Funding to help community clubs and associated organisations diversify
New applications for funding from the Diversification and Sustainability Fund (DSSF) are currently unavailable while an independent inquiry into the future of the ACT clubs industry takes place.
Diversification and Sustainability Support Fund – Tier 2 grants
This grant helps community clubs diversify their income and sustain their business.
This grant is funded through the Diversification and Sustainability Support Fund (DSSF).
Applications are considered by the Diversification and Sustainability Support Fund Advisory Board. The Advisory Board makes recommendations to the Minister for Gaming Reform on payments from the Fund.
Who this is for
The grant is for:
- any ACT club or club group who have gaming machines under a Class C licence
- associated organisations
- club workers.
What you get
You can get a grant of up to $250,000.
Check if you can apply
You can apply for the grant if you're a:
- ACT club or club group who have gaming machines under a Class C licence
- club industry peak body representative or representative group
- trade union representing ACT club workers
- Australian state or territory government organisation
- club worker
- club executive
- member of club management committee or board.
The Advisory Board will not accept applications for any gambling related activity. This includes updates to:
- gambling areas
- gambling equipment.
The Advisory Board will not accept applications from:
- individual clubs within a club group
- ACT clubs and club groups who have not had gaming machines under a Class C licence in the past 5 years.
What you can do
You must use the grant money for one or more of the following:
- assist to develop income sources other than gaming machines
- support and maintain your club
- reduce your admin costs or improve your admin and compliance
- provide training for club workers, executives, board or committee members.
Examples of how to use the grant
The grant can be used for:
- developing feasibility studies
- paying ACT Government fees for land development
- paying other fees and charges for leases or development applications
- paying consultant and sales agent fees
- engaging a researcher or project manager.
Before you apply
You can contact us to check your eligibility or ask any other questions.
Check what you’ll need to apply
To apply for the grant, you'll need to provide supporting documents.
You'll need to provide:
- details of other funding received for the proposed activity, if any.
- recent financial statements
- an outline of your skills and experience in delivering similar activities or how you’ll build the expertise
- an evaluation of the positive and negative impacts of your activity for club members and staff, the local community, the wider Canberra community and ACT clubs industry
- a detailed budget showing how you’ll apply the funding
- an implementation plan, including milestone dates
- evaluation criteria to show how you’ll measure the success of your proposed activity.
After you apply
The Advisory Board will assess your application and let you know the result in 6 to 8 weeks. It may take longer if we need more information from you.
You must wait for the result before you can apply again.
The Advisory Board assess applications using the following criteria:
Eligibility for funding
- Your suggested activity is not a business-as-usual activity.
- You submit your application by the due date.
- Your application is not for a gambling related activity.
Suitability
- If your suggested activity is suitable for this grant.
- If your activity is more suitable for a different ACT Government program or grant.
Fund criteria
- Your application meets one or more of the grant purposes.
- There is a clear link between your proposed activity and the grant purposes.
Value for money
- There is a clear return on investment.
- Your application includes a list of potential costs.
- There are clear links between the funding amount, proposed outcomes and benefits.
Ability to deliver the activity
- Your application shows you have the relevant skills and experience to deliver the activity.
- Or you can show you can get suppliers to deliver the activity.
Implementation plan
- Timeframes to deliver the activity are clear and achievable.
- Your application includes ways to measure the success of the activity.
They also consider:
- if you’ve received payment from this grant within the same financial year
- the activity’s financial, social and environmental impact compared to other applications.
The Advisory Board may approve grants over $250,000 in exceptional circumstances, considering:
- if the proposed activity will benefit the entire ACT clubs industry
- the available funds at the time of assessing the application
- any competing applications.
The Advisory Board may ask you to provide extra information to assess your application. You may need you to attend a meeting to answer questions about your application.
The Advisory Board may decline your application if:
- you don't provide it by the application deadline
- you don’t provide additional information when asked
- you don’t attend a meeting with the advisory board
- you’re receiving funding for the same activity through a separate government program
- the funding is for activities which have already started or are business as usual activities.
If you’re not successful, you'll get a letter from the Advisory Board with feedback on your application.
If your application is successful, you’ll get a letter from the Minister for Gaming Reform with the outcome.
To get the grant:
- We’ll work with you to sign the funding deed.
- We’ll send the complete funding deed to you.
- You can invoice us for payment according to the deed terms.
- Once we receive an invoice, we’ll pay you according to the deed terms.
Past recipients
You can find past grant recipients and projects in our annual reports.