Thriving Communities Program

The Thriving Communities Program provides small grants for projects that build social capital through:

• community group participation
• a sense of belonging
• equity of access.

Projects that meet the aims of the program may include:

• physical infrastructure – new and expanded
• plant and equipment
• events to enhance community wellbeing and engagement, including promotional expenses capped at 10% of the grant
• training such as first aid, mental health first aid, child safe, cultural awareness and inclusion.

The grants will support projects that can be completed within 12 months.

This program is part of the Thriving Regions Fund.

See examples of projects funded by the Thriving Communities Program in 2022–23.

Key dates

Applications close 24 October 2024, or when all funding has been allocated, whichever occurs first.

Amounts

You can apply for a grant amount of $20,000 up to $50,000.

Total funding available for all grants in 2024–25 is $600,000.

Co-contributions and in-kind support

An applicant co-contribution is desirable but not essential. You're encouraged to leverage co-contributions from the Australian Government, or state and local government grants.

Managing project costs

An upfront payment of up to 50% of the value of the grant will be considered.

You'll need to demonstrate capacity to manage project costs.

An upfront payment of up to 10% of the value of the grant will be considered upon request to help with cashflow.

Who can apply

To be eligible for this program you must:

• be a legal entity
• be the key driver of the project
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be registered for GST.

Eligible entities include incorporated associations such as community and industry groups, or registered charities. Local government authorities may auspice an application on behalf of a community or industry group.

If you're not legally required to be registered for GST you may be eligible to apply, subject to meeting the other criteria. Get more information on GST and not-for-profits from the Australian Tax Office. You may also want to seek advice from your accountant for potential tax implications.

If your group is not incorporated, you can seek help from local government to auspice an application on behalf of your community or industry group. Auspice agreements mean that your group will carry out the project under the auspice of council or another eligible entity. They will receive the project funding and work with you to deliver the project.

If you don't have an ABN, you must submit a statement by a supplier not quoting an ABN from the ATO.

To provide the greatest value to South Australians, we will not fund these projects and activities:

• costs associated with the preparation of the application
• regular or ongoing events or activities normally funded through other sources
• operational expenditure, including wages and utilities
• retrospective funding, where projects have been completed or have commenced prior to the application being approved by the Minister
• purchase of land or a business
• projects that require ongoing recurrent State Government funding
• projects undertaken on behalf of third parties
• projects that have already received assistance from PIRSA or other relevant State Government grant funds to achieve the same project outcomes
• projects that are more appropriately funded through other funding sources, such as State or Australian Government programs (for example, there may be funding programs already in place to support sporting facilities or tourism venture projects)
• alcoholic beverages
• activities where participants must pay an attendance fee.

How to apply

What happens next

Application outcomes will be advised in 4 to 6 weeks.

The Thriving Communities Program is non-competitive which means we will assess each application as it is submitted.

When assessing, we will consider:

• final project designs and costs
• approval from the land or infrastructure owner to undertake the project at the nominated site(s)
• confirmed funding contributions from all sources, including formal documentation to verify those contributions with your application
• whether the project can commence within 6 months of approval and be completed within 12 months
• identified and prepared submissions for required regulatory or development approvals, or approvals have already been submitted or obtained
• appropriate stakeholder or community engagement has been undertaken where necessary and strong community support is demonstrated, including the extent of community participation arising from the project
• the capacity to manage costs of the project is demonstrated until key milestones are completed to the Minister's satisfaction and paid
• whether you have adequate insurance.

Contact PIRSA

PIRSA's principal regional advisors are located across South Australia, providing a local contact for regional communities.

Contact your principal regional advisor for help accessing services or your funding application.