To be eligible, Organisations must be:

• a not-for-profit organisation
• a legal entity with the capacity to enter into a legally binding grant agreement with the Commonwealth; and
• one of the following entity types:
  • Company
  • Cooperative
  • Incorporated Association
  • Indigenous Corporation
  • Statutory Entity.

Stream 1 — Amenity projects: $20,000 to $100,000

This stream is for upgrades to improve multicultural community amenity, accessibility and liveability and/or to preserve/protect the infrastructure, contents or people using the facility. Some examples of eligible projects are:

• building upgrades such as ramps for improved access
• security upgrades such as security systems, lights, fences
• kitchen or bathrooms upgrades
• equipment such as sound and lighting, or video conferencing facilities.

Stream 2 — Small to medium infrastructure projects: $100,001 to $500,000

This stream is for minor renovations or upgrades to a new or existing buildings and can also include the types of projects listed in Stream 1. Some examples of eligible projects are:

• constructing or upgrading community infrastructure that fills an identified gap or need to a multicultural community
• refurbishment, including conservation and rejuvenation of existing infrastructure for wider multicultural community benefit
• extensions to an existing building.

Stream 3 — Larger infrastructure projects: $500,001 to $1.5 million

This stream is for construction, extensions or renovations to new or existing buildings that will have an impact on and/or benefit members of more than one multicultural community. Some examples of eligible projects are:

• community hubs and centres
• museums or libraries
• spaces to encourage performing arts
• spaces for sporting and physical activities.

Organisations will be required to contribute towards the total value of their project as follows:

Priority Group:

For the purposes of this grant, priority groups are new and emerging multicultural communities defined as a group of recent arrivals to Australia or a region in Australia who:

• have limited or no established networks, support systems, community structures and resources compared with established communities, and/or
• are unfamiliar with mainstream services and/or have challenges accepting mainstream services, and/or
• may have an increased need for infrastructure or safe space to commune as per the grant's expected outcome.

Priority Project:

Projects focussed on achieving positive outcomes for multicultural women, multicultural LGBTIQA+ community members, and multicultural people with a disability.

All eligible organisations can apply. If you are not a priority group, you have a higher percentage of co-contribution funding.

In-kind contributions do not count as co-contributions for the purpose of this grant opportunity.

Organisations must be able to mention that the co-contribution is confirmed or otherwise available at the time of their application. Co-funding sources include, but are not limited to:

• Their own available cash balance
• financial loans
• donations
• state, territory or local government funding sources (including grants which have been executed before their application has been submitted or are contingent on this grant being approved for the same project) note: co-contributions from commonwealth agencies will not be considered.
• support from a partner organisation or consortium member.

No. You can submit only one application for this grant opportunity in either Batch 1 or Batch 2; regardless of whether you are applying in your own right or as the lead member of a consortium.

No. You can apply for funding in one batch only - either Batch 1 or Batch 2 - regardless of whether you are applying in your own right or as the lead member of a consortium. If more than one application is submitted in a batch, only the latest accepted application will progress.

No. You can apply for funding in one batch only - either Batch 1 or Batch 2.

No. An organisation can apply for one grant only, across all batches and all streams.

We will not accept late applications unless an applicant has experienced exceptional circumstances that prevent the submission of the application. Broadly, exceptional circumstances are events characterised by one or more of the following:

• reasonably unforeseeable
• beyond the applicant's control
• unable to be managed or resolved within the application period.

Exceptional circumstances will be considered on their merits and in accordance with probity principles.

If an application is late or the Community Grants Hub is requested to approve a lodgement after the closing date the late application policy available on the Community Grants Hub website will apply.

There is no guarantee a late application will be accepted.

Yes, this is a consortium. A consortium is 2 or more organisations who are working together to combine their capabilities when developing and delivering a grant activity.

You can apply as a consortium on the condition a 'lead applicant' is identified. The lead applicant will be solely accountable to the Commonwealth for the delivery of grant activities and must meet the criteria for an eligible entity. Other members of the consortium do not need to meet the eligibility entity criteria.

If you apply as part of a consortium - either as the lead organisation or as a member of the consortium — you cannot also apply as an applicant outside a consortium.

The maximum grant period is 2 years after the activity start date specified in your grant agreement. It may be possible to extend this period if you provide the department with clear reasons and evidence of unavoidable delays.

No. The funding is for the delivery of the infrastructure project only. The ongoing delivery of services, and the use, upkeep and maintenance of the completed building, is not funded by this grant opportunity.

If you are successful, the earliest you can commence your grant for Batch 1 (applications received by 18 May 2026) is December 2026 and for Batch 2 (applications received between 18 May 2026 and 12 November 2026), July 2027.

If you apply in Batch 1 (applications received by 18 May 2026) grant funds awarded to your organisation are expected to be paid in the 2026–27 financial year.

If you apply in Batch 2 (applications received between 18 May 2026 and 12 November 2026) grant funds awarded to your organisation are expected to be paid in the 2027–28 financial year.

No, grant funds for infrastructure projects do not need to be used in the financial year they are paid. At the end of the grant, you will be required to acquit the entire grant funds, regardless of which year the funds were paid to you.

You should apply for all the grant funds in one financial year, regardless of when you plan to spend the funds.

The Australian Government has announced a total of up to $41.6 million (GST exclusive) from 2026–27 for the Infrastructure for Multicultural Communities grant opportunity.

Funding for the Infrastructure for Multicultural Communities grant opportunity will be provided under the Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Program within Outcome 2 of the Department of Home Affairs's Portfolio Budget Statement.