CBD Revitalisation Grant Program

Objective

The $4 million CBD Revitalisation Grant Program (the program) is part of a $12 million package to bring people back into the Perth CBD to accelerate economic and social recovery.

This will be achieved by providing targeted funding for activation activities to eligible businesses, property owners and not-for-profits to run a wide-range of events that focus on increasing foot traffic in the city, utilising empty and unused buildings throughout the CBD and activating the night-time economy.

Overview

The State Government has committed $12 million to revitalise the Perth CBD. This includes a $4 million grant program for businesses, property owners and not-for-profit organisations to revitalise the city through event and activation activities over the next 12 months.

Eligible applicants will be able seek grant funding of up to $100,000 through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) through three funding rounds with specific delivery dates.

As part of the program, applicants will also be able to apply to the WA Government for the use of locations such as Elizabeth Quay, Yagan Square and the Cultural Centre Precinct. Applications for use of State-managed sites must be made separately to the relevant agency.

To allow flexibility, applications can be submitted during any of the three funding rounds so long as the event is delivered by 30 June 2023. Priority will be given to events that will be held by the delivery date for that funding round.

Eligibility criteria

To ensure greatest impact, funding is awarded on a competitive basis and provides grants in 3 rounds.

To be eligible for the program applicants must:

• commit to the delivery of an eligible event or activation activity by the delivery date
• commit to and adhere to all relevant local government, land manager, venue approvals for the conduct of the activity/event
  
• deliver the event and/or activation in areas from East Perth to West Perth, but not including Nedlands-Crawley/UWA. The eligible activation area is outlined in diagram 1 below.
• have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be one of the following entity types:
  • a small business sole proprietor or partnership with a registered business name
  • a company incorporated under the Corporations Act (including a company limited by guarantee)
  • an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
  • an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
  • an incorporated association
  • a Western Australian local government body, as a co-applicant or individual applicant.

Eligible events or activities

To be eligible, the project must be for the primary purpose of revitalising the CBD through events and activation activities.

Examples of eligible events and activations activities include one-off events or event series that encourage ongoing visitation to the CBD, such as:

• pop-up events programs
• temporary infrastructure which supports small