Apply Now: GBK Healthy Communities Grants Program (Australia)

Deadline: 07-Sep-2026

The GBK Healthy Communities Grants Program provides funding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, community groups, sporting clubs, and local councils to deliver projects that improve health, wellbeing, physical activity, social connection, and community participation. Delivered by Gur a Baradharaw Kod Torres Strait Sea and Land Council Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Corporation (GBK) and funded by the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), the programme supports locally led and culturally grounded initiatives across the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area (NPA). What Is the GBK Healthy Communities Grants Program? The Healthy Communities Grants Program is a long-term community funding initiative designed to provide greater stability and funding certainty to communities across the Torres Strait and NPA. The programme enables local organisations and community groups to develop and deliver activities that respond directly to local health, wellbeing, participation, and community priorities. Rather than using a single funding model, the programme provides several funding streams covering sport and physical activity, health and wellbeing, local community solutions, and organisational capacity building. What Are the Main Objectives? The programme aims to strengthen healthy, active, connected, and culturally strong communities.

Key objectives include:

Promoting healthy lifestyles and community wellbeing. Increasing participation in physical and recreational activities. Supporting culturally grounded community activities. Strengthening local leadership and community capacity. Encouraging collaboration between local organisations and stakeholders. Supporting projects based on local priorities. Building the skills and confidence of community groups and volunteers. What Are the Four Funding Streams? The programme is structured around four main funding streams. Sporting & Active Communities This stream supports sporting, active recreation, and physical activity initiatives that encourage community participation and healthier lifestyles.

Potential activities may include:

Sporting activities. Recreation programmes. Physical activity initiatives. Community fitness activities. Projects that increase participation in sport and active living. Healthy Projects and Initiatives This stream supports community-led projects focused on health, wellbeing, participation, and social connection. Projects can be designed around local health priorities and culturally appropriate approaches to improving community wellbeing. Local Community Solutions This stream supports place-based initiatives that respond to specific needs and priorities identified by local communities. The focus is on locally developed solutions rather than one-size-fits-all approaches. Capacity Building Support Capacity-building support helps local organisations, groups, and volunteers strengthen the skills and confidence needed to plan, manage, and deliver community initiatives. Support can help groups improve their ability to: Develop projects. Prepare applications. Manage budgets. Deliver activities. Monitor outcomes. Complete reporting requirements. How Much Funding Is Available? The Sporting & Active Communities and Healthy Projects and Initiatives streams each provide $100,000 per grant round to eligible projects. The funding is intended to support activities delivered in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area. Applicants should ensure that proposed expenditure is directly connected to eligible project activities and community outcomes. Who Is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include:

Torres Strait Islander organisations. Aboriginal organisations. Community groups. Sporting clubs. Local councils. Applicants must be located in the Torres Strait or Northern Peninsula Area and meet the relevant requirements of the programme. The programme is particularly focused on ensuring that funding reaches communities and initiatives that are locally led and responsive to local priorities. Where Can Funded Activities Take Place? The primary geographic focus is the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area. There is a transition arrangement during 2026 that allows applications for activities outside the region through TSRA for a limited period. From 1 January 2027, only activities delivered within the Torres Strait and NPA will be funded. This change is intended to ensure that programme resources remain focused on local community priorities. What Types of Projects Can Be Supported? The programme can support initiatives that contribute to: Projects should demonstrate a clear connection to the needs of the communities they intend to serve. Why This Programme Matters Remote and regional communities can face unique challenges in accessing health, recreation, community development, and capacity-building opportunities. The Healthy Communities Grants Program provides a mechanism for local organisations to develop solutions that reflect their own circumstances and priorities.

Its community-led approach can help:

Increase participation in healthy activities. Strengthen social connections. Support culturally appropriate programmes. Develop local leadership. Build organisational confidence. Encourage collaboration. Improve long-term community wellbeing. The programme’s long-term funding approach also provides greater certainty for organisations planning community activities. Community Support and Capacity Building GBK does not only provide funding. It also offers practical assistance to local groups throughout the application and project-delivery process. Support for community organisations and volunteers. This assistance can be particularly useful for smaller organisations that have strong community ideas but limited experience with grant applications or project administration. How the Grant Programme Works

Step 1: Identify a Local Priority

Organisations should identify a health, wellbeing, participation, sporti