GSDC Monthly Grants Highlights

GSDC Grants Hub

Great Southern Development Commission is pleased to provide the ‘GSDC Grants Hub’ to all local businesses, community groups, not-for-profits and individuals. This site provides a comprehensive list of grant and funding opportunities available to you.

Access to the Grants Guru database is usually by paid subscription – but by accessing through the GSDC webpage link, the GSDC provides this to you as a free service.

Our free service means you will never miss a grant opportunity again.

Register to receive emailed alerts for new grants, save your favourites and access tips to help you apply for grants.

Great Southern Development Commission is proud to partner with GrantGuru to provide you with this service.

• See the Top Picks in:

Exports               Start Ups           Small Business             Innovation              Equipment

Sporting Clubs         Schools         Community Service         Manufacturing          Local Associations

Watch a short video showing how to search the Grants Hub 

^{Getting Started 🚩}

A few picks from GrantGuru:

CBH Group – Grass Roots Community Grants Program  closes 31 August 2026

This program aims to support community-led projects in grain-growing regions.

Grants available are up to:

• $10,000 for community related events.
• $20,000 for small scale infrastructure projects.

The funding round dates each year are:

• Round 1: Opens 1 February and closes 28 February
• Round 2: Opens 1 August and closes 31 August

Separate applications for different projects are allowed.

Eligible Activities

Eligible projects must:

• Be located within a grain-growing community in WA.
• Fit with CBH’s purpose, values and behaviour.
• Align with at least one of CBH’s Community Investment Fund Framework pillars.
• Be completed within 12 months of funds being awarded.

Shop Small Grant Program – closes 6 September 2026

This program aims to support independently owned small businesses to invest in projects that help them grow, innovate and support their local communities.

Eligible projects include:

• Shopfront improvements, business fittings
• Accessibility upgrades
• Digital strategy development, including technology upgrades
• Equipment purchases
• On-line and e-commerce platforms

Eligible expenditure include:

• Equipment
• Technology
• Professional services
• Fit-out works
• Accessibility improvements

FRRR – Strengthening Rural Communities Program: Prepare and Recover – closes 17 September 2026

This program aims to support communities in remote, rural and regional communities across Australia to implement initiatives that prepare for future climate related impacts, or recover from existing disasters in the medium to long-term timeframe, generally one to ten years after the disaster.

Grants up to $25,000 are available per round.

The 2026-27 funding round dates are:

• Round 30: Opened 25 June and closes 17 September 2026, 5pm AEST
• Round 31: Opens 18 September and closes 3 December 2026

Eligible projects include those that:

• Help communities prepare for future climate impacts or recover from past disasters.
• Are community-led and build local skills, knowledge, connections and resilience.
• Provide broad community benefit and are shaped by local needs.
• Strengthen social connection, information sharing and local capacity.
• Recognise First Nations knowledge and support healing, connection and care for Country.
• Come from local community groups or not-for-profits, including organisations without DGR status.
• Align with FRRR’s strategic priorities, including outback and very remote communities, disaster resilience, climate solutions, next generation transitions and First Nations self-determination.

Australian Communities Foundation Grants Program – Open on an ongoing basis.

There are no set minimum and maximum funding limits. The average grant awarded is between $2,000 and $15,000.

Eligible activities must be those in line with the organization’s charitable purpose, and focus areas include:

• Arts and culture
• Civic engagement and leadership
• Community and economic development
• Education and training
• Employment pathways
• Environment conservation and climate change
• Health/wellbeing and medical research
• Indigenous communities
• Individual/family services and support
• International aid and development
• Social inclusion and justice (human rights)

Construction Training Fund – Employer Grants Program – ongoing

This program aims to provide financial support to Western Australian construction employers when hiring an apprentice. It is a compensation for the required on-the-job training and mentorship, which is an investment on behalf of the employer.

Grants of up to $26,000 are available.

Grants are usually paid to employers in instalments based on these milestones:

– When the apprentice/trainee has successfully completed six months of continuous, full-time  employment (including probation) with a single employer.

– Half-way through the training contract.

– When the contract has been successfully completed

Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation – Our Country Our Future Funding Program – Open on an ongoing basis

This program aims to support Indigenous groups across Australia to own and manage land and water interests.

It seeks to support activities which lead to Indigenous people:

• Growing the value of country.
• Owning and managing country sustainably.
• Driving policy and opportunity.
• Preserving and protecting culture.

The program offers direct funding, advice, capability support, and facilitation/negotiation assistance to successful applicants.

