Regional Community Child Care Development Fund – (RCCCDF) – Strategic Grants Program
Guidelines
Assistance Dog Approvals, October 2014 - page 1
RCCCDF – Strategic Grants Program
Guidelines
Please refer to the Department of Local Government and Communities’ Grants and Sponsorship web page to access the application form.
Contact should be made with the Department of Local Government and Communities before completing the application form.
If you require general information about the Regional Community Child Care Development Fund or how your project may meet the guidelines please contact:
Laree Walker, Senior Project Officer
Telephone : 6551 8928
Email:
If you require information about the application process or assistance in completing an application form, please contact a grants officer on 6551 8700 or email .
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Please allow up to 12 weeks from the submission of your application for the outcome to be advised.
About the program
The Regional Community Child Care Development Fund was established to support the development of sustainable models of regional community-managed child care that meet the needs of families living in regional Western Australia. Funding of $9.3million has been provided by Royalties for Regions, which will support the transformation and longer-term sustainability of regional community-managed education and care services. The program recognises the challenges often faced by educators in regional Western Australia in providing services as a result of distance, isolation, reliance on volunteers or lack of funds. Funds are available for projects in the nine regional areas of Western Australia. Please refer to the Department of Regional Development at www.drd.wa.gov.au for information on the regions.
The aim of the Regional Community Child Care Development Fund is to:
· promote and enhance the sustainability of community-managed education and care services
· provide opportunities for training and professional development of educators
· support the development and viability of education and care services in regional Western Australia
· ensure the provision of quality, inclusive education and care services for children in regional Western Australia consistent with the National Quality Framework on Education and Care.
The Regional Community Child Care Development Fund includes four components:
1. an operational support grants program
2. support for the inclusion of children with additional needs
3. a strategic grants program
4. support for children’s services regional planning.
What is covered by the grant?
Funding is available for projects that will contribute to the long term viability or sustainability of your organisation, a collective of organisations (e.g. all within one region) and/or the broader regional education and care sector.
Projects must focus on strategic initiatives that test or provide long-term solutions to the challenges of delivering education and care services in your community and/or region.
Successful projects will be based on an assessment of the environment affecting your education and care organisation or the sector; the identification of different strategies for responding to this environment and the development of a plan to test and/or implement one or several of these strategies.
Priority will be given to projects with the potential for other services or regions to adopt or adapt the strategy in order to improve the sustainability and viability of education and care services across the sector.
Projects should foster innovation and planning within and between organisations and may include:
· developing, updating and/or maintaining resources that support quality education and care services
· implementing or adapting relevant aspects of regional plans for children’s services
· researching, piloting and/or demonstrating new approaches to the delivery of education and care services
· developing business plans (including financial planning) to support the continued viability of an organisation or collection of organisations
· joint initiatives for the training and professional development of staff or boards across education and care services
· conferences or other initiatives to encourage collaboration between education and care services
· establishing a shared administration centre or staff relief pools to provide expertise and share resources among education and care services.
Organisations are encouraged to explore new ideas and partnerships with all children’s services in their area (e.g. local councils, schools or for profit child care centres).
Funding of up to $25,000 per project is available.
If your project involves a number of organisations you may be eligible to apply for a larger amount of funding. Please contact the Department of Local Government to discuss your project idea.
Selection Criteria
Each application will be assessed against the following criteria:
· evidence of need in the education and care sector and/or community
· evidence the proposal will assist the long-term viability and sustainability of education and care services
· demonstration that the project will contribute to regional planning for education and care services
· evidence of sound project planning
· capacity of the organisation(s) to manage the project
· value for money.
Who can apply
Eligible groups and organisations must be:
· an incorporated not–for–profit community managed organisation, with an interest in supporting education and care services in regional Western Australia.
· A peak organisation, with established links to education and care services in regional Western Australia.
· a local government authority with an interest in supporting education and care services in regional Western Australia
· an unincorporated organisation or community group, with an interest in supporting education and cares services in regional Western Australia, applying through the auspice of an incorporated body or a local government authority.
A group or organisation is not-for-profit if their governing documents prohibit distribution of profits to individual members while the group or organisation is operating and once they cease to operate.
Who cannot apply
You should not apply for this grant if you are:
· a federal or state agency
· an individual
· a commercial for-profit organisation
· an unincorporated not-for-profit community sector organisation (unless applying through an incorporated body or a local government authority)
· an organisation located in the Indian Ocean Territories.
Organisations that have not provided an acquittal and/or evaluation from previous Department of Local Government and Communities’ grant or program funding in accordance with the agreed time frames, are ineligible to apply until the required documentation has been submitted.
How to apply
Step 1. Contact the Senior Project Officer at the Department of Local Government and Communities, on (08) 6551 8928 or email at to discuss your project idea and confirm that it falls within the RCCCDF Strategic Grants Program guidelines.
There is no question too big or too small
Step 2. Download the application form and complete all sections of the document with respect to the proposed project
Step 3. Before submitting an application for assessment, take a moment to complete the checklist at the end of the application form to ensure that all application criteria have been met and all relevant information and attachments have been included.
Step 4. Applications can be submitted to the Department of Local Government and Communities, via the following means:
Email:
Please ensure that a scanned copy of the signed declaration is included with email submissions. If it is not possible to include a scanned copy of the signed declaration, please post the original copy to the department within five working days.
Please note, as there is a limit to the size of attachments that can be accepted by email, supporting documents can be sent via post. Please make reference to this in the email should additional information be posted.
Post: GPO Box R1250, Perth 6844
Fax: 6552 1555
Step 5. All applications will be acknowledged via email within five business days of receipt. Should you not receive an acknowledgement, please contact the Department by telephone or email to confirm that your application has been received.
Assessment and notification
Please allow up to 12 weeks for advice regarding the outcome of your application.
All applications will be reviewed against the selection criteria outlined in this document.
All organisations that apply for funding will be notified in writing of the outcome of their submission.
Successful applicants
Successful applicants will be required to enter into a negotiated grant agreement with the Department of Local Government and Communities. This agreement will detail the obligations of both parties including, but not limited to, funding and payment details, reporting requirements, agreed project outcomes and activities, and acquittal conditions. Funding will be provided to successful applicants upon the execution of this agreement.
Generally, reporting requirements will include a summary of project outcomes and activities, together with any problems incurred or lessons learned, to evaluate the effectiveness of the project against the objectives of the Regional Community Child Care Development Fund Program. The acquittal report requires a statement of income and expenditure for the project, which must be certified by the authorised signatory of the organisation.
Once the project is completed, any unspent grant funds, or grant funds not expended in accordance with the grant agreement, must be returned to the Department of Local Government and Communities.
For further information
If you require further information about the Regional Community Child Care Development Fund Program, please contact:
Ms Laree Walker, Senior Project Officer, telephone 65518928
If you require information about the application process or assistance in completing an application form, please contact the grants team on 6551 8700.
Department of Local Government and Communities
GPO Box R1250, PERTH WA 6844
Level 13, Gordon Stephenson House
140 William Street, PERTH WA 600
Telephone: (08) 6551 8700
Fax: (08) 6552 1555
Freecall: 1800 620 511 (Country Only)
Email:
Website: www.dlgc.wa.gov.au/commgrants
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) – Telephone: 13 14 50
Page 8 – RCCCDF – Strategic Projects Grants Program Guidelines