Community food security program – Local grants

Grant applications must respond to at least one of the following program objectives:

• Support individuals and families facing food insecurity to access healthy and culturally appropriate food, in accessible and dignified ways.
• Develop or enhance sustainable and effective community food models that diversify food options to reach cohorts in need.
• Deliver place-based food education programs that leverage local food sources to create sustainable approaches to addressing food insecurity.
• Develop or strengthen partnerships with other local community organisations and networks to:
  • enhance community food access
  • reduce duplication
  • improve efficiency and effectiveness of initiatives.
• Support Victorians accessing food relief to make connections to other related supports and services that help address the drivers of food insecurity, such as:
  • financial wellbeing
  • food literacy.

Applications that do not respond in a clear way to at least one of the program objectives are not considered eligible. These applications will not proceed to merit assessment.

Applications must be submitted via the DFFH Grants Gateway(opens in a new window).

Key information for completing a grant application

Key dates

Applications open: 12 June 2026

Applications close: 4:00 pm 9 July 2026

Key tasks

• Make sure your organisation meets the eligibility criteria
• attend an information session (optional but recommended)
• read the program guidelines
• download the project plan template:

Prepare and submit application

• Register or log in to the DFFH Grants Gateway.
• complete the online application form
• answer all questions and attach mandatory documents
• incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.

For more details download the grant guidelines:

To be eligible for the 2026-27 Community food security program – Local grants, your application must:

• respond to at least one of the program objectives
• be submitted by an eligible organisation
• seek funding for eligible activities
• attach evidence of valid public liability insurance.

Each organisation may only submit one application.

For more details download the grant guidelines from Supporting Documents.

Organisation eligibility

Funding is available to organisations based in Victoria or servicing Victoria’s cross-border communities.

Applicants must have:

• a current Australian Business Number (ABN), and
• no outstanding final reports from previous Victorian government funded grants.

Applicants must also be either:

• An incorporated not-for-profit organisation, that is:
  • registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria (or equivalent body in a neighbouring state) as an incorporated association; or
  • registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
• An Aboriginal incorporated entity, including:
  • Aboriginal not-for-profit organisations
  • Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations
  • Traditional Owner groups and land trusts.
• A social enterprise that is an incorporated entity with a clear stated purpose or mission related to food relief or food security. Note: Social enterprises are led by an economic, social, cultural, or environmental mission consistent with a public or community benefit. They derive a large part of their income from trade and reinvest most of their profit and surplus into achieving their mission.
• A Victorian local government entity or public health service.

Applications submitted by organisations that do not meet the above criteria will not proceed to merit assessment.

Auspice arrangements

If your organisation is not incorporated or does not have an ABN, your application must identify an auspice organisation that has agreed to enter into a funding agreement on your behalf. For more information download the grant guidelines from Supporting Documents.

Auspice organisations must meet the eligibility criteria outlined above.

Local government, health services and peak bodies

Local government, health services and peak bodies may apply for grant funding:

• for projects delivered by their neighbourhood house service
• as the lead applicant for a project that will support and provide funding to other local community organisations. For example:
  • as part of a partnership
  • through delivering a local small grants program.
    

Eligible activities will seek to:

• increase the effectiveness, capacity, availability and sustainability of food relief and security initiatives
• ensure the continuation of critical frontline services.

The following examples will help you think about what might be possible. If your project and activities align with the program objectives, we encourage you to apply, even if your proposed activity is not listed here.

• Establish new sustainable food models, including:
  • social supermarkets
  • pop up markets
  • voucher systems
  • supporting local markets, grocers, farmers and producers.
• Program delivery costs, such as:
  • buying nutritious and culturally appropriate food
  • packaging materials
  • fuel and transport
  • staff hours related to project delivery.
• Buy and/or install equipment and appliances.
• Build or improve infrastructure or facilities to increase capacity to safely deliver food relief, such as:
  • community gardens
  • kitchens
  • warehousing and food storage.
• Deliver food education initiatives such as:
  • food literacy and cooking on a budget. This includes facilitator costs and venue hire, where appropriate. Note: Food literacy and food education projects must include some form of food provision.
• Buy a vehicle and any fit-out costs. Organisations must cover ongoing costs, including:
  • maintenance
  • insurance
  • registration.
• Build partnerships and networks and undertake strategic planning to strengthen food relief activities.
• Training and development for staff and volunteers involved in providing food relief.

