The Community Grants Scheme (CGS) provides funding for smaller-scale, generally local-scale community-based projects that improve the management of waste in Western Australia.
Under the Community Grants Scheme grants can be offered to any community organisation or group, which participates in practical projects that improve the management of waste in Western Australia.
To be eligible a project must:
- help protect or enhance the environmental quality of a locality by implementing the three principles;
- Prevention – To avoid the creation of waste
- Recovery – To efficiently re-cover, re-treat and re-use all wastes
- Disposal – To responsibly manage waste into the environment
- be located within Western Australia;
- involve the applicant, and ideally the local community, in its implementation and use; and
- involve a financial or labour contribution from the applicant.
Applications proposing projects that focus on measurable behavioural change will be considered favourably.
Projects which are not considered acceptable include those:
- likely to be implemented without the need for grant assistance
- normally expected as a duty of another Government agency
- having no obvious public involvement or benefit
- originating from Schools (the Department has specific Waste Wise Schools grants available)
To maximise your chances of success you should:
- supply all the information requested
- ensure the project has wide benefits
- provide an adequate budget or business plan
- avoid projects that have been done before
- show you have the experience or expertise to carry out the project
- demonstrate how you will contribute to the project
Who can apply?
Not-for-profit, incorporated community based organisations and groups based in Western Australia are eligible to apply.
Partnerships between community organisations are encouraged. In such cases, one organisation must take responsibility for project accountability and report requirements and so be the “Lead Organisation”.
If an individual or group that is not incorporated wishes to apply for a grant, the application must be made by another incorporated organisation on their behalf. This organisation will be required to enter into the grant agreement with DEC and act on the Applicant’s behalf in any financial or reporting arrangements with DEC.
Commercial enterprises and associations, government bodies and statutory authorities, are ineligible to apply. However, local government authorities in remote regional communities may submit a grant application and act on behalf of unincorporated organisation/groups in any financial or reporting arrangements with DEC.
What level of financial assistance can be expected?
The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account has only limited resources for this scheme nd therefore individual grants are limited to $20,000 per project per year. The grant will normally not exceed 50% of the total cost of the project, although this total cost can include unpaid labour contributions from volunteers (calculated at a nominal rate).
Applications must be received by Friday 12th March 2010
To discuss eligibility for Government grants or assistance with applications please contact us via the webform of call us at 03 9606 3324.
