As part of the Australian Government’s election commitment for a stronger, more diverse and independent community sector, the Department of Social Services is exploring opportunities to better support Australian communities through the design and administration of grants to the sector, including more meaningful working partnerships and options for greater innovation.

This issues paper aims to reflect what the department has already heard from community sector organisations about current challenges and ideas for how the Australian Government could support a stronger, more diverse and independent community sector.

Using this issues paper as a guide, the department would like your feedback to help inform a package of recommendations for government consideration, on innovative approaches to grant funding that will support both short and longer-term reform to the operation of grants.

Submissions responding to the issues paper close on Tuesday 7 November 2023.

This consultation aims to provide an opportunity to have meaningful discussion and seek feedback from the community sector on the government’s election commitment for a stronger, more diverse and independent community sector.

In the paper, your feedback on discussion questions is being sought. These questions cover 5 focus areas:

1. Giving the sector the voice and respect it deserves through a meaningful working partnership
2. Providing grants that reflect the real cost of delivering quality services
3. Providing longer grant agreement terms
4. Ensuring grant funding flows to a greater diversity of community sector organisations (CSOs)
5. Partnering with trusted community organisations with strong local links.

While everyone has a role to play in strengthening the community sector, the focus of this paper is on the role of the Australian Government in supporting the community sector. We want to hear from:

• CSOs
• advocacy organisations
• experts (including academia)
• providers
• people accessing and using community services
• people unable to access and use community services
• employee representative bodies

Learn more here.