We live and work on the lands of the palawa people. We acknowledge and pay our deepest respect to the ongoing connection to culture and custodianship of the land, sky, and waterways that we share with the Aboriginal people of lutruwita/Tasmania.

Community Grants Program

 

Hydro Tasmania offers grants for not-for-profit community organisations to fund projects that will make a real difference for people and communities in Tasmania.

We want to help community groups achieve great outcomes.

 

Applications are now open for our 2025 Community Grants Program! The grants available are up to $5,000.

 

Application process:

You will need to complete and submit an application form, detailing the work or project that the grant is funding.

 

Grants Open

Grants Close:

Grants Awarded:

Monday 3 February 20255pm Friday 28 March 2025by 30 June 2025

 

After the closing date, submissions are reviewed by a panel of Hydro Tasmania and external personnel.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome by 30 June 2025 and when the process has concluded you are welcome to contact us for feedback at community.grants@hydro.com.au.

The successful applicants are required to sign a Funding Agreement which we will provide.

 

Application form:

You can apply online here or download a printable form to complete.

 

Please note: You can’t save data typed into the online form.

 

Printed applications can be posted to:

Kate Hickey
c/o Hydro Tasmania
GPO Box 355
Hobart Tasmania 7001

Or they can be emailed to: community.grants@hydro.com.au. All electronic copies will receive an acknowledgement of receipt.

If you require assistance please contact Kate Hickey at kate.hickey@hydro.com.au.

 

To complete your application:

 

Eligibility criteria:

  • Applicants must be a community-serving, not-for-profit organisation, that is either:
    • registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC); or
    • a community service organisation exempt from paying income tax under the Income Tas Assessment Act 1997 (Cth).
  • The proposed project must be based in Tasmania.
  • Applications from Aboriginal organisations for culturally significant projects are actively encouraged. 

Ineligible applications include:

  • Projects where there is a direct benefit to a business or an individual.
  • Projects that benefit a political party.
  • Applications from a commercial or for-profit organisation.
  • Fundraising campaigns, prizes or gifts.
  • Strategic, business or communication plans or feasibility studies or any other study that does not result in a direct outcome to the community.

Selection Criteria:

The project must achieve value to the community. To demonstrate this, the application must provide:

  • a description of the positive outcome this project will achieve.
  • the applicant must explain the objectives, time-frame, budget and that success is within the organisation's capacity. For example:
    • explain the issue the project will address
    • outline the steps the project will go through
    • the costs for each step
    • whether there is any specific expertise required and how this will be managed.

At the end of the project, applicants must be willing to provide, for use by Hydro Tasmania, information and photographs that demonstrate the outcomes from the grant.

Handy hints for frequently asked questions:

  • Explain the need and broad benefit for the community, for example, does the project address social issues in the community? Some issues might be health, education, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability, diversity, community connection, disadvantage or inequality.
  • Provide evidence of community support, this could be explaining the desired improvement, those who are impacted or the gap that the project will address.
  • Show that risks associated with the project have been considered, for example, what if supplies or trades people aren’t available. What about maintenance or replacement costs on an ongoing basis.
  • Demonstrate organisational and/or community capacity to complete the project. Do you have access to the people required to complete the tasks involved?
  • Please avoid jargon - write acronyms in full in the first instance and ensure the application can be understood by the average person.
  • Provide relevant details in the application rather than website links. A large number of applications are received so it may not be possible to sift through websites.
  • Letters of support are a good way to demonstrate community need and support for projects. These letters should be obtained from outside the applicant organisation, for example, the local council, stakeholder groups or groups that will benefit from the project.
  • It is unlikely that projects will be funded where there is an unrealistic outcome, time-frame or budget, is likely to be beyond the capacity of the applicant and/or unlikely to proceed in the next 12 months.

