2026 Bupa Foundation Community Grants (Australia and New Zealand)

Deadline: 16-Oct-2026

The Bupa Foundation Community Grants program supports registered charities and not-for-profit organizations delivering projects that prevent or control disease and improve community health and wellbeing in Australia and New Zealand. A total of 36 one-off grants are available across three funding streams of $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000, with funded projects required to finish by 31 December 2027.

About the Bupa Foundation Community Grants Program

The program supports innovative and capable organizations working to improve physical and mental health in communities where Bupa operates. It recognizes disease broadly and supports initiatives addressing diagnosed physical or mental health conditions, their prevention, their management, or their effects on individuals and communities. Funded projects must align with the overall purpose of preventing and controlling disease and at least one of the program’s key focus areas. Purpose of the Program

The Community Grants program aims to:

- Prevent physical and mental health conditions. - Improve disease management and control. - Strengthen community health and wellbeing. - Reduce health inequities. - Improve health outcomes for First Nations peoples. - Support vulnerable and underserved communities. - Strengthen capable community organizations. - Improve access to health information and services. - Support health-related advocacy. - Explore links between health and the environment. - Build community resilience to climate-related health risks. - Generate measurable and sustainable health benefits. Funding Information The program offers 36 one-off grants across three streams:

The combined value of the announced grants is $750,000. Applicants should select the funding level that matches the scale, cost, organizational capacity, and expected results of their project. Project Timeline

Funded projects must:

- Begin after the grant funds are received. - Be completed by 31 December 2027. Applicants should not include activities or costs incurred before receiving funding. The proposed schedule should allow time for: - Project preparation. - Participant engagement. - Implementation. - Monitoring. - Evaluation. - Financial reporting. - Completion of final deliverables. Key Focus Areas Projects must address at least one of the following areas: - Community health and wellbeing. - Health equity for First Nations peoples and vulnerable communities. - Connections between health, environmental restoration, and climate resilience. Projects may address multiple focus areas when the activities remain coherent and achievable. Community Health and Wellbeing Projects may help communities prevent disease, improve health knowledge, manage existing conditions, or access suitable support.

Potential activities may include:

- Health education. - Prevention programs. - Community outreach. - Peer support. - Early-intervention activities. - Improved access to health resources. - Health-literacy initiatives. - Skills development. - Community-based disease-management support. - Wellbeing programs linked to defined health outcomes. Applicants should identify the health need, target community, activities, and expected improvement. Health Equity Health equity means ensuring people have fair opportunities to achieve good health, particularly when they face structural, geographic, cultural, financial, or social barriers.

Projects may support:

- First Nations communities. - Low-income communities. - Rural and remote populations. - People with disabilities. - Culturally and linguistically diverse communities. - People experiencing homelessness. - Communities affected by discrimination. - People with limited access to health services. - Other vulnerable or underserved groups. Applicants should explain the barriers affecting participants and how the proposed project will reduce them. First Nations Health Projects primarily serving First Nations people must meet specific leadership requirements. If most participants are First Nations people, the applicant must: - Be a First Nations-led organization; or - Deliver a First Nations-led program. First Nations leadership should be meaningful and visible in: - Governance. - Decision-making. - Project design. - Implementation. - Community engagement. - Evaluation. - Control of cultural knowledge. - Management of community relationships. Applicants should describe how First Nations people lead the work rather than participate only as beneficiaries. Environmental Restoration and Health The program recognizes that human health is connected to environmental conditions. Projects may explore how environmental restoration can contribute to: - Cleaner air and water. - Physical activity. - Mental wellbeing. - Community connection. - Reduced exposure to environmental hazards. - Healthier local ecosystems. - Improved climate resilience. - Reduced heat-related risks. - Stronger community preparedness. Applicants must demonstrate a clear health connection rather than proposing a general environmental project. Climate Resilience and Health Climate change can influence health through: - Extreme heat. - Air pollution. - Bushfire smoke. - Flooding. - Infectious disease risks. - Food insecurity. - Water insecurity. - Mental-health impacts. - Disruption of health and community services. - Damage to housing and infrastructure. Eligible projects may strengthen health resilience by helping communities prepare for, respond to, or recover from these risks. Disease Definition The program uses a broad definition of disease covering mental and physical health conditions.

Examples include:

- Asthma. - Cancer. - Clinical depression. - Diabetes. - Heart disease. - Hepatitis. - Multiple sclerosis. - Post-traumatic stress disorder. - Viral infections. This list is illustrative rather than necessarily exhaustive. Applicants should clearly explain th