There is great diversity across Backing the Future grants. In past rounds, stronger applicants demonstrated a:

• Genuine connection to or understanding of the rural and regional area/s they’re working in;
• Commitment to elevating youth voices, either through a youth-led project or working alongside young people; and
• Strong motivation to deliver their project.

Feel free to reach out to the VFFF team if you want to discuss whether your idea is eligible.

No – VFFF provides grants to organisations by invitation only. Backing the Future is our grants program specifically for individuals and groups of individuals.

Yes. We’ll ask you to share how you are actively listening to and incorporating the voices of young people into design and delivery.

Sure thing!

Early stage work is work that has been in active development for less than three years. 

It’s up to you! You could spend the grant:

• On research and development for a new idea;
• To pay yourself or others to work on a project;
• To cover project costs e.g. equipment, travel, catering, venue hire.

If you’re unsure, feel free to contact the VFFF team. 

VFFF requires successful grant applicants to undergo a background check. This process is a way for VFFF to collect information as part of our due diligence process, rather than a test that recipients ‘pass’ or ‘fail’.

As part of this process, you will be required to provide 100 points of ID and some basic details e.g. residential history. If the proposed work involves supporting young people under the age of 18, we will also require you to provide your Working with Children Check (WWCC) number.

VFFF will provide support to recipients throughout this process, including instances where documentation may not be available and/or recipients have concerns about the outcome of the background check process.

Successful applicants can elect to have the $50,000 grant paid in one lump sum to:

• Their individual or business bank account; or
• A nominated not-for-profit organisation that agrees to receive the grant funds in a designated bank account on behalf of the individual. The individual must retain full autonomy over the grant funds for the purpose outlined in the application. In some circumstances, VFFF may require the individual and/or the nominated not-for-profit organisation to provide VFFF with additional information or documentation.

Applicants are encouraged to seek taxation advice regarding their individual circumstances.

VFFF is committed to creating an open and honest relationship with our grant recipients. We recognise that flexibility is crucial to supporting Backing the Future recipients to fully explore their ideas, and that plans will develop and change with time. We’ll organise regular check-ins to understand how your work is progressing and how we can support you to overcome challenges and obstacles. Recipients will also be required to provide us with a short video/written report at the end of their grant term.