Veteran & Community Grants

Administered by the Australian Government, the objective of the Veteran and Community Grants Program is to maintain and improve the independence and quality of life for members of the Australian veteran community by providing funding for projects that sustain or enhance health and wellbeing.

The program consists of one annual funding round.  The 2021/2022 is open from 9 December 2021 to 20 January 2022.

Building Excellence in Support & Training Grants

Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) grants support ex-service organisations (ESOs) in providing compensation and welfare assistance to the Defence and veteran communities.

These grants are calculated using a formula based on each eligible organisation’s advocacy workload, calculated as a percentage of the national workload. This percentage is then used to determine that organisations share of the available funding.

This grants program links closely with the Advocacy Training and Development Program, which provides training, support and accreditation for advocates.

Grants-In-Aid

Grants-In-Aid are for projects and activities that:

  • encourage cooperation and communication between the ex-service community, ex-service organisations and the Australian Government
  • encourage cooperation and communication between national ex-service organisations and their branches, sub-branches and affiliated organisations, and/or
  • support their branches, sub-branches and affiliated organisations in providing advocacy services to the veteran and defence communities.

Long Tan Bursary

The Long Tan Bursary scheme was established to help eligible children of Vietnam veterans meet the cost of post-secondary education.

Thirty seven (37) bursaries, worth $12,000 for each recipient and paid over three years, are awarded each year to successful applicants from each state and territory. The scheme is administered by the Australian Veterans’ Children Assistance Trust on behalf of DVA.

Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program

The Australian Government invites applications through an open competitive process to apply for grant funding each financial year under the Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program (the program).

The program aims to preserve Australia’s wartime heritage and involve people around the nation in a wide range of projects and activities that highlight the service and sacrifice of Australia’s service personnel in wars, conflicts and peace operations. Projects and activities should promote appreciation and understanding of the experiences of service and the roles that those who served have played in shaping the nation.

There are two categories of grants available under the program:

  1. Community Grants (STS-CG) – Grants to a maximum of $10,000 are available for local, community-based projects and activities.
  2. Major Grants (STS-MG) – Grants between $10,001 and $150,000 are available for major commemorative projects and activities that are significant from a national, state, territory and/or regional perspective.

For the intended outcomes of the grant opportunity, refer to the Grant Opportunity Guidelines.

If your project involves restoring/changing a memorial, there may be heritage considerations. Information is available from your state or territory government heritage body, or at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website.

Supporting Younger Veterans Grants Program

The Supporting Younger Veterans Program provides grants to ex-service organisations and their partners to deliver services for the younger veterans’ community that build capacity for the future.  The grants also help raise awareness of the issues faced by the younger veterans’ community.

The objectives of the program are to:

  • deliver services to the younger veterans’ community that build community capacity for the future and complement services already provided by the Commonwealth
  • expand on existing or well established services offered to the younger veterans’ community to new regions within Australia or in development of new services that will be offered in more than one location
  • raise awareness of the important issues faced by the younger veterans’ community.