Sexual Violence Recovery and Healing Grant Program

The SVRH Grant Program provides $3m to community-based initiatives that build the capacity of communities and services to strengthen recovery and healing supports for victim-survivors of sexual violence from NSW priority groups.

Program objective

The SVRH Grant Program objectives are to improve:

• the capacity of communities and services across NSW to support the recovery and healing of victim-survivors of sexual violence from priority groups by strengthening trauma- and culturally informed practices.
• collaboration and information sharing between communities and services delivering culturally and trauma-informed recovery and healing programs for victim-survivors from priority groups across NSW.

Expected outcomes

At the end of the two-year funding period, DCJ aims for the SVRH Grant Program to achieve:

1. Knowledge and skills: Communities and services demonstrate understanding of: (a) the diverse needs and long-term impacts of sexual violence on priority groups; (b) safe, inclusive culturally and trauma-informed approaches to recovery and healing, including the principles and application of restorative processes and practices; and (c) how to communicate and deliver recovery and healing supports that respond to the needs of diverse victim-survivors.
2. Application: Communities and services develop, adopt and apply evidence-informed capacity building activities and resources in their practices to support recovery and healing including the use of restorative principles and techniques.
3. Continuous learning: Grant recipients, communities and services benefit from the insights that emerge from the Grant Program, supporting continuous learning and practices improvement.

Eligibility

Who can apply

All applicants are required to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• be an eligible legal entity located in NSW, including:
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) – these Applicants will be required to provide documentation to support their ACCO status
• Not-for-profit organisations will be considered eligible, if they are: 
  • incorporated organisations that are registered and approved as not-for-profit bodies by NSW Fair Trading
  • not-for profit companies limited by guarantee, registered in NSW (must have ACNC registration and/or DGR status)
  • Indigenous Corporations (must be registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations)
  • NSW Local Aboriginal Land Councils
  • religious organisations operating in NSW
  • NSW non-government organisations established under their own Act of Parliament.
• additionally, all applicants must:
  • be able to enter into a grant funding agreement with NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ)
  • have an Australian bank account
  • have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or Australian Company Number (ACN) or Australian Incorporation Number (AIN)
  • have appropriate insurance, this must include but is not limited to a minimum of $10 million Public Liability Insurance
  • address the NSW National Redress Scheme sanctions
  • not have outstanding acquittals with DCJ.

Types of projects funded under this grant

All project proposals must meet the following requirements:

• Project focus: projects must primarily focus on capacity building to enhance existing practices and services aimed at supporting victim survivors to heal and recover. The program will not fund activities focused on prevention, early intervention, or crisis response, nor will it support the establishment of new services or service delivery models.
• Priority groups: projects must focus on meeting the recovery and healing needs of victim survivors of sexual violence from at least one of the identified priority groups:
  • Aboriginal communities
  • multicultural communities
  • LGBTIQA+ communities
  • people with disability
  • children and young people
  • adult survivors of child sexual violence
  • older women
  • people experiencing homelessness
  • people in contact with the criminal justice system
• Geographic location: projects must be delivered within the state of NSW only.

When the project can start and end

The project start date must be after 01/07/2026 and the project end date must be before 30/06/2028.

What your application needs to include

Prepare your application with this checklist (DOCX, 17.9 KB).

Please view the following documents:

• SVRH Grant Program Guidelines
• SVRH Grant Program FAQ 

Address the eligibility criteria

Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.

Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.

Resources

• SVRH Grant Program guidelines
• SVRH FAQs
• Grant checklist (DOCX, 17.9 KB)
• Help guide for applicants
• Sample answers for grant applications

Start the application

All applications for the SVRH Grant Program are to be completed using the SmartyGrants portal, the DCJ online grants platform.

No other form of submission will be accepted.

Applicants may only submit one project proposal.

Applicants must ensure they complete the application form in full and submit it prior to the closing date and time.

All applications should demonstrate alignment to the SVRH Grant Program objectives and expected outcomes, address the specific needs of priority groups, and address recovery and healing from sexual violence.

Applicants must ensure that their contact details are up to date.

After the application is submitted

Successful applications will be decided by: Department of Community and Justice, Delegated Decision Maker

This is an open and competitive grants program.

All submissions will be assessed against the eligibility and assessment criteria following the process below:

• Eligibility Team assesses each application against applicant and project eligibility criteria.
• Assessment Team conducts assessment and scoring of eligible applications against published assessment criteria.
• Expert Assessment Panel reviews assessment and scoring, prioritises funding in accordance with published prioritisation where required, and makes recommendations to the DCJ Delegated Decision-Maker.
• DCJ Delegated Decision Maker considers the recommendations and makes the final decision.

Anticipated assessment outcome date is 30/03/2026.

Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is 30/04/2026.

Support and contact

Sexual Violence

Women, Family and Community Safety

SVRH.grants@dcj.nsw.gov.au

ACCOs can contact DCJ’s Aboriginal Commissioning team at: aboriginalcommissioning@dcj.nsw.gov.au

Department of Communities and Justice