Healthy and Thriving Community Grants Program

• Grants of between $2,000 and $20,000 (excluding GST) per application are available for applicants that meet all eligibility criteria
• Unitywater has a set pool of funding available in each financial year, and grants are awarded on merit through a competitive grant application process (see below). There is no guarantee of funding.
• The grant amount awarded is at the discretion of Unitywater and may constitute full or partial funding of the requested amount.
• The number and value of grants awarded in any round or year is at the discretion of Unitywater.
• The value of grants awarded in each grant category is at the discretion of Unitywater.
• Applicants will be asked to provide a detailed breakdown of their funding request in the online application form.
• Unitywater will not provide any funding for Initiatives already fully funded by third parties. It will consider sharing the funding of Initiatives with third parties, provided confirmation of that funding can be evidenced.
• The applicant will be responsible for meeting any cost increases in Initiative expenses that may occur after grant funding has been approved but before the Initiative has been finalised.
• Unitywater reserves the right to vary the amount of available grant funding for the healthy and thriving community grant program each year at its absolute discretion.

Key dates for the 2025-26 funding round

• Only one round of grant applications and funding is available in the 2025-26 financial year.
• Any expenditure incurred before an agreement is signed or before the grant funds are distributed is ineligible for funding in the 2025-26 round.
• Grant funding in this round must be spent and acquitted within 12 months, from the grant agreement date.

To be eligible for a healthy and thriving community grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• The applicant must be one of the following:
  • Community organisation: The Australian Government Guide to Regulatory Impact Analysis defines a community organisation as ‘any organisation engaged in charitable or other community-based activity operating under Australian law and not established for the purpose of making a profit’.
  • Educational organisation: Educational organisations must provide relevant registration documentation.
  • First Nations-owned organisation: First Nations-owned organisations must be Supply Nation Certified or a minimum of 51% First Nations-owned.

• The nitiative and associated benefits must be delivered in one or more of the following regional council areas:
  • City of Moreton Bay
  • Noosa
  • Sunshine Coast

• The initiative must be related to one or more of the following categories:
  • Natural environment and liveability
  • First Nations peoples, communities and wellbeing
  • Innovation and the future of water 

• Applicants must have all the relevant and necessary insurance and compliance policies and procedures required for their Initiative or must agree to comply with Unitywater’s versions of these compliance policies and procedures if they are successful (see 'Documentation' below).

• Applicants must agree to work with Unitywater to actively acknowledge and promote their initiative and Unitywater’s support if they are successful.

Grants will be awarded in the following areas that align with Unitywater’s strategic priorities. One or more of these categories may be applicable to your initiative:

• Natural environment and liveability: initiatives that drive community connection to natural spaces, or that protect and enhance local waterways, native habitats, flora and fauna, or biodiversity.
• First Nations peoples and connection to Country: initiatives that shape economic and environmentally sustainable outcomes and support preservation of Country, cultural heritage, and knowledge (First Nations-owned organisations may apply for this or any other category).
• Innovation and the future of water: initiatives that demonstrate or foster innovation in the areas of water-related sustainability, climate change, science or technology, with a specific focus on the future.

The following organisations are not eligible for funding:

• Entities that do not comply with the eligibility criteria outlined above
• Organisations with overt political affiliations
• Organisations that own/lease/manage/operate premises with poker machines or any form of gambling
• Organisations with any outstanding debt owing to Unitywater
• Organisations that have outstanding or unsatisfactory Unitywater grant acquittal reports

The following items or activities (which may form part or the whole of an Initiative) are not eligible for funding:

• Any activities or expenditure that has already occurred, prior to the grant funding
• Non-Initiative-related (business as usual) operating costs, including salaries, wages, rent, fuel, utility costs (electricity, water and wastewater) and insurance
• Activities that have a commercial purpose or run solely for making a profit
• Alcohol, smoking/tobacco products or gambling activities
• Gifts or donations
• Artwork projects
• Development of privately-owned facilities
• Payment of debt
• Political activities
• judging, adjudication fees, uniforms, trophies, travel arrangements for sporting (individual and teams) and community events.
• Unitywater water and wastewater connection costs or other charges

As a requirement for grant funding approval, successful applicants will be required to execute a Grant Agreement that outlines all the relevant insurance and compliance policies, certifications, procedures and documents that are necessary to carry out the approved Initiative (such as a Public Liability Insurance, Workplace Health and Safety Policy, Working with Children Policy, Blue Cards, First Aid Certificates, etc).

If applicants do not have the necessary compliance policies and procedures in place, then Unitywater will provide its own versions of these policies and procedures as part of the Grant Agreement and successful applicants will be required to agree to comply with them when executing the Grant Agreement.

Where mandatory certifications and insurances are required for the initiative (for example Working with Children Blue card or insurances) applicants must provide details prior to signing the Grant Agreement or the initiative will be deemed as ineligible for funding.  

Funding under the Healthy and Thriving Community Grants Program is awarded through a competitive application and assessment process, and grants are awarded based on funding criteria and merit.

Applications are only accepted via an online application form on the Unitywater grants hub at www.unitywater.granttoolbox.com.au. Applications will not be accepted in person, by email, post, fax, or once the closing date for applications has passed.

The online application form must be completed by a person authorised to submit the application on behalf of the organisation. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Once the application is submitted, the applicant will receive an email notification confirming its receipt. If the applicant does not receive this notification, please contact Unitywater via email at grants@unitywater.com to confirm that the application form has been submitted correctly.

