Grant Opportunities

In support of the Mareeba Shire not-for-profit sector, Council monitors grant funding made available by other organisations.

The grant opportunities below provide key details about a selection of current and reoccurring grants with a community focus.

If you would like to be on the mailing list to receive Community Grant Alerts, please email info@msc.qld.gov.au or contact 1300 308 461.

Gambling Community Benefit Fund

Round 126 ($35k standard grant round) is now open and will close at midnight on 28 February 2026.

The Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF) is Queensland’s largest one-off community grants program and distributes approximately $60 million each year to not-for-profit community groups. The GCBF funding helps these groups to provide services, leisure activities and opportunities for Queensland communities.

Organisations can apply for a wide variety of items under the Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF), for example:

  • community events/training
  • equipment (including medical equipment)
  • facility improvements
  • machinery
  • printing/publications/marketing
  • solar
  • vehicles/boats
  • workshops/conferences.

Closes: Midnight on 28 February 2026.

Funding amount: Up to $35,000

For more information or to apply, please visit: Gambling Community Benefit Fund | Department of Justice

In a Good Place

The In a Good Place program gives small remote, rural and regional communities across Australia, particularly farming communities, the opportunity to access funds for a broad range of community-driven projects, services, activities or initiatives, which clearly and directly focus on strengthening mental health, social / emotional health and wellbeing.

  • Opens 14 January 2026
  • Up to $20,000 available to deliver projects, services, or activities that strengthen mental health and wellbeing. Most previous funding has been for training (such as Mental Health First Aid) or wellbeing activities (free art classes, social gatherings, etc).
  • Focus on agricultural communities with less than 10,000 people.

For more information, please visit: In a Good Place (IAGP)

NAIDOC Local Grants

Open Now 

The Australian Government proudly supports National NAIDOC Week celebrations and funding through NAIDOC Local Grants.

  • In 2026, up to $3 million is available to support local communities and organisations across Australia celebrate NAIDOC Week from 5 to 12 July 2026.
  • The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) manages the NAIDOC Local Grants and the application process.
  • Applications must be submitted through GrantConnect.
  • Applications close at 3.00pm AEDT on Thursday 19 February 2026. More information is also available on the NIAA website.

Find out what NAIDOC Week events are happening across the country and don’t forget to share your own!

Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant

Opens 24 February 2026

Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program will boost support for communities across remote, rural and regional Australia to enhance liveability with digital solutions that harness the power of connection.

  • The program will support community-led efforts that embrace new technology and improve digital literacy or digital capability.
  • Grants up to $10,000 are available for not-for-profit community organisations that are providing access to information, technology, education and facilities to support their communities to embrace new technologies and ways of working to build social capital and digital capability.

For more information, please visit: Telstra’s Connected Communities Grants

Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal

Strengthening Rural Communities

There are two streams of funding available within the Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Program: Small and Vital and Prepare and Recover.

FRRR’s Small & Vital program supports thriving, resilient, and sustainable remote, rural and regional communities across Australia. In particular, priority will be given to projects that:

  • Support communities to implement generational transition;
  • Invest in outback, remote, and less resourced communities;
  • Build capacity and resourcing for a just and equitable energy transition;
  • Support First Nations-led initiatives that strengthen culture, country, economic participation, and reconciliation.
  • More Information: Strengthening Rural Communities — Small & Vital | FRRR
  • Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly.

FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants

Opens February 2026

FRRR and our donor partners collaborate with ABC Heywire to help communities take action on the ideas generated by young Australians who attend the annual Heywire Regional Youth Summit.

Up to $10,000 available for projects that address challenges and opportunities identified by the 2026 Heywire winners, with a focus on youth-designed and youth-led solutions for rural and regional communities.

For more information, please visit: FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants

Games On! Grassroots Infrastructure Program

The $30 million Games On! Grassroots Infrastructure Program is helping local Queensland organisations upgrade sporting facilities, get more people active, and build a lasting community legacy ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, through the Field of Play program for community-level projects and the Partnership Fund for larger, multi-use developments.

 Registrations of interest are open under two funding streams, with applicants expected to make a co-contribution:

 1. Games On! Field of Play: Funds smaller, community-level infrastructure projects like shade structures, LED lights, and the upgrading of existing facilities to help more people get involved in sport.

 Funding available:

  • Projects located within urban and regional LGAs: $50,000 – $499,999
  • Projects located within remote and very remote LGAs*: $50,000 – $739,999
  • Projects located within discrete communities: $50,000 – $829,999

2. Games on! Partnership Fund: Supports new larger-scale projects like club houses and multi-use precincts to create spaces that are inclusive, functional, and fit-for-purpose for both local use and future international events.

Funding available:

  • Projects located within urban and regional LGAs: Starting from $500,000
  • Projects located within remote and very remote LGAs*: Starting from $740,000
  • Projects located within discrete communities: Starting from $830,000

Registrations of Interest close on 18 March 2026

For more information or to apply, please visit: Games On! Grassroots Infrastructure Program | Recreation, sport and arts | Queensland Government; Email gameson@sport.qld.gov.au or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68).

CleanCO Community Futures Fund

Open Now

  • CleanCo’s Community Futures Fund supports not-for-profit organisations, community services, First Nations initiatives, educational institutions, environmental associations and individuals.
  • Applicants can request sponsorships of up to $5,000 per round.
  • Applicants should be located within one of the following local government areas: Cairns, Tablelands, Ipswich, Mareeba Shire, Cassowary Coast, Rockhampton and Somerset.
  • Applications close 30 March 2026

For more information, please visit: Community Futures Fund | CleanCo Queensland

Mt Emerald Wind Farm – Community Enhancement Fund

Applications are accepted all year round and reviewed twice a year (post 31 January and 31 July) by a committee comprising local volunteers.

The fund is designed to share the financial benefits of the wind farm with not-for-profit groups, associations and clubs that make a positive difference to the local community.

Organisations with projects within a 50km radius of the Mt Emerald Wind Farm and 40km of the Windy Hill Wind Farm are eligible to apply for a grant from the fund.

RAF Quick Response Grants, Flying Arts Alliance

RAF Quick Response Grants aim to support arts or cultural projects and individual professional development activities that cannot be funded by other means because of their nature of timing.  Regional artists, arts organisations and communities can apply for funding up to $3,000 for individuals and $5,000 for organisations, for expenses such as artist fees, travel costs, materials, venue and equipment hire, insurance and administrative costs. Quick response grants are open ten times per year not including December or January. The next rounds are:

The John Villiers Trust

The John Villiers Trust’s granting is aligned to the strategic goals of building partnerships and strategic relationships with communities.  Funding is available for charitable organisations with DGR status for projects that enhance the wellbeing and development of children and youth in rural Queensland and demonstrates potential outcomes across more than one area of social need e.g. health, social welfare, education, disability. Applications reviewed regularly, no closing dates.

More information: Home – The John Villiers Trust

Wettenhall Environment Trust, Small Environmental Grant Scheme

Grants support projects that enhance and maintain the vitality and diversity of the Australian natural living environment.

Grants between $2,000 and $15,000 are available through the Small Environmental Grant Scheme which supports flora and fauna conservation projects, including monitoring, community education, capacity building and research.

The next round is to be announced.

More information: Wettenhall Environment Trust

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