Invest and Trade WA – Event Support Program – Open on an ongoing basis

This program aims to provide funding for events that support the promotion of trade and investment prospects for Western Australia and create a diverse calendar of events and overseas to promote WA as a destination of choice for business. It also supports strengthening the connections between local and international markets contributing to WA’s strong economy.

The main assessment criteria include:

• Industry and market: Alignment to one or more of the Diversify WA priority sectors within international market/s of strategic importance. Ability to generate new trade and investment opportunities for the State.
• Economic impact: Ability to generate economic activity in WA.
• Prestige and profile: Size and profile of the event, level of attendance and calibre of speakers.
• Marketing and media: Level of marketing and media generated as a result of the event.
• Event budget: Evidence of a stable event budget with a mix of revenue streams to support the proposed event activity.
• Operational: Ability of the event holder, or appointed management company, to appropriately deliver and manage the proposed event.

Jobs Ready Program – Open on an ongoing basis

By combining targeted short course (skill set) training with a work placement component of up to one week, participants are ‘job ready’ to enter the workforce and transition into an apprenticeship or traineeship.

Job Ready programs that are currently available include the following:

1. Early Childhood Education and Care Job Ready Program

2. Driller’s Offsider Job Ready Program

3. Future Chef Job Ready Program

4. Ageing and Disability Job Ready Program

5. Bricklaying Job Ready

6. Infrastructure (Civil Construction) Ready program

Employers may be eligible to access financial incentives and support. Please refer to the website for information on financial assistance available to employers under each job ready program.

Eligible applicants include business employers across Western Australia who employ an apprentice or new entrant trainee.

Rio Tinto – Community Giving Program – Open Feb to Nov yearly.

Rio Tinto’s Community Giving Grants support local projects and community groups with grants for everything from community gardens to sports equipment for associations. In 2024 Rio Tinto supported 31 local Albany groups with over $137,000 in funding.

Grants of up to $5,000 are available to local grass-roots organisations in the Great Southern.

Small Business Energy Incentive – This program is open on an ongoing basis

This program aims to help businesses improve energy efficiency and save on energy bills. It will provide businesses with an annual turnover of less than $50 million with an additional 20% deduction on spending that supports electrification and more efficient use of energy.

Eligible expenditure include, but are not limited to:

• Electrifying equipment (for example, installing a reverse cycle air conditioner in place of a gas heater).
• Upgrading to more energy efficient appliances and equipment (for example, energy efficient refrigeration systems).
• Installing time-shifting devices which allow electrical appliances to operate at off-peak times.
• Replacing a diesel engine with an electric motor.
• Installing a Virtual Power Plant enabled battery system.

TradeStart  – This program is open on an ongoing basis

This program aims to assist small and medium sized exporters to achieve long term success in international markets.

The program offers exporters the combined resources of Austrade and each partner organisation, providing local assistance and a direct link to Austrade’s services and overseas network.

Austrade provides a range of services and assistance to Australian exporters and education providers covering:

• General information and advice on exporting and international business
• International trade and education alerts
• Tailored services including market-entry and expansion assistance
• Referrals to specialist service providers

Workforce Australia Program – Self-Employment Assistance – Open on an ongoing basis.

This program aims to provide support that can help turn business idea or existing small business into a viable business. It allows participants to choose the level of support that meet their needs and the needs of their small business.

This program can help participants with their business idea or existing business through its flexible services including:

• Exploring self-employment workshops
• Business plan development
• Free accredited small business training
• Business advice sessions
• Business health checks
• Small business coaching

Participants may also be eligible for financial support while they start and run their business as part of Small Business Coaching. Small Business Coaching provides 12 months of personalised mentoring and support to help participants start and run their small business. If eligible, applicants may be able to access:

• Up to $300 worth of small business start-up costs, such as business insurance.
• An allowance for up to 39 weeks and rental assistance for up to 26 weeks

Sport and Recreation – Health and Wellbeing – Grant Opportunities:

• Healthway – Healthy Partnership Program – open on ongoing basis
• Sport and Recreation (WA) – Active Regional Communities Grants –   Open on an ongoing basis.

Sport Australia – Sporting Schools Program  – next round pending

This program aims to help schools increase children’s participation in sport and connect them with community sporting opportunities.

The objectives of the program are to:

Engage primary school students in free, high quality sport programs at school.

– Engage secondary school students in free, high quality sport programs at school, particularly inactive students, girls, and students attending schools in disadvantaged areas.

– Establish partnerships between sporting organisations and schools to promote involvement in sport outside of school.