Facility Improvement Grant - smaller projects 2026

This round will open at 1 January 2026 (AEDT) for submissions.

PLEASE Note: applications for this category will close end of day Saturday 28th February 2026.. 

Facility Improvement Grant - smaller projects - read more here

This funding supports changes to community facilities or assets that will help community members participate more in community life. Priority is support community-led projects that increase community access and participation, demonstrate collaboration between groups and result in greater use of facilities. 

Funding Amounts: Up to $10,000  
Funding Timeline:  1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027.

Instructions:
   • Read the Grants Guidelines
   • Discuss your application with a Council Officer
   • Submit the application by end of day Saturday 28th February 2026.
   • You can save and close your application to come back to later.
    Help is available to complete the application, i.e.  translate into other languages or any other question.
    Please contact our Community Grants Team on 9240 1111 or communitygrants@merri-bek.vic.gov.au.

Timing:
A full application will need to include all information such as plans, permits or site audits.

Applications that meet one or more of the Funding Priorities, will score higher in the assessment process:
  • The project supports Council’s priority communities - read the funding priorities here,
  • The project is planned and delivered by community groups and organisations that work together,
  • The project has clear benefits for people living in Merri-bek,
  • The project considers its environmental impact and tries to minimise it where possible.

Requirements:
 Applicants are required to:
  • Submit facility plans clearly indicating the improvements
  • Copy of all permits, landowner approval, permissions and site audits, dependant on the project.
  • Submit quotes and costings for all aspects of the project
  • Show how community groups collaborate to encourage greater use of the facilities by a range of community members
Read more about application requirements and the process - Facility Improvement Grant- applicant manual. 

Preference will be given to projects that:
  • Address Community Grants Objectives and Funding Priorities
  • Meet the needs of the community
  • Plan for long term sustainability. Plans, permits or site audits may be required,
depending on the project.

These documents must be ready to upload and attach:
   • Current Public Liability Insurance Policy
   • Most recent Financial Statement
   • Landowner approval
   • Quotes or estimates for the project 
   • Schematic Plan of the facility that clearly indicates the proposed project
   • Letters of support from partnering groups that indicates you are working together for the project

Read more about this category on page 17 and 'What we won't fund' on page 6 of the Guidelines. 

Assessment timelines
• Once submitted and officers are comfortable all supporting documentation is appropriate for the application and funds requested, the application will be assessed against the criteria by a community assessment panel - read more: How we assess grants 
• Assessment Panel Recommendation will be presented to Council in May/June 2026 after such endorsement you will receive notification of the outcome.
• If approved for funding support, you will be required to submit a funding agreement. Payment made in accordance with Councill's payment terms, 
• You may begin anywhere in this application form. Please ensure you save as you go.
• For queries about eligibility, guidelines or questions in the form, please contact us on 9240 1111 during business hours or email the grants officer - communitygrants@merri-bek.vic.gov.au; and quote your application number.

Read more:
Applying for Community Grants
Support for Applicants
Auspice information - See Frequently Asked Questions

NAVIGATING (MOVING THROUGH) THE APPLICATION FORM

On every screen (page of the form) you will find a Form Navigation contents box, this links directly to every page of the application. Click the link to jump directly to the page you want.

You can also click 'next page' or 'previous page' on the top or bottom of each page to move forward or backward through the application.

SAVING YOUR DRAFT APPLICATION

If you wish to leave a partially completed application, press 'save and close' and log out. When you log back in and click on the 'My Submissions' link at the top of the screen, you will find a list of any applications you have started or submitted. You can reopen your draft application and start where you left off.

You can also download any application, whether draft or completed, as a PDF. Click on the 'Download PDF' button located at the bottom of the last page of the application form.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it.

Once you have reviewed your application you can submit it by clicking on 'Submit' at the top or bottom of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the compulsory questions are completed and there are no validation errors.

Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible.

When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email you used to register.

If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email then you should presume that your submission has NOT been submitted.

Hint: also check the email hasn't landed in your spam or junk email folder.

ATTACHMENTS AND SUPPORT DOCUMENTS

You may need to upload/submit attachments to support your application. This is very simple, but requires you to have the documents saved on your computer, or on a storage device.

You need to allow enough time for each file to upload before trying to attach another file. Files can be up to 25MB each; however, we do recommend trying to keep files to a maximum of 5MB – the larger the file, the longer the upload time.

COMPLETING AN APPLICATION IN A GROUP/TEAM

A number of people can work on an application using the same log in details as long as only one person is working at a time. Ensure you save as you go.

SPELL CHECK

Most internet browsers (including Firefox v2.0 and above; Safari; and Google Chrome) have spell checking facilities built in – you can switch this function on or off by adjusting your browser settings.