Australian Bushland Program – New Indigenous Protected Areas

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be an Indigenous organisation (≥51% Indigenous owned/controlled), OR
• Be an Indigenous enterprise (≥50% Indigenous owned)
• Hold an ABN
• Hold an Australian bank account
• Identify a new IPA consultation area (land or land + sea)
• Provide required letters of support from Traditional Owner representative bodies
• Not be seeking funding for:

• 1. An existing IPA
  2. Expansion of an existing IPA
  3. A sea Country-only project

Eligible entity types include:

• Indigenous corporations (CATSI Act)
• Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (PBCs)
• Traditional Owner Corporations
• Incorporated associations
• Companies
• Local Government (if Indigenous controlled or eligible)

Joint (consortium) applications are permitted with an eligible lead organisation.

Applications must score at least 50% against each criterion to be considered for funding.

Criterion 1 – Geospatial and Environmental Analysis (30%)

Applicants must submit a mapping tool URL.

DCCEEW assesses:

• Habitat condition
• Contribution to threatened species recovery
• Contribution to World Heritage and Ramsar values
• Contribution to Threatened Species Action Plan 2022–2032
• Contribution to 30 by 30 land target
• Representation of under-protected bioregions
• Complementarity with marine protected areas (if relevant)

Terrestrial proposals receive higher weighting.

Criterion 2 – Environmental and Cultural Values (25%)

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Knowledge of environmental and cultural values
• Identification of threats
• Proposed management strategies
• Climate adaptation measures
• Integration of Indigenous knowledge and western science
• Alignment with regional plans and biodiversity strategies

Criterion 3 – Governance, Capacity and Capability (25%)

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Strong governance structures
• Role of Traditional Owners
• IPA Advisory Committee structure
• Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property protections
• Risk management (including WHS)
• Monitoring and evaluation capacity
• Financial management capability
• Partnerships supporting delivery

Letters of support strengthen this criterion.

Criterion 4 – Cultural, Social and Economic Outcomes (10%)

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Meaningful Traditional Owner engagement
• Cultural knowledge transfer
• Employment opportunities for First Nations people (including women)
• Community participation

Criterion 5 – Stakeholder Engagement (10%)

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Identification of stakeholders with rights/interests
• Engagement strategy
• Letters of support (where possible)
• Clear pathway to formal dedication

To successfully secure funding, applicants should demonstrate:

• Clear Traditional Owner authority and documented support
• Strong environmental significance of the proposed area
• Alignment with the 30 by 30 target
• Comprehensive and realistic consultation plan
• Robust governance arrangements
• Clear risk management framework
• Strong integration of Indigenous knowledge and science
• Financial viability and sound budgeting
• A credible pathway to dedication by June 2028
• Demonstrated capacity to manage Commonwealth grant funding

Applicants must prepare the following documentation and information as required under the Grant Opportunity Guidelines and Application Form.

Mandatory Eligibility and Entity Documentation

• Indigenous Corporation Number (ICN), OR
• Statutary declaration confirming Indigenous ownership/control (if no ICN)
• Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Confirmation of GST registration (if applicable)
• Australian bank account details
• Bank verification documentation (recent bank statement issued within the last 6 months)

If applicable:

• Evidence of not-for-profit status
• Trust deed (if applying as a Trustee)
• Consortium letters of support (if applying as a consortium)

Mandatory Financial Information

• Two most recent sets of year-end financial statements (where available)

• 1. Profit and Loss statements
  2. Balance sheets

• Confirmation whether financial statements are audited
• Completion of Financial Ratio Analysis template in the application form

Applicants may be subject to financial viability assessment.

Mandatory Mapping Requirement (Criterion 1)

• Use the official online IPA Mapping Tool
• Draw the proposed IPA consultation area
• Generate the unique URL
• Paste the URL into a Word document
• Upload the Word document as an attachment

Failure to upload the mapping URL will result in non-compliance.

Mandatory Criterion 2 Template

• Complete the official “Criterion 2 – Environmental and Cultural Values” template available on GrantConnect
• Upload the completed template as an attachment

Mandatory Letters of Support – Traditional Owner Representation

Applicants must provide:

• Letter(s) of support from the entity or entities responsible for representing the Traditional Owners of the proposed IPA consultation area

Each letter must:

• Be dated no earlier than the opening date of the grant opportunity
• Demonstrate authority to provide endorsement
• Identify the Traditional Owners
• Confirm endorsement followed the entity’s governance framework
• Support the applicant’s role in consultation and planning

If multiple entities hold cultural authority, a letter must be provided from each.

Failure to provide required letters may result in removal of unsupported areas from assessment.

Mandatory Declarations and Confirmations

Applicants must confirm:

• Compliance with National Redress Scheme requirements
• Compliance with Workplace Gender Equality requirements
• Child Safety compliance
• The project is not an existing or expanded IPA
• The project is not sea Country-only
• The project complements, but does not duplicate, other government-funded activities
• Any conflicts of interest

Assessment Responses

Applicants must complete written responses for:

• Criterion 2 – Environmental and cultural values
• Criterion 3 – Governance, capacity and capability
• Criterion 4 – Cultural, social and economic outcomes
• Criterion 5 – Stakeholder engagement

To apply, you must complete the online application form on GrantConnect and submit your application/s to the Community Grants Hub.

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