First Nations Heritage Grants Program (Round 2) – Australia

The program supports projects on-Country where First Nations people lead the identification, assessment, recording and protection of First Nations cultural heritage.

The First Nations Heritage Grant Program – Round 2 grant opportunity will support the Australian Government’s election commitment to add Indigenous values to National Heritage and World Heritage-listed properties

Objectives

• The objectives of the program are to:
  • support the addition of Indigenous values to existing World Heritage and National Heritage-listed properties
  • better protect First Nations heritage and improve engagement with First Nations Peoples to support their heritage.
• The objectives of the grant opportunity are to:
  • identify new Indigenous heritage values at existing World Heritage and National Heritage-listed places
  • prepare submissions for the addition of Indigenous heritage values to existing World Heritage and National Heritage listings, as applicable
  • increase protection of World Heritage and National Heritage-listed places with Indigenous heritage values that may or may not be recognised in the heritage listing for the place
  • improve management of World Heritage and National Heritage-listed places with Indigenous heritage values that may or may not be recognised in the heritage listing for the place.

Funding Information

• For this second round, up to $3.5 million is available in total. You can apply for, and receive, up to two grants per listed place through this grant opportunity. You must be able to deliver each project independently.
  • The minimum grant amount is $25,000.
  • The maximum grant amount is $250,000.
• The grant amount will be up to 80 per cent of eligible expenditure.
• You are responsible for the remaining 20 per cent of eligible and all ineligible project costs.

Outcomes

• The intended outcome of the program is the:
  • recognition, conservation and preservation of World Heritage and National Heritage-listed places.

Eligible Expenditure

• You can use this grant funding for:
  • salaries for staff working on the project, and on-costs (up to 30%)
  • contractor costs or expert advice
  • research costs
  • on-ground works where they directly protect newly identified Indigenous heritage values or those Indigenous heritage values that have not already been protected under previous works and/or a management plan
  • communication and promotional costs
  • costs related to planning, environmental or other regulatory approvals from non-Commonwealth government agencies
  • materials and equipment hire/purchase
  • domestic travel including meals, accommodation and transportation.
  • catering required to conduct project activities such as workshops at the heritage site locality. These must be commensurate with the size and location of the project
  • project contingency costs up to a maximum of 10% of the eligible project costs (note that payments are based on actual costs incurred)
  • administrative costs related to the project at no more than 15% of the grant funding requested.

Eligible Projects

• You must complete your project by 30 April 2026.
• Your project must:
  • be located in Australia. Eligible project locations must be listed on Australia’s World and National Heritage places
  • support First Nations people to identify, record and/or protect Indigenous heritage values that have not been previously identified, recorded and/or protected at listed places
  • include eligible activities and eligible expenditure.

Eligibility Criteria

• First Nations communities are strongly encouraged to apply, regardless of the type of heritage values a site is currently listed for. The program is also open to non-Indigenous applicants.
• To be eligible you must:
  • have an Australian Business Number (ABN), unless you are not entitled to an ABN, and be one of the following entities:
    • an entity, incorporated in Australia (this includes Indigenous land management organizations registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations)
    • a registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land council
    • an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
    • an incorporated Regional Development Australia Committee
    • a publicly funded research organisation (PFRO)
    • an individual
    • a partnership
    • an Australian local government agency or body
    • an Australian state/territory Government agency or body.
• You must also:
  • be a First Nations individual, group or organisation that is also the owner/manager of a listed place or
  • be a First Nations individual, group or organisation that is not the owner/manager of the listed place and have evidence of the support of the listed place owner/manager for your project or
  • be a non-First Nations owner/manager of the listed place and have evidence of the involvement and support of relevant First Nations communities for the implementation of your project, or
  • be a third party and:
    • have evidence of the involvement and support of relevant First Nations communities for the implementation of your project, and
    • have evidence of the support of the listed place owner/manager for your project.

For more information, visit Australian Government.