2025 Youth Week Small Grants Program

I am_________. We are the future and the future is now!’

1. What is Youth Week?

Youth Week 9 - 17 April 2025 is an opportunity to celebrate young people in the local community. Youth Week activities and events are jointly funded by the NSW Government and local council. Activities funded are provided in the community with the opportunity to focus on the positive contributions that young people make and can make to society.

Program initiatives can be extremely broad whilst still maintaining the theme and objectives as outlined by the NSW Government (see 3. Program Objectives). The range of activities encourages a large cross section of young people and community to be involved.
Youth Week targets young people aged 12 to 24 years of age and is designed to offer a range of activities that focus on the issues and concerns of young people in the local area. The theme for Youth Week is ‘I am_________. We are the future and the future is now!’

2. Program Aim

To provide young people with an opportunity to express their views and act on issues that impact on their lives.

3. Program Objectives

The Youth Week aim will be achieved through young people’s active involvement in activities which:

• Raise issues, ideas and concerns of young people
• Develop strategies to address the issues important to young people
• Increase the community’s awareness of young people and the issues that are important to them
• Promote young people’s contributions to the community
• Demonstrate the involvement of young people in the planning of activities
• Demonstrate access to activities from a broad range of young people.

4. Who Should Participate

Youth Week is designed to involve all young people aged 12 to 24 years throughout NSW.
Particular effort should be made to include young people who may be disadvantaged in the community. This may include:

• Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Young people with disabilities
• Young people that are geographically isolated
• Young people from non-English speaking backgrounds
• Young people disadvantaged by their socio-economic background
• Young people who have left school early or are at risk of leaving school early
• Young women
• Young offenders
• Young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people

5. How can Young People Participate?

Young people are required to be actively involved in the planning, co-ordination and implementation of Youth Week activities.
An organisation / individual that put in a submission must clearly demonstrate how young people will be involved in the entire process, including consultation.

6. The Application Criteria

Council will review all applications that are received and assess their suitability for funding on the basis of the following priorities:

• Activities that address the Youth Week theme
• Activities that involve young people in the planning and implementation of activities and events
• Activities held within the specified Youth Week dates
• Activities held in the Blayney Shire local government area
• An ability to demonstrate access for a diverse range of young people including from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, non-English speaking backgrounds and young people with disabilities
• Access and transport issues to the proposed activity
• How the proposed activity will be advertised and promoted to a diverse range of young people
• How the proposed activity will contribute to a coordinated Blayney Shire Youth Week program.

All activities should promote positive images of young people to the wider community.

Please note that the grants are intended to partly fund your organisation in undertaking its Youth Week activities. There are limited funds available and Council is committed to ensuring access and benefits to the wider Blayney Shire youth population. A total budget of $4,800 is available for distribution across Blayney Shire. Grants are proposed to be in the amount of $700 - $1,200 however projects may be allocated more or less dependent on applications.

7. Who can Apply?

Any local non-profit organisation is encouraged to put in a submission including youth and community groups, churches, sporting / social / interest groups, training and employment agencies.

8. How do you Apply?

You must complete and submit the funding form attached to these guidelines. All applications will need to be received by close of business Monday 3 March 2025.

9. Responsibility of Claims

Neither the State of NSW nor any of its employees, contractors or representatives will be responsible or liable for any loss, damage or claim suffered or made by any person which arises out of, or is in conjunction with, any Youth Week activities which are organised, coordinated or funded by the funding recipient.
Successful funding applicants must:

• Acknowledge the contribution by Blayney Shire Council and NSW Government in any promotion of the funded project/activity;
• Provide promotional material to Council 3 weeks prior to the start of Youth Week;
• Provide proof of current public liability insurance including product disclosure statement;
• Submit an Event Risk Assessment;
• Submit promotional material including photographs of the event;
• Submit any proposed changes to the funded activity to Council; and
• On completion of the project / activity, complete and return to Council the Final evaluation report of the project / activity by 4:00pm Friday 9 May 2025. Final evaluation report will be posted / emailed to successful applicants.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

GST: Under the tax system, there will generally be three options available to your organisation if you are successful in receiving a grant. They are listed as follows:
If your organisation has an ABN and is registered for GST

You will provide Blayney Shire Council with a Tax Invoice before receiving your payment. This will simplify obligations and compliance to the GST. The funds you receive will be "grossed up" to include the GST component.

If your organisation has an ABN but is not registered for GST

If you are successful in obtaining financial assistance, the funds you receive will not have a GST component included.

If your organisation does not have an ABN
If you are successful in obtaining financial assistance, the funds you receive will not have a GST component included. Your organisation will need to complete a "Statement by Supplier" form before payment is made.

PAYMENT

Grants to successful applicants will be made in the form of an EFT (electronic funds transfer) from Blayney Shire Council.

INSURANCE

Organisations conducting projects/activities should ensure that they have adequate insurance cover, and should the grant application be successful the organisation will need to provide Council with a copy of their Insurance Cover.

APPLICATIONS

Please return your completed application by 10 March 2025.
You can send your application using one of the following ways:
E-mail: council@blayney.nsw.gov.au
Post: Blayney Shire Council
PO Box 62
BLAYNEY NSW 2799
Please refer to the guidelines or contact Council’s Director Corporate Services for further information on telephone (02) 6368 2104.