Where appropriate, organisations may allocate:

• up to 10% of the total grant amount to reimburse individual volunteers for costs associated with volunteering that directly supports delivery of the funded project. For example, fuel costs and petrol vouchers.
• up to 10% of the total grant amount to project management and administration costs to support delivery of the project. This includes the extra time needed to oversee and support staff or volunteers who deliver the funded project. This is separate to staff hours for project delivery.

Organisations not registered for GST can use grant funds to cover the cost of GST from goods and services bought with the department’s grant funds. More information, including what this means for your grant application, is available from the DFFH Grants Gateway.

Ineligible activities and costs

You cannot use funds for:

• Retrospective costs for activities delivered or started before funding approval.
• Activities delivered after 31 December 2027.
• Core operational expenses such as:
  • rent
  • utilities
  • insurance
  • vehicle maintenance.
• Staff catering (food or alcohol), gifts and other benefits.
• Duplicating activities already funded through other Local, State, or Commonwealth Government programs.
  

Applications must have a well-developed project proposal aligned with existing services.

Applications should provide a level of detail in line with the complexity of the project and amount of funding requested. As outlined in the following:

• Applications seeking over $20,000 must attach a project plan including a detailed budget. The department’s Project plan template can be used. It can be downloaded from Supporting Documents.
• Applications seeking under $20,000 don’t need a project plan. But they must provide enough details in the application form about project delivery.
• Applications for major infrastructure upgrades and installations need to include:
  • an outline of the required permits and the time needed in their project plan
  • proof of endorsement of proposed plans from the property owner.

All applications to the Community food security program – Local grants undergo the following assessment process:

Eligibility check

We review all applications against the eligibility criteria. The eligibility check determines whether the application will proceed to merit assessment.

Merit assessment

We assess eligible applications against the merit assessment criteria. Assessors review your responses in the application form and, if applicable, your project plan and relevant attachments.
Assessors do not read letters of support from members of parliament and other community organisations.

Selection

We make funding recommendations from a shortlist of high rated applications. This will include:

• ensuring a geographic spread across the state
• targeting identified gaps in service delivery, including for cohorts in need
• supporting a variety of approaches to food relief and food security
• a focus on demonstrated efficiency, effectiveness or innovation.

Ministerial approval

The Minister for Carers and Volunteers makes the final decision based on recommendations from the department.
All decisions in relation to the assessment and selection of applications are final.

Application outcome

The department notifies all applicants of the outcome of their application by email.
Note: Organisations should not try to influence the outcome by lobbying, directly or indirectly, departmental staff.

We assess eligible applications against the following criteria.

Meeting community need (30%)

• Application provides a clear description and evidence of the community need that the project seeks to address. This may include:
  • data relating to target locations and cohorts
  • key issues, and/or identified gaps in services
  • project is designed to meet those needs
  • project aligns with the principles outlined in the Victorian healthy food relief guidelines.

Project effectiveness and efficiency (30%)

• Project continues or expands an established community food program and/or it delivers a new food security initiative that is supported by existing services.
• Project has:
  • realistic goals and measures of success
  • reasonable cost estimates that show value for money.
• Application provides a strong plan for delivering the project, including:
  • realistic timeframes
  • clear roles and responsibilities.
• Organisation has identified partnerships and networks to support project delivery.

Organisation experience and capability (25%)

• Organisation has delivered community food programs and other relevant projects successfully.
• Organisation has existing processes to:
  • support delivering the project
  • manage risks
  • respond to challenges.
• Organisation has a clear approach to collecting and using data to report on project outcomes.

Sustainability (15%)

• Project is designed to use fixed-term grant funding effectively
• Project helps build capacity to meet community needs over the longer-term
• Organisation is committed to environmentally sustainable practices.

For more information download the grant guidelines from Supporting Documents.