Applicants may receive a request from Unitywater for more information regarding the application. You have five (5) business days from the date of request to provide this information for your application to be eligible and complete. If you fail to provide all the necessary information, your application will be ineligible.

Number of applications

Organisations can make only one grant application in each financial year.

Successful applicants that receive a grant can make applications in future years, but there is no guarantee of ongoing funding under the healthy and thriving communities grant program.

Notification process

All applicants will be notified by email as their application progresses through the stages of eligibility, assessment and final decline/approval.

Successful applicants will receive a final email notification confirming their approved funding amount and their Grant Agreement document, which they must review and sign to complete the funding approval process.

Where necessary, you may be required to provide a copy of the following documents with your application, as they apply to your Initiative:

• evidence of incorporation or registration for your organisation
• current certificate of Public Liability Insurance or other insurance
• any relevant compliance policies or procedures for your organisation e.g. Workplace Health and Safety, Working with Children, etc
• budget and detailed expenditure for your Initiative
• quotes for any items or expenditure over $2,000.00
• project plans and timelines for your Initiative
• risk management and safety plans for your Initiative
• letter of support from MPs, councillors, government agencies or community groups.

• Once an application is deemed eligible, it is scored against the Assessment Criteria.
• Applicants are encouraged to carefully consider this Assessment Criteria and the weighting applied to each criterion.
• Meeting all the Assessment Criteria does not automatically guarantee grant funding.
• Applications with the highest Total Overall Score will then be shortlisted and reviewed by the Community Grants Selection Committee to determine the final successful grant recipients.
• All applicants will be notified by email of the assessment decision.
• Unitywater reserves the right to award grants at its sole discretion.

Grant Agreements

The payment of approved funding is subject to both parties executing a Grant Agreement. Grant Agreements must be signed by an authorised representative of the organisation and returned to Unitywater via DocuSign.

Grant Agreements outline the detailed terms and conditions of the funding, including but not limited to:

• agreed outcomes and performance measures for the Initiative
• conditions of funding
• grant payment terms
• reporting and acquittal requirements
• acknowledgement and promotional requirements

Payments process

To receive funds, successful applicants must send their signed Grant Agreement and an invoice for the full amount of the grant to Unitywater by the required date.

Payments of the full grant amount will be made into the applicant’s nominated bank account within 30 days of receiving the grant recipient’s valid tax invoice.

Grant recipients are required to upload a receipt of acknowledgement within ten (10) business days of receiving the funds in their nominated bank account.

All grant funds must be spent within the specified timeframe (usually within 12 months) and only for the purposes outlined in the Grant Agreement. Unitywater reserves the right to request evidence at any time of where the funds have been spent. Any unspent funds must be returned to Unitywater upon request.

Variations to the Grant Agreement within the specified grant amount may be accepted but must be discussed and agreed with Unitywater prior to any grant expenditure taking place.  No additional funding will be given outside the specified amount in the Grant Agreement.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Applicants do not need to be registered for GST.

Requested funding amount in application:

All applicants are required to enter GST exclusive amounts in the grant application.

If the applicant IS REGISTERED for GST, the funding will be provided GST exclusive. GST registered applicants can claim an input tax credit through the Australian Tax Office for the GST component.

If the applicant IS NOT REGISTERED for GST, the funding will be provided GST inclusive.

Applicants must notify Unitywater if their GST registration status changes.

Receipt of grant:

For organisations that are registered for GST, the grant received may be subject to GST based on the nature of the services or goods provided by the grant recipient if return for the payment (if any). An additional 10% GST will be added to the approved funding amount, payable upon receipt of a tax invoice from the organisation should there be a taxable supply.

The applicant is advised to seek independent professional advice on taxation obligations or seek assistance from the ATO on 13 28 69 or via its website at www.ato.gov.au.

Unitywater is unable to provide advice on the applicant’s particular taxation circumstances.

• All funded Initiatives will be monitored and evaluated by Unitywater to ensure our grant program is meeting its objectives.

  Grant recipients will be required to submit progress, acquittal and evaluation reports, as specified in their Grant Agreements.

• Acquittal is the process where the grant recipient shows how they have spent their allocated funds. Grant recipients must submit an online acquittal, including proof of expenditure, within four weeks of project completion.
• Grant recipients will be required to return funds if they do not submit a satisfactory acquittal.
• Organisations will not be considered for further grant funding from Unitywater if previous grant acquittal conditions have not been met.

• Grant recipients must agree to publicly acknowledge and actively promote to Unitywater’s support of their Initiative. The level of acknowledgement required will be outlined in the Grant Agreement.
• Grant recipients are also required to give Unitywater permission to publish and promote information about the Initiative and Unitywater’s funding support in Unitywater activities and communication channels, including but not limited to website, social media and media releases and events.
• Unitywater’s logo and branding guidelines will be emailed to successful grant recipients.
• Grant recipients are required to send all promotional material and media releases about their Initiative and Unitywater’s support to Unitywater for review and approval before release or publication.
• In addition, grant recipients must also ensure that Unitywater’s positive reputation is maintained at all times.

Unitywater understands that how we collect, use, exchange and protect your information is important to you, and we value your trust.

Our Privacy Policy outlines how we manage your information, in accordance with both the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) and the Information Privacy Principles.

In submitting a grant application, you agree to Unitywater collecting your personal information, including your name, contact details and role in your organisation, to assess your application and for the purpose of grants administration. If you do not provide this information, we cannot assess your grant application.