Multicultural Festivals and Events Program

The department has created a prioritised list of new and emerging communities in consultation with the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC).

Many of the listed communities have recently been or are currently part of Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Programs. The list comprises both countries of origin and specific ethnicities.

Organisations who are from these prioritised new and emerging communities, or deliver events primarily benefiting these communities, will be eligible for reduced requirements under the 2024-25 MFE program. For more information on the reduced requirements see Funding prioritites section of the program guidelines.

Priority list by country of origin or ethnicity:

• Afghanistan
• Assyrian
• Burundi
• Chaldean
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Kenya
• Kurds
• Liberia
• Myanmar
• Palestine
• Papua New Guinea (PNG)
• Pasifika communities
• Republic of Congo
• Rwanda
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Syria
• the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Timor Leste
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• Yemen.

The following countries are identified as significant sources of humanitarian arrivals to Australia:

• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Sri Lanka.

People from these countries may be ethnic minorities outside their home countries, refugees in transit, or other vulnerable groups.

To be eligible under our criteria, organisations representing any of these five countries must confirm that at least 51% of their members are refugees or new arrivals under the Australian Humanitarian Program.

In the application form, the applicant organisation will be asked for confirmation that the majority of their members are refugees or new arrivals.

Simply being from one of the listed source countries does not guarantee an organisation for reduced application requirements or eligibility under the new and emerging community criteria.

Organisations that do not align with the countries or ethnicities on the priority list are not eligible as a new and emerging community. Their application will not be assessed under these criteria.

The department is open to adding other communities to this priority list and will do so in consultation with the Victorian Multicultural Commission. This list will be updated as these considerations take place across 2024–25.

The ‘new and emerging community’ criteria refers only to the countries and ethnicities listed on our priority list, who have met the above requirements. A newly formed organisation is not eligible for the reduced application requirements unless the above requirements are met.

To discuss an addition, please email the Multicultural Affairs Programs and Grants Team at multicultural-festivals.events@dpc.vic.gov.au.

Organisations that have been successful in previous grant rounds: