Future Drought Fund Strengthening Drought Resilience on Country
Tender ID: 592063
Tender Details
Tender Description
The Australian Government is inviting First Nations businesses, organisations or consortia (with a First Nations lead) via a restricted (by eligibility) process, as outlined in sections 4.1 and 10.4 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines, to apply to deliver services under the Future Drought Fund’s First Nations Initiatives program.
The Strengthening Drought Resilience on Country Program grant opportunity supports the Australian Government’s commitment to building drought and climate resilience in partnership with First Nations peoples. It will run from 2025–26 to 2027–28, with $12 million (GST exclusive) available to support up to six First Nations businesses and organisations, as Delivery Partners.
As a devolved grant program, Delivery Partners will, with communities, undertake a co-design process to identify place-based, community-led projects (such as, local priority activities within the grant project) that build drought and climate resilience. Delivery Partners will manage grants and support the rollout of these activities. These initiatives aim to strengthen connection to Country and build resilience to dry times and climate impacts. While Delivery Partners won’t directly run the place-based, community-led projects, they will play a vital role in enabling and supporting the communities in their successful delivery.
Up to $1 million in administrative funding will be available to Delivery Partners, to manage the grant, plus up to $1 million in project funding to be distributed to selected sub-grantees (that they have identified) to deliver the co-designed place-based, community-led projects.
The Program aligns with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap Priority Reform 2 - Building the Community-Controlled Sector.
Eligibility:
To be eligible as a Delivery Partner, you must be one of the following entity types:
- Company
- Cooperative
- Corporate Commonwealth Entity
- Corporate State or Territory Entity
- Incorporated Association
- Indigenous Corporation
- Local Government
- Non-corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority
- Non-corporate State or Territory Entity
- Non-corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority
- Statutory Entity.
If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust, the Trustee must be an eligible entity type as listed above.
You must also have an account with an Australian financial institution that is set up for the purpose of grant funding.
Further information on entity types is available on the Community Grants Hub webpage.
Grant Activity Timeframe:
Assessment of applications - Within 8 weeks from the closing date
Approval of outcomes of selection process - Within 14 weeks from the closing date
Notification to applicants - Within 16 weeks from the closing date
Negotiations and award of grant agreements - Within 24 weeks from the closing date
Earliest start date of grant activity - 1 June 2026
End date of grant activity - 30 June 2028.
Instructions for Application Submission:
To apply, you must:
- complete the online application form on GrantConnect
- provide all the information requested
- address all eligibility criteria and assessment criteria
- include all necessary attachments
- submit your application to the Community Grants Hub by 9:00 pm AEDT on 16 December 2025.
Location
New South Wales : Central West : Far North Coast : Far West : Hunter : Illawarra : Mid North Coast : Murray : New England : Orana : Riverina : Southern Highlands : Sydney
Queensland : Cairns & Far North Queensland : Gladstone : Mackay Whitsunday Region : Mount Isa & North West Region : Rockhampton : South East Queensland : South West & Darling Downs : The Central West : Townsville : Wide Bay Burnett
Victoria : Barwon South West : Gippsland : Grampians : Hume : Loddon Mallee : Melbourne
South Australia : Adelaide : Eyre & Western : Far North : Fleurieu & Kangaroo Island : Limestone Coast : Murray & Mallee : York & Mid North
Northern Territory : Barkly : Big Rivers : Central Australia : East Arnhem : Greater Darwin : Top End
Australian Capital Territory
Tasmania