DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Special Purpose Grants program - funding guidelines
1. Purpose
The purpose of the local government Special Purpose Grant (SPG) Program is to allow local
governing bodies and other incorporated organisations providing local government services
the opportunity to apply for funding to improve community infrastructure and local
government service delivery outcomes.
2. Objectives
The objectives of the program are:
 To support the implementation of key Northern Territory Government policy platforms;
 To assist in the delivery of key outcomes outlined in the council’s strategic and/or
operational plans and the regional management plans;
 To assist in developing local government capacity to provide legitimate representation,
effective governance, improved service delivery and sustainable development;
 To assist local governing bodies and the constituent communities they represent to
become stronger and self-sustaining;
 To assist in the delivery of essential council infrastructure and services; and
 To provide a potential source of additional funding to those non local government bodies
that provide local government/municipal services (eg trustees of reserves, cemetery trusts
and LGANT).
3. Eligibility
To be eligible for a special purpose grant, the organisation must:
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Be a local governing body or an incorporated organisation delivering local
government/municipal services;
Have a current business/management plan;
Have acquitted all previous grants relevant to this Department and complied with all other
accountability requirements;
Have adequately demonstrated that the grant will not duplicate funding already provided
under this or other funding sources for the purpose intended;
Have demonstrated that the application supports key policy platforms of the Northern
Territory Government outlined previously; and
The application proforma must be accompanied with appropriate supporting
documentation such as quotes, project plans, budgets etc. Incomplete applications will
not be recommended for approval by the assessment panel.
www.dlgcs.nt.gov.au
4. Funding pool
There is no set funding level for the SPG Program as it is dependant to a large degree on
government/departmental priorities in any given year. The applying organisations should be
cognisant of the quantum of funds available when considering both the number and value of
applications it intends to submit. If multiple applications are being submitted then they should
be prioritised to assist the Department in the assessment process.
5. Purposes for which grants have been approved
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Upgrades for parks, sporting and recreational areas;
Staff housing on remote communities and general infrastructure renovations/upgrades;
Purchase of plant and equipment that will improve local government service delivery; and
Assist with infrastructure projects.
6. Purposes for which grants have not been approved
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Purchase of vehicles (passenger carrying/recreational vehicles – 4WDs, troop carriers,
buses, quad bikes etc);
Establishment of ‘new’ community dumps or remediation of existing dumps;
Payment of sitting fees, travel costs, accommodation or hospitality items for meetings;
Purposes that are of a recurrent nature and outside council budget (eg staff salaries);
Road repairs and maintenance;
Construction of swimming pools; and
Purposes that are not related to local government services and that should be addressed
by another government agency.
7. Application processes & timelines
The SPG Program is subject to two rounds of funding per annum, with applications being
called for the first round in August each year. Organisations will be given approximately four
weeks to develop and submit applications and no late applications will be accepted. The
normal assessment and approval processes will be undertaken after the closing date.
The second round applications will be called for February/March each year with the same
timeframes as outlined above applying for the development of applications, assessment and
approval of grants. Late applications will again not be accepted.
Councils/organisations are strongly encouraged to discuss possible applications with their
relevant regional office or the Local Government Grants Unit prior to submission.
NB
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If an organisation wants an unsuccessful or late application considered for the next
round it must be updated and re-submitted within the required time-frame. No
applications will be held over for future assessment.
DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
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A maximum of three (3) prioritised applications will be accepted per council, per round.
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All applications from councils must exclude any GST component and
administration/project management fees from the grant amount requested. These
fees are expected to be absorbed by council and can represent an ‘in-kind’
contribution to the application.
8. Assessment criteria
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Community acceptance and benefit of the project;
Alignment to Northern Territory Government policies and council priorities as outlined in
their strategic and operational plans;
Relative importance to the delivery of local government core services;
Recognition will be given to issues of geographical equity;
Organisational contributions to the project (both cash and in-kind); and
Capacity to provide on-going resourcing for project (if required) (eg repairs and
maintenance).
9. Assessment process
The SPGs are assessed by a panel comprising:
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A representative from the five regional offices; and
The Local Government Grants Unit.
All applications are assessed against the above criteria and are prioritised on an NT wide
basis. When a final assessment is made the grant recommendations are forwarded to the
Minister for consideration. It is only upon the Minister’s approval that any grant payments are
made.
Successful applicants will receive a letter of advice from the Minister, whilst unsuccessful
applicants will receive a letter from the Department.
10. Processes for payment
Once approved by the Minister the successful applicants will receive the following
correspondence:
A letter from the Minister advising that the grant has been approved; and
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A letter of offer, acceptance and acquittal form from this Department.
Successful applicants will need to comply with the following:
Ensure that there are no outstanding grant acquittals relevant to this Department
otherwise there will be no payment made of approved grant/s;
DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
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Return the signed acceptance form back to the Department with appropriate
authorisation;
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Fully expend the SPG within two years of receipt of the funding otherwise failure to do so
may result in the Department requesting the remaining funds to be repaid; and
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Acquit all, partial or nil expenditure of the SPG on or before 30 June each year thereafter for
a period of two years.
11. Contact details
If you require further information any of the following people will be able to assist you:
Mr Peter Thornton
Manger Grants
(w) 08 899 98523
(mob) 0401 117 633
(email) peter.thornton@nt.gov.au
Mrs Donna Hadfield
Senior Grants Officer
(w) 08 899 98820
(email) donna.hadfield@nt.gov.au
OR
Your Regional Executive Director
DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
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