available ($300,000 for small projects and $800,000 for larger projects), acceptance of applications will pause. The NSW Grants and Funding Finder webpage will be updated to reflect this change. Following assessment of the submitted projects, the RAPP Round 2 may be reopened if funds are remaining and this falls within the application open period.