Grants up to $100,000 support community-led partnerships, programs and pilots improving multicultural water safety, swimming access, inclusion, trusted messaging and sustainable local participation across Australia.
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What is the WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program (WE SWIM – MCWS)?
The WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program is a national, evidence-informed initiative funded by the Australian Government and led by Royal Life Saving Society – Australia.
The program aims to reduce drowning risk, remove barriers to swimming and water safety education, and build belonging among refugees, recently arrived migrants and broader multicultural communities.
WE SWIM combines national coordination with community-led delivery and supports culturally responsive activities through four core program pillars:
- WE CONNECT – strengthening connections between multicultural communities and aquatic facilities, clubs, councils and other local organisations.
- WE WELCOME – improving cultural safety, inclusion and pathways into the aquatic sector.
- WE PROMOTE – delivering trusted and accessible water safety messages through appropriate community voices and channels.
- WE LEARN – removing barriers to participation in swimming and water safety education.
Funding is delivered through several streams designed to support activities ranging from large place-based partnerships through to community programs and targeted pathfinder initiatives.
The principal funding opportunities include:
- WE SWIM Place-Based Partnerships.
- WE SWIM Community Programs.
- WE SWIM Pathfinder – Refugee Settlement.
- WE SWIM Pathfinder – Ambassadors.
- WE SWIM Pathfinder – Emerging Leaders, which is also identified on the current WE SWIM program webpage.
WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program level of support
Funding varies according to the funding stream.
Funding Amount
- Place-Based Partnerships – up to $100,000 per partnership.
- Community Programs – up to $50,000 per program.
- Pathfinder – Refugee Settlement – up to $100,000 per pathfinder partnership.
- Pathfinder – Ambassadors – up to $10,000 for organisations.
- Pathfinder – Ambassadors – up to $3,000 for individuals.
- No minimum grant amount is specified in the supplied funding overview for these streams.
- The supplied funding overview does not specify an amount for the Emerging Leaders stream.
Indicative total funding available includes:
- Approximately $1.5 million for Place-Based Partnerships.
- Approximately $1.2 million for Community Programs.
- Approximately $300,000 for Pathfinder – Refugee Settlement.
- Approximately $150,000 for Pathfinder – Ambassadors.
Indicatively, the program expects to support:
- Around 10 Place-Based Partnerships.
- Around 60 Community Programs.
- Around three Refugee Settlement pathfinder partnerships.
- Around 15–20 Ambassador recipients.
Co-contribution
Co-investment is expected across the funding opportunities, although the supplied funding information does not prescribe a fixed percentage or dollar-value co-contribution.
- Place-Based Partnerships – matched or higher cash and in-kind co-investment is strongly expected.
- Community Programs – cash and/or in-kind co-investment is expected.
- Pathfinder – Refugee Settlement – local cash and/or in-kind co-investment is expected.
- Refugee Settlement in-kind contributions may include venue access, staff time, outreach and bilingual support.
- Pathfinder – Ambassadors – cash and/or in-kind co-investment is expected.
Applicants should therefore clearly identify the cash and in-kind resources that they and their partners will contribute to delivery.
WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program important dates
- Applications close – 24 September 2026.
- Applicants notified of outcomes – 16 October 2026.
- Funding agreements – 30 October 2026.
- Grant outcomes must be delivered by – 31 May 2027.
- Reporting and acquittal – 30 June 2027.
- Register your interest with GrantHelper.
WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program objectives
The WE SWIM program is designed to:
- Reduce drowning risk among refugees, recently arrived migrants and broader multicultural communities.
- Improve equitable access to swimming and water safety education.
- Remove cultural, financial, language, transport, confidence and other barriers to aquatic participation.
- Strengthen swimming and water safety capability within multicultural communities.
- Improve awareness and understanding of water safety and local aquatic hazards.
- Build stronger connections between multicultural communities and aquatic facilities, swim schools, swimming and lifesaving clubs, councils and community organisations.
