Safe Places Inclusion Round

• women and children experiencing FDV are housed in safe places created by the additional emergency accommodation
• First Nations women and children, women and children from culturally and linguistically (CALD) backgrounds, and women and children with disability — including those who experience the intersection of racism, ableism and sexism — can access emergency accommodation with appropriate supports to meet their needs.

To be eligible you must be one of the following entity types:

• Company
• Corporate State or Territory Entity
• Incorporated Association
• Indigenous Corporation
• Local Government
• Statutory Entity.

You are not eligible to apply if you are:

• an organisation included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’
• an organisation included on the Workplace Gender Equality Agency website on the non-compliant organisations list
• Cooperative
• International Entity
• Corporate Commonwealth Entity
• Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity
• Non-corporate Commonwealth Statutory Authority
• Non-corporate State or Territory Entity
• Non-corporate State or Territory Statutory Authority
• Partnership
• Person
• Sole Trader
• Unincorporated Association.

See the guidelines for full details of organisations eligible for SPI support.

Eligible activities must directly relate to the project and can include:

• construction of new dwellings that meet LHA’s Silver-level accreditation at a minimum
• acquiring suitable land for the construction of new emergency or crisis accommodation
• land clearance and site works for expansion of emergency accommodation
• infrastructure provision, such as water, sewerage and electricity
• construction of additional design features such as spaces that meet specific needs of particular groups of women and children (for example, gardens and outdoor areas, spaces to accommodate carers for women and children with disability, prayer rooms, spaces for yarning circles, and so on)
• development approvals, levies and other planning and zoning costs
• refurbishments and purchase of buildings to repurpose
• building certifications including Certificate of Occupancy
• other items as agreed to by the department.

See the guidelines for full details of activities eligible for SPI support.

Projects should be delivered in locations with high unmet demand for emergency accommodation.

Applicants must demonstrate high unmet demand for emergency accommodation in their proposed locations and the potential impact of their projects on women and children experiencing FDV in those locations.

See the guidelines for full details of locations eligible for SPI support.

Eligible expenditure items are:

• construction of new dwellings
• construction of additional design features
• acquiring suitable land for the construction of new dwellings
• land clearance and site works for expansion of emergency accommodation
• infrastructure provision, such as water, sewerage and electricity
• development approvals, levies and other planning and zoning costs
• refurbishments and purchase of buildings to repurpose
• building certifications including Certificate of Occupancy and LHA assessments
• a project manager
• administrative costs of complying with the department’s reporting requirements for capital works during the grant period, including costs of auditing financial statements
• other items as agreed to by the department.

You cannot use the grant for the following:

• apart from GST, the covering of any tax obligation that arises from the provision of the grant
• non-construction costs such as the provision of management services or support services
• marketing costs associated with the grant
• community engagement and consultation
• activities that are already funded on an ongoing basis
• wages not related to the construction of the dwellings
• dormitory-style accommodation
• family and domestic violence service delivery costs
• the covering of retrospective costs
• costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation
• subsidy of general ongoing administration of an organisation such as electricity, phone and rent travel
• administrative costs of complying with the department’s reporting requirements during the 15-year Designated Use Period
• other costs not specified in the grant agreement
• activities for which other Commonwealth, state or territory or local government bodies have primary responsibility.

See the guidelines for full details of expenditure eligible for SPI support.

1. Explain how your project meets demand for emergency accommodation and provides access to services.

• Outline the location of the accommodation and the group(s) of women and children it aims to support.
• Demonstrate there is unmet demand for emergency accommodation in the proposed location.
• Explain why the location of the accommodation is appropriate for the needs of First Nations women and children, women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and/or women and children with disability, including their access to general services, amenities and public transport.

2. Explain how your project provides the priority group(s) with dignity, security, safety and privacy.

• Explain how the design of the accommodation meets the needs of First Nations women and children, women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and/or women and children with disability, and meets the requirements of the Inclusion Round.
• Explain how the project incorporates specialist support services that meet the needs of First Nations women and children, women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and/or women and children with disability.
• Outline how you determined the design of your accommodation and types of specialist services, including any consultation with the local community and the women and children your project aims to support.
• Demonstrate specialist support services are client-centred, trauma-informed, accessible and culturally appropriate.
• Provide evidence of your organisation’s existing links with relevant services and stakeholders in the community.
• Provide evidence of an intake and assessment procedure and a safety plan that are appropriate for the women and children who will use your accommodation.

3. Explain how the cost and design of your project represents value for money.

• Explain why the cost of the project offers value for money based on the location, design, type of capital works required and building standards.
• Outline how the cost of the project accounts for contingency funding and unexpected expenses, including capital works costs that might increase in the future.
• Demonstrate available land, property and construction as it relates to your project.
• Outline any other sources of funding or in-kind contributions that will contribute to the project and provide funding amounts and evidence where possible.

4. Demonstrate you have the expertise and resources to deliver the project and support clients.

• Demonstrate your organisation, or an organisation it is partnering with, has experience delivering similar projects and managing relationships with builders to ensure capital works projects are completed to appropriate standards on time and within budget.
• Outline policies for managing tenancy and referrals, including how long clients can stay in the accommodation, under what circumstances potential clients will be turned away, and how women and children will be referred to other emergency accommodation and services if necessary.
• Provide evidence your organisation can fund ongoing specialist services for women and children using the accommodation and ongoing maintenance of the accommodation over the 15-year Designated Use Period.

See the guidelines for full details of the assessment criteria and the minimum requirements for capital works proposals.

You should read and understand the guidelines.

You need to ensure you are eligible for the funding. Applicants that do not meet all the eligibility criteria outlined above will not be considered.

You must demonstrate the following:

• Evidence your proposal provides new (additional) safe places for emergency accommodation for women and children leaving FDV
• Confirmation your organisation is an FDV specialist service provider or evidence it has an existing or planned formal partnership with an FDV specialist service provider to deliver the proposal (for example, letter of support or memorandum of understanding).
• Confirmation your organisation will comply with all relevant Commonwealth, state and territory, and local government regulations, including implementation and compliance with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Grantees will be required to submit evidence of compliance to the department on an annual basis over the 15-year Designated Use Period.
• Confirmation any newly constructed accommodation will meet LHA’s Silver-level accreditation at a minimum.
• Confirmation that you (the applicant) and any organisation(s) you partner with will agree to the department’s reporting and evaluation requirements for the Inclusion Round.
• Provide all information requested
• Complete all required templates
• Include all necessary attachments

The following attachments are mandatory:

• Project plan and budget (mandatory template provided).
• (If applicable) If your organisation is not an FDV specialist service provider but has an existing or planned formal partnership with an FDV specialist service provider to deliver the proposal, provide evidence of this partnership (for example letter of support or memorandum of understanding).

Higher-quality applications will also include the following, however, these documents are not mandatory:

• accommodation design concept drawings or similar
• builder estimate or quantity surveyor report
• Community Engagement Plan (optional template provided)
• client intake assessment form or process
• FDV safety plan template or process
• residential agreement or other document outlining rules and responsibilities that women and children using the emergency accommodation must follow
• list of all referral pathways your project can offer to women and children leaving FDV, including organisation name, service type and your relationship with the organisation (optional template provided)
• evidence of any other sources of funding or in-kind contributions that will contribute to the project (for example, letters confirming commitment to fund the project), including ongoing funding for specialist services for women and children using the accommodation and ongoing maintenance of the accommodation over the 15-year Designated Use Period.

See the guidelines for full details of information requirements.

Applications are submitted through the online application form on the GrantConnect portal.

Register your interest here with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this grant and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.