Grants to assist in bushfire recovery actions for the recovery of flora and fauna in priority bushfire impacted regions

We assess your application against the eligibility criteria and then against the assessment criteria. Only eligible applications will proceed to the assessment stage.

The amount of detail and supporting evidence you provide in your application should be relative to the project size, complexity and grant amount requested. You should define, quantify and provide evidence to support your answers. The sample application form displays character limits.

A committee will assess your application against the assessment criteria and will recommend which projects to fund.

The Minister will make the final decision.

To be competitive you must score highly against all of the assessment criteria.

Assessment criterion 1: How your project will help the recovery of animal or plant species and/or ecological communities and natural assets impacted by the 2019–20 bushfires (weighting 50%)

You should demonstrate this by describing your project and provide information that demonstrates:

1. the locations where your project activities will take place (in relation to the 2019-20 bushfire-affected areas), the benefits your project will bring to the affected areas and the species that your project activities will target
2. the benefits provided by your project activities and how these benefits will be maintained into the future, this could be demonstrated through:
   • the expected benefits for fire-affected plant and animal species, ecological communities, and natural assets, including Ramsar listed wetlands and World Heritage properties, within the seven bushfire regions identified as most impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires
   • the expected data and/or increased understanding of bushfire impacts or threats
   • the extent to which the grant activity involves local communities or community organisations including Indigenous partnerships and/or Traditional Owner engagement
   • the extent to which the project supports cross-jurisdictional collaboration.
3. where you are expanding an existing project and activities are complementary to work that is underway, demonstrate alignment by:
   • filling a critical gap
   • expanding or supplementing an existing activity, or
   • extending the timeframe of an existing activity.

Assessment criterion 2: Capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project (weighting 50%)

You should demonstrate this by describing:

1. your track record in delivering the same or similar project and your access to personnel with the knowledge, skills and experience in delivering your project activities
2. your plan to manage the project, including a sound budget, timelines, risk management and governance arrangements (you will be required to attach a project plan to your application with detail appropriate to the size of your project)
3. your readiness to commence the project with appropriate insurance, relevant approvals in place or ability to have them in place prior to commencement and allowing for restrictions arising from COVID-19 or bushfire measures
4. how you will monitor and measure the success of your project.

If your application is successful, you’ll receive a written offer. If you are unsuccessful, we will give you an opportunity to discuss the outcome with us.

Successful applicants must enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth. The grant agreement will specify the reporting requirements, payment schedule and milestones necessary to receive payments.

Payments will be made by direct credit into a nominated bank account.