- Create more culturally safe, inclusive and welcoming aquatic environments.
- Support trusted and culturally appropriate communication of water safety information.
- Strengthen social cohesion and community belonging through aquatic participation.
- Build sustainable local capability and partnerships that can continue beyond the funded activity.
- Support pathways into participation, leadership and employment within the aquatic and water safety sector.
- Generate learning about effective approaches that can potentially be replicated or scaled.
Projects and expenditure eligible for WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program support
Eligible activities depend on the funding stream.
Place-Based Partnerships
Place-Based Partnerships support larger, multi-partner initiatives intended to coordinate delivery across a diverse LGA, multiple LGAs or a regional corridor or hub.
Projects should:
- Operate within a clearly defined place-based footprint.
- Focus on multicultural communities.
- Bring together a genuine local coalition of community, government and aquatic or water safety partners.
- Address all four WE SWIM pillars.
- Include a strong in-water delivery component.
- Build sustainable local systems, partnerships and pathways.
- Establish a mandatory Local Community Coalition or Steering Group.
- Ensure the coalition meets at least monthly.
- Limit coordination costs to no more than 20% of funding.
Community Programs
Community Programs support focused delivery within a single LGA, defined local community or tightly focused catchment.
Projects may:
- Address a specific local barrier, cohort or community need.
- Build community trust in swimming and aquatic participation.
- Establish pathways into sustained participation.
- Deliver both dry-side and in-water activities where they contribute to access or trust.
- Apply all four WE SWIM pillars at an appropriate community scale.
- Develop strong local partnership arrangements between community and aquatic organisations.
- Allocate no more than 20% of funding to coordination.
A formal steering group is not required for Community Programs, but strong local partnership arrangements are expected.
Pathfinder – Refugee Settlement
The Refugee Settlement Pathfinder integrates subsidised water safety activities into early settlement pathways for refugees and humanitarian entrants.
Eligible activities may include:
- Subsidised swimming and water safety lessons.
- Water hazard awareness activities.
- Staffing directly associated with delivery.
- Venue costs.
- Bilingual or interpreter support.
- Transport assistance.
- Support for access to appropriate swimwear.
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning activities.
- Co-designed activities involving refugee and migrant communities.
- Activities delivered through culturally safe and trauma-informed approaches.
The stream is intended particularly for:
- Refugees and humanitarian entrants.
- Recently arrived migrants and their families.
- School-aged children.
- Young people aged 15–24.
- Parents and caregivers.
Pathfinder – Ambassadors
The Ambassadors stream supports trusted community voices to communicate approved WE SWIM messages.
Activities may include:
- Community communications.
- Outreach.
- Networking.
- Advocacy.
- Community engagement.
- Brief training associated with the ambassador role.
- Promotion of approved water safety information through trusted community networks.
This stream primarily supports the WE PROMOTE pillar, with WE CONNECT and WE WELCOME providing supporting links.
It is not intended to fund primarily in-water program delivery.
Pathfinder – Emerging Leaders
Royal Life Saving also identifies an Emerging Leaders pathfinder opportunity.
This stream is designed to create leadership pathways and stronger connections between the aquatic sector and emerging multicultural professionals aged under 30.
It aims to provide emerging leaders with opportunities to participate in:
- Aquatic and water safety events.
- Industry forums.
- Conferences.
- Professional networking.
- Sector leadership environments.
- Activities that provide emerging multicultural professionals with a meaningful voice and lasting industry connections.
Ineligible projects and applicants
Exclusions vary by stream.
For Place-Based Partnerships, the following are identified as ineligible:
- State, Territory and Commonwealth government agencies.
- Non-incorporated organisations.
- For-profit organisations.
- Single organisations applying without a genuine consortium.
- Proposals limited to community-scale delivery rather than genuine place-based partnership activity.
- Applicants with unresolved reporting obligations.
