This funding is designed to build the capacity of PBCs, also known as Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBCs).
Recognising the essential role PBCs play in supporting native title holders to take advantage of opportunities arising from their native title rights, the Government is providing $54.2 million over three years from 2022 23 to 2024-25 to support PBCs to undertake capacity building. This funding can be used for:
Increasing the capacity of PBCs to take advantage of economic opportunities, including regionalisation by bringing PBCs together on a regional basis to increase local and regional capacity, enable targeted organisational support;
Building long-term organisational capacity within PBCs through training and obtaining professional expertise (for example, business or agribusiness consultancies, accountancy or legal services); and
Supporting effective native title agreement-making, and
Helping PBCs amend their rulebooks to ensure they align with changes to native title laws ($7.1 million over three years from 2021 22 to 2023-24).
You can find out more about these changes through the factsheets on NIAA’s website:
The factsheets show what rulebook changes are required. PBCs, or organisations which support them, can apply for PBC Capacity Building grant funding to help them to make these changes.
How to apply
The Agency is inviting eligible applicants to apply for PBC Capacity Building grant funding under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy.
This grant is open to all PBCs and to third parties working with the PBC sector across Australia. Applications will be considered throughout the year – there is no closing date.
Applications must be completed online and will be accepted from individual PBCs, groups of PBCs, or third parties (such as native title representative bodies and service providers, law firms, and interest groups). These third parties can apply to receive and administer funding on behalf of PBCs.
Applicants must meet other eligibility criteria outlined in the IAS Grant Guidelines and undergo financial viability checks and a risk assessment.
The funding has three elements:
Direct support to increase the capacity of PBCs to take advantage of economic opportunities;
Support for training to build long-term organisational capacity within PBCs, such as projects to amend a PBCs rulebook and governance structure, receive training or obtain professional expertise (for example, business consultancies, accountancy or legal services); and
Direct support for effective native title agreement-making.
It is anticipated that most grants will be between $50,000-$750,000, depending on the scope of the grant activity and its complexity. There is no maximum grant amount but grants cannot exceed the amount of available funds. The Agency may award grants as one-off payments, or on a single year or multi-year basis at its discretion.
Funding will not be provided for:
Applications that do not clearly address at least one of the IAS programme streams.
Activities that are more appropriately funded by other government agencies (including state/territory and local government).
Retrospective items or activities.
Costs reasonably covered by proponent parties (e.g. applying for funding to support agreement making between parties such as land use agreements with jurisdictional governments. Costs would covered by the relevant government authority).
For further information about applying for grant funding, contact your local Regional Office on 1800 079 098 or search on the Regional Office website.