Funding for girls, non-binary and gender diverse young people to achieve their goals

You can apply if you:

• are a girl, young woman, non-binary or gender diverse young people aged between 12 and 18 years
• live in the ACT or go to school in the ACT
• can identify a mentor to help you with your project.

You cannot apply if you are:

• an organisation
• a profit-making group
• a government entity
• an education institution
• a registered political party

You must not have received any other funding to deliver the same project and not have any acquittal reporting overdue from a previous CSD grant.

You must use the funds on items and activities listed in your application.

Your project can be things like:

• tuition fees
• books
• specialist equipment
• registration, accommodation or travel costs for your activity
• raising awareness of issues close to you
• achieving your creative or artistic goals
• achieve your sporting goals.

First, we check that you meet the eligibility criteria.

Next, we assess you application against the assessment criteria.

The assessment criteria are a set of rules that describe how we must assess each application.

The criteria are:

• Proposal: does your application show the aims of your activity
• Mentor support: have they told you that they can support you
• Benefit: how does your activity benefit you
• Budget: is it realistic and does it clearly detail the money you will spend

Make your application stronger by including details and supporting evidence.

Sample applications

The best way to understand what information you need to provide is to start an application.

Technical help

SmartyGrants provide an online help guide for applicants.

This guide will explain the essential steps you need to take to complete and submit your form.

When we get your application, we will check it against the grant guidelines to make sure you are eligible.

Next the Grant Assessment Team will assess your application. The team includes a chairperson and members of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Women, the Youth Advisory Council and a senior officer from the Community Services Directorate.

The team will use the information in your application and any previous Community Services Directorate grant rounds to assess your application.

If you have been successful in other recent grant rounds, the panel may consider this if they receive a high number of applications. This is to make sure all applications have an opportunity to receive funding.

We will write to you to let you know the outcome of your application.

If you are successful, you must spend the funds within the timeframes listed in the Letter of Offer.

An acquittal is a signed declaration you give us at the end of your activity. It states that you used the funding for the agreed purpose. You should include copies of receipts as proof that you spent the money on your activity.

Acquittal process

The acquittal is managed by SmartyGrants and instructions will be in your Letter of Offer.

You will need to log in using the same details you used for your application. You should keep these in a safe place.

The money you spend needs to be for the activity or project that you applied for. Keep all your receipt so that you can submit them with your acquittal.

Unspent funds

If you have not spent all the money it will need to be returned to the Community Services Directorate. You will need to let us know by email if you haven't spent it all.