GraffitiPreventionGrants
2015–16GrantGuidelines
DepartmentofJusticeRegulation
Authorised and published by the Victorian Government,
1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
June 2015
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Grants overview
The Graffiti Prevention Grants fund Victorian councils up to $25,000 to partner with community stakeholders to develop and deliver projects to prevent graffiti vandalism in local communities.
The minimum amount of funding councils can apply for is $5,000.
Graffiti removal activities and resources will only be funded as part of broader graffiti prevention efforts. Budget for graffiti removal activities and resources must not exceed $5,000 or one-third of total grant funds (whichever is the lower).
Financial co-contributions are not mandatory but are encouraged.
All projects must be evaluated.
For further information, visit the Department of Justice and Regulation (DJR) Community Crime Prevention website at: crimeprevention.vic.gov.au/graffitigrants
Applications close 4:00pm Friday 18
September 2015.
Application and assessment process
1. Applications open Monday 20 July 2015 and must be submitted online via the Community Crime Prevention Graffiti Prevention Grants website: crimeprevention.vic.gov.au/graffitigrants
2. Applications close 4:00pm Friday 18
September 2015.
3. Applications are assessed for eligibility and against the assessment criteria.
4. Applications are reviewed by an
Assessment Panel including representatives from a range of government agencies, Victoria Police and the MunicipalAssociation of Victoria.
5. Recommendations for funding are made to the Minister for Police for approval.
6. Applicants are advised of outcomes, usually within two months of applications closing, subject to the number of applications received.
7. The Department of Justice & Regulation enters into funding agreements with successful applicants.
Why is the Victorian Government funding these grants?
It is illegal in Victoria to mark graffiti on property without the owner’s consent.
Graffiti vandalism not only affects the visual appearance of neighbourhoods and influences perceptions of public safety, it is also costly for communities and property owners to prevent and remove graffiti.
Graffiti prevention measures aim to reduce
the opportunities of offending and encourage ownership and observation of areas by the community as a means of discouraging vandalism.
Individual communities are in the best position to determine which prevention measures are most suitable to their particular problem. Councils
are well placed to ensure that graffiti prevention solutions are owned and supported within their local community.
Graffiti Prevention Grants objectives
The objectives of the Graffiti Prevention Grants are to:
• encourage and support councils and communities to identify and deliver graffiti prevention and removal activities in
local areas
• assist councils and communities to improve the visual amenity of neighbourhoods through the prevention and removal
of graffiti
• increase community confidence in the
safety and security of public places
• support the development of sustainable graffiti prevention and removal strategies in Victorian communities
• promote widespread engagement in community crime prevention initiatives across Victoria.
Applications for initiatives with the following features are encouraged:
• design initiatives to prevent graffiti with an emphasis on public art and landscaping to cover walls vulnerable to graffiti vandalism
• place-based activities that encourage community ownership and care for an area which is a graffiti hotspot
• anti-graffiti education and diversionary
activities
• strong community engagement,
particularly involving young people.
Eligibility
Whocanapply?
Only Victorian councils are eligible to apply for Graffiti Prevention Grants funding and they must partner with community-based groups. Councils can submit multiple grant applications, but each project must be stand-alone and independent of any other applications.
Community stakeholders interested in local graffiti prevention should contact their local Council to discuss their ideas. Local council contact details are available via the “Find your local council” link at dtpli.vic.gov.au/local- government/find-your-local-council
Non-compliance with previous Department of Justice & Regulation or other Victorian Government funding agreements may affect an applicant’s eligibility for Graffiti Prevention Grants funding.
This can include a council’s previous performance in delivering projects within agreed timeframes.
Projectpartnereligibility
Engaging the community as project partners is an integral component of Graffiti Prevention Grants projects. Community groups and individuals help to identify graffiti problems, develop solutions and actively participate in the delivery of projects. Community engagement and participation is a key selection criterion.
The following organisations and groups may be eligible Graffiti Grant project partners:
•incorporated and non-incorporated not-
for-profit community organisations
•local groups and organisations which represent special interests and issues eg. schools, youth, environment, heritage, cultural and sporting groups, residents groups
•local retailers, small businesses and local
trader associations
•local police
•public transport and utility companies.
Projecteligibility
To be eligible for funding, projects must as a minimum have:
•a focus on graffiti prevention
•a partnership between the councilapplicant and at least one community-based group todevelop and implement
the project.
The types of projects that are eligible to receive grant funding include, but are not limited to:
•designing-out graffiti (environmental design) activities, including murals and other public art, that discourage graffiti offending at hotspots.
•anti-graffiti education and diversionary
initiatives
•place-based activities, e.g. Adopt-a-Space, Care-for-an-Area and community-based graffiti management groups
•graffiti removal and prevention resources
for use by project partners that form part
of broader graffiti prevention efforts. Graffiti removal resources can include purpose-built community removal trailers, portable graffiti removal systems (PRS), kits and vouchers for graffiti removal products and paint and anti- graffiti coatings.
•Any mural or public art project involving young people in design and installation must include a structured education component regarding the community impacts and consequences of engaging in illegal graffiti.
•Funds allocated to graffiti removal activities and resources must not exceed $5,000 or one-third of total grant funds (whichever is the lower).