 

Terms and Conditions:

  • Submission of an application is deemed to be acceptance of these conditions.
  • Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria specified for the grant.
  • Applications must be submitted on the application form provided.
  • Applications are now open and close at 5pm 28 March 2025. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by the 30 June 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.
  • Satisfaction of the eligibility criteria and compliance with the application process does not guarantee the provision of a grant to any applicant.
  • Hydro Tasmania reserves the right in its absolute discretion to choose the successful applicants. Hydro Tasmania’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all the information they include in their application is correct.
  • If information included in the applicant’s application is found to be incorrect, Hydro Tasmania may request the grant be returned in full.
  • The grant must be used for the purpose for which it has been provided. If an organisation is unable to fulfil this requirement, the funds must be returned in full to Hydro Tasmania.
  • A report and photographs about the work must be provided to Hydro Tasmania within 12 months of the receipt of the grant. Applicant’s consent to Hydro Tasmania’s use of these photographs in accordance with these terms.
  • Approval of a grant does not commit Hydro Tasmania to any future financial assistance to the organisation.
  • The applicant remains responsible for ensuring all parties involved in the application for and administering the grant, such as a sponsor, abide by the terms and conditions of the grant.
  • Successful applicants must sign a Funding Agreement and provide Hydro Tasmania with a tax invoice.
  • Hydro Tasmania shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever which is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for any personal injury suffered or sustained in connection with funded projects.
  • Hydro Tasmania accepts no responsibility for any tax implications that may arise from the successful application.
  • Once a grant has been awarded, any shortfall required for the completion of the project will have to be arranged by the applicant without Hydro Tasmania.
  • Hydro Tasmania collects and discloses applicants’ personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy, and in this case, collects such information in order to conduct and administer the grant program. If the information requested is not provided, the applicant may not participate in the program.
  • Hydro Tasmania may use information applicants submit to Hydro Tasmania in their application or upon successful completion of their project for any media, promotion, marketing and/or publicity purposes. By submitting an application, applicants consent to this and acknowledge Hydro Tasmania will not provide further reference, payment or other compensation to the applicant.

 

2024 Community Grants Program recipients

 

The deserving recipients of the Community Grant program in its eighth year are:

 

Recipients Purpose Project 
     
Tassie Mums Provides essential baby and children's items to social service and health organisations across Tasmanian that work with vulnerable and at-risk children.   Funds will contribute to the Safe Travels project which provides vulnerable babies and children with safe, age appropriate car seats and prams. This gives families greater access to their community and services for improved health and wellbeing. 
     
Salvation Army Launceston Provides assistance to those in need through different services including emergency food relief, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, family support services and homeless assistance.   Will turn an unused grass area into a place where people in the community utilising the facilities can meet sit outside and have breakfast, lunch or just coffee. This would be done by laying a concrete slab and erecting sheltered seating. 
     
Spring Bay Suicide Prevention Network A group of volunteers focused on building the A-B-C of community in their community (Buckland to Swansea). A=Awareness, B=Belonging and C= Connection. They predominantly run activities to foster social connection.  The funding will provide LiveLife Alarms to at risk elderly community members who live alone. The alarm alerts a nominated contact if there is a medical event, for eg, a fall or if they’re concerned for their safety.  
     
Miracle Babies National organisation that supports premature and sick newborns, their families and the hospitals that care for them.   This project will provide 60 NICU Survival Packs to the Royal Hobart Hospital. NICU Survival Packs contain premature-sized baby products and resources to guide parents through aspects and concerns to give a better understanding of neonatal care and help them navigate the NICU. 
     
Swimming Association of King Island Operates the fully enclosed heated swimming pool with changerooms and toilet facilities at Grassy on King Island.  The project is to install a non-slip surface to the pool surrounds. The heated pool provides physio rehab facilities for post operative King Island community members, swimming lessons for children, dive instruction lessons, social swims, fitness swims and a community area where people can meet and talk. 
     
Arthritis Foundation of Tasmania Delivers programs and services statewide for the benefit of all Tasmanians affected by arthritis and related musculoskeletal conditions.   This project will offer two half-day events for young people aged 18 years and under affected by juvenile arthritis, and their families. The events will provide a vital opportunity for families to connect and seek support from one another, share information on the challenges of living with juvenile arthritis in a relaxing and supportive environment. There will be one event in the South and one in the North/North West. 

 

Community grant recipients: Harvest Helpers, Derwent Valley Railway and Deloraine Cricket Club

Community grants

  • Previous grants awarded