Community Capacity Building Grants 2026

Project Overview

The Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative (The Collaborative) invites proposals from our members, multicultural, community-led and grassroots organisations to deliver initiatives that address priority gaps in Australia’s health system affecting multicultural communities. 

The Collaborative was established to embed multicultural health equity into health policy, systems and practice. Through this Community Capacity Building Grants Program, the Collaborative seeks to resource community organisations to design and deliver locally grounded, culturally appropriate initiatives that contribute to system improvement as well as tangible community benefit. 

This Community Capacity Building Grants Program is designed first and foremost as a capacity building initiative. While funded activities may deliver immediate community benefit, the primary intent is to strengthen the capability of multicultural community organisations to engage confidently and effectively in health consultations, co-design processes and system reform over time. The program recognises that meaningful consultation requires sustained investment in community readiness, not just participation in individual projects. 

This grants round is focused on four priority areas identified through national consultations, sector engagement and research, including the Collaborative’s national network and discussions with government and community stakeholders. 

1. Strengthening Multicultural Health Data
2. Building a Culturally Competent Health Workforce
3. Community-Led Health Promotion and Prevention
4. Embedding Co-design and Community Partnerships

Goal: To improve health equity for multicultural communities by supporting community-led initiatives that strengthen data, workforce capability, co-design and prevention. 

Objectives: To fund initiatives that: address priority gaps in multicultural health systems and services; Centre lived experience, trust and community leadership; Demonstrate culturally safe, co-designed approaches; and Generate learnings that can inform broader system improvement 

Please review the Background Information and Request for Proposal Questions for more information and to see how to apply.

Please email applications@multiculturalhealth.org.au for any enquires.

COMPLETE ONLINE (RECOMMENDED)

To apply, please complete the online form HERE. Note that this does not have a ‘save progress’ function. We recommend completing your responses in a separate document first and then copying them into the form before submitting.

COMPLETE AND SUBMIT BY EMAIL

If you wish to provide you responses in a document format, please save this document with title [ YOUR ORG NAME – YOUR FULL NAME – COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS PROGRAM 2026 – Request for Proposal] – submit to applications@multiculturalhealth.org.au.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Updated 9 Feb 2026, 11:33am  

Eligibility Criteria  

If the project were to be delivered under the auspices of an eligible non-profit organisation (who would act as the applicant and grant holder), with me engaged to deliver the project activities, would this meet the eligibility requirements? 

Yes, you may apply for the funding, as the contract will be with the grantee (community organisation). Subcontracting is permitted, provided that the priorities and requirements outlined in the contract are met. 

Is an academic staff from a university is eligible to apply for the community funding?  

You may be eligible to apply for the funding if you are partnering with a community organisation, provided that the community organisation is the lead applicant. 

For example, if you wish to apply as an academic staff, you would need to partner with an organisation that has an ethnic community focus in your respective state, please visit this link.  

Can an organisation apply for more than one funding stream?  

Yes you can submit for more than one funding stream, you will need to submit separate workplans and budgets for each application.