•Large or complex projects cannot be broken into smaller projects to meet the maximum funding cap, as applications that rely on the funding of another Graffiti Prevention Grants project application cannot be assessed on its own merit.
Whatwillnotbefunded
Projects will be considered ineligible and will not be funded if they:
•do not have graffiti prevention as a key
focus
•do not have at least one community
project partner
•involve activities that are the primary focus of other government programs or areas of responsibility
•involve graffiti removal by private contractors
with minimal or no community participation
•involve commercial or business enterprises (other than small local retailers) established for profit-making purposes
•include the establishment of “free walls”
(specified areas set aside for legal graffiti)
•require ongoing funding to achieve the
objectives of the project
•have already commenced or have been
completed
•request less than $5,000 or more than
$25,000 in grant funding for any one project
•request more than $5,000 or one-third of total grant funds (whichever is the lower) funding for removal activities or resources
•cannot be completed within 12 months of
funding approval.
Assessmentcriteria
Graffiti Prevention Grants are competitive and may have many applicants for the funding available.
Eligible applications will be assessed using the following criteria. Weightings in percentage are provided as a guide to the relative importance of each criterion.
1: Why is this project needed?30% / The application:
•identifies the illegal graffiti problem that the project will address
•describes how the project will address the problem
•provides evidence of the need for the project. For example, council data such
as community reports and complaints, reported offences, maintenance data
and trends for the project area or site, and community surveys.
2: What will the project achieve?
25% / The application:
•clearly describes what the project is expected to achieve (project objectives)
•explains why the proposed solution will be effective in addressing the identified
graffiti problem
•explains how the project outcomes will be measured to demonstrate the project
has achieved its objectives
•describes how the project will strengthen the community’s capacity to respond
to graffiti vandalism in the future.
3: How
willthe project be delivered?
20% / The application:
•provides a project management plan (including key milestones and timeframes) which supports project delivery to ensure it is completed within 12 months of funding approval
•provides a detailed budget (including all key income sources, expenditure items
and in-kind contributions), which is supported by quotes or cost estimates
•demonstrates value-for-money.
4: Who is involved?
25% / The application:
•identifies all project partners and describes how they have been, or will be,
engaged
•provides documentation from each project partner which confirms and details
how they will participate in the project
•describes the council’s capacity to deliver the project, including staff experience
and skills.
Public art and mural projects only
•provides evidence that broad community consultation regarding both the design and location has been, or will be undertaken with people or groups with an interest in the identified problem and project outcomes
•provides evidence of in-principle property owner approval for a proposed public
art or mural project
•provides evidence that projects involving young people includes a structured education component regarding the consequences of engaging in illegal graffiti and the impact graffiti can have on the community.
Assessment considerations
In determining the applications to be recommended for funding, the Department of Justice & Regulation will also consider:
•the need to promote diversity in project types and locations across the state.
•whether an organisation has previously received a Community Crime Prevention Program grant.
Priority will also be given to projects involving strong engagement across the community, particularly those engaging both young people and other community members.
Grant management responsibilities
Funding agreement
Once projects have been approved for funding by the Minister, the Department of Justice & Regulation will prepare a funding agreement that includes a standard set of terms and conditions, and project-specific obligations for funding and reporting requirements.
Grant recipients (local councils) will be responsible for:
•entering into a funding agreement with the Department of Justice & Regulation within no more than 15 business days from the date of the funding offer (see
crimeprevention.vic.gov.au/graffitigrants for a draft copy of the agreement)
•complying with the funding agreement and managing the project to agreed timeframes and objectives
•ensuring relevant permissions for installation of any mural or other public art, or graffiti removal, are obtained in writing from property owners, either directly or through project partners
•ensuring Victorian Government branding is used on items such as trailers, kits, paint vouchers and flyers
•ensuring Victorian Government funding is acknowledged on promotional materials such as media releases, websites and flyers
•ensuring compliance with all government regulations, including occupational health and safety and any other applicable laws
•ensuring appropriate arrangements are in
place to sustain the project and its outcomes.
Project partners will be responsible for:
•participating in project activities in accordance with the project management plan
•encouraging and supporting community members and groups to participate in the project
•complying with applicable government regulations, including occupational health and safety.
The Department of Justice & Regulation will be responsible for:
•preparing funding agreements
•monitoring project progress in accordance
with funding agreements
•supporting recipients with their reporting
requirements as per funding agreements
•ensuring prompt payment of invoices where
reporting requirements have been met.
Payment process
The Department of Justice & Regulation will issue Recipient Created Tax Invoices (RCTI) to councils for the payment of grant funds. The first payment of 80 per cent of the total grant funding will be made on receipt of a signed funding agreement. The second payment of 20 per centwill be paid in arrears, upon evidence of satisfactory completion of the project.
Resources and further information
Additional resources that may assist you in applying for a grant are available at crimeprevention.vic.gov.au/graffitigrants including frequently asked questions and featured projects.
If after reading the resources you have any questions, either phone the Grants Information Line on 1300 221 249 from 8:30am to 5:00pm weekdays (except for public holidays) for the cost of a local call, or email the Department
of Justice & Regulation Community Crime
Prevention Unit at
If you experience technical difficulties while writing, saving or submitting your application, please contact SmartyGrants Support on (03) 9320 6888 or via email