For Community Programs, exclusions include:
- State, Territory and Commonwealth government agencies.
- Non-incorporated organisations.
- For-profit organisations.
- Applicants with unresolved reporting obligations.
- Proposals without a genuine combination of community and aquatic partners.
- Broad multi-LGA proposals that do not fit the community-scale intent of the stream.
For Pathfinder – Refugee Settlement, exclusions include:
- Government agencies.
- Non-incorporated organisations.
- For-profit organisations.
- Applicants with unresolved reporting obligations.
- Proposals without a genuine settlement-integration model.
- Projects primarily involving broad community delivery rather than integration with settlement pathways.
For Pathfinder – Ambassadors, exclusions include:
- For-profit organisations.
- Applicants without clear community reach or a trusted-voice role.
- Proposals primarily focused on in-water delivery.
- Applicants with unresolved reporting obligations.
Other WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program important details that you will need to know
Organisations eligible for WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program support
Eligibility and partnership requirements vary according to the stream.
Place-Based Partnerships
The minimum consortium must include:
- A lead organisation.
- At least two multicultural, settlement and/or community partners.
- At least one council.
- At least one water safety organisation and/or aquatic provider.
Lead organisations may submit up to two applications.
Community Programs
The minimum partnership must include:
- A lead organisation.
- At least one community-based organisation.
- At least one water safety organisation and/or aquatic provider.
Lead organisations may submit up to three applications.
Pathfinder – Refugee Settlement
The minimum partnership must include:
- A lead organisation.
- At least one settlement or humanitarian service provider.
- At least one water safety organisation and/or aquatic provider.
- Other appropriate local partners may also participate.
A lead organisation is limited to one application.
Pathfinder – Ambassadors
Applicants may be:
- An organisation; or
- An individual.
Applicants must demonstrate credible reach and a trusted-voice role within relevant communities.
Only one application may be submitted per organisation or individual.
WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program assessment criteria
The supplied funding overview applies the same five weighted assessment areas across the four detailed funding streams.
1. Community need and local fit – 20%
Applicants should demonstrate:
- A clear and evidence-based community need.
- Why the proposed community, cohort or geographic area requires support.
- How the proposed activities respond to locally identified water safety and participation barriers.
- An understanding of the multicultural communities the project intends to reach.
- How the project design reflects local circumstances, language, culture and community needs.
- Why the selected WE SWIM funding stream is appropriate for the proposed scale and delivery model.
2. Partnership strength, delivery capability and sustainability – 30%
This is the highest-weighted assessment criterion.
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Strong and genuine partnerships rather than nominal partner involvement.
- Clearly defined responsibilities for the lead organisation and delivery partners.
- Appropriate community, multicultural, settlement, aquatic and/or local government involvement for the selected stream.
- Capability and experience to deliver the proposed activities.
- Appropriate governance and project management arrangements.
- Access to suitable facilities, personnel and community networks.
- Culturally safe and inclusive delivery capability.
- A realistic approach to implementation.
- How partnerships and benefits can continue beyond the funding period.
- How the project will build sustainable local capability rather than provide only short-term activity.
3. Alignment to WE SWIM pillars and outcome pathway – 20%
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Clear alignment with the relevant WE SWIM pillars.
- How activities will contribute to intended water safety and participation outcomes.
- How the project will remove barriers to swimming and water safety participation.
- How culturally responsive delivery has been incorporated into the project.
- How activities will strengthen connections between multicultural communities and aquatic environments or organisations.
- A logical connection between identified community needs, proposed activities and expected outcomes.
Place-Based Partnerships, Community Programs and Refugee Settlement pathfinders should address all four WE SWIM pillars at the scale appropriate to their funding stream.
Ambassador projects should primarily address WE PROMOTE, supported where relevant by WE CONNECT and WE WELCOME.
4. Value for money and co-investment – 20%
Applicants should demonstrate:
- That the requested funding is proportionate to the proposed activities and expected outcomes.
- Appropriate cash and/or in-kind co-investment.
- Effective use of existing community resources, partnerships, facilities and networks.
- A clear and realistic budget.
- Appropriate allocation of resources towards direct community outcomes.
- That proposed expenditure represents efficient use of available funding.
- How partner contributions strengthen the value and reach of the project.
Place-Based Partnerships should pay particular attention to the strong expectation for matched or higher cash and in-kind investment.
5. Monitoring, evaluation and learning readiness – 10%
Applicants should demonstrate:
- A willingness and ability to participate in program monitoring and evaluation.
- Appropriate systems for collecting required participation and activity information.
- Capacity to track progress and outcomes.
- Processes for obtaining participant or community feedback.
- A willingness to reflect on implementation and lessons learned.
- Capacity to meet the reporting requirements applying to the selected funding stream.
- A willingness to contribute relevant learning that may improve future WE SWIM activities.
How do I get the WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program support?
Applicants should develop a proposal that demonstrates a strong fit with the purpose of their selected funding stream and the broader WE SWIM program.
To maximise the prospects of receiving funding, applicants should demonstrate:
- A compelling and clearly evidenced need within the target multicultural community.
- Strong alignment between the identified need and the proposed project.
- Clear alignment with the relevant WE SWIM pillars.
- Genuine involvement of multicultural communities in project design and delivery.
- Strong partnerships that satisfy the minimum consortium requirements for the selected stream.
- Clear roles and responsibilities for all delivery partners.
- Established relationships with the communities the project intends to support.
- Appropriate cultural knowledge, capability and community trust.
- A culturally safe, inclusive and accessible delivery approach.
- Practical strategies for overcoming barriers such as cost, language, transport, cultural expectations and confidence.
- Strong organisational and project delivery capability.
- Access to suitable aquatic facilities, water safety expertise and community networks where required.
- A realistic implementation plan capable of delivering outcomes by 31 May 2027.
- A clear connection between activities, outputs and intended community outcomes.
- Appropriate cash and/or in-kind co-investment.
- Strong value for money.
- A realistic and well-justified project budget.
- Appropriate monitoring, evaluation and data collection arrangements.
- Capacity to meet all reporting and acquittal obligations.
- Evidence that the project can create sustainable benefits, partnerships or participation pathways beyond the grant period.
- For Place-Based Partnerships, a genuine coalition capable of delivering coordinated place-based change.
- For Community Programs, a focused response to a specific local community, cohort or barrier.
- For Refugee Settlement projects, genuine integration of water safety into established settlement pathways.
- For Ambassador projects, credible community reach and a demonstrated trusted-voice role.
Information to prepare for the WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program support
Applicants should consider preparing:
- Details of the lead applicant.
- Details of all project partners.
- Evidence that the required consortium or partnership structure has been established.
- Evidence of community need.
- Information about the target community or cohort.
- A description of the geographic area or catchment.
- A clear project description.
- Proposed activities and delivery methodology.
- Explanation of alignment with the relevant WE SWIM pillars.
- Evidence of community involvement and co-design.
- Roles and responsibilities of each partner.
- Project governance arrangements where applicable.
- Project timeline and key milestones.
- Detailed project budget.
- Amount of WE SWIM funding requested.
- Details of cash co-investment.
- Details and value of in-kind contributions.
- Evidence of organisational and partner delivery capability.
- Proposed participant reach and outcomes.
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning approach.
- Reporting and data collection arrangements.
- Plans for cultural safety, accessibility and inclusion.
- Evidence of trusted community reach where applying to the Ambassadors stream.
- Plans for sustainability and ongoing community benefit.
Applicants should check the application portal and the guidelines applying specifically to their selected funding stream for any mandatory attachments or declarations.
Applying for the WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program support
Applications are submitted through the Royal Life Saving WE SWIM grants portal.
Register your interest with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this grant and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.
WE SWIM – Multicultural Community Water Safety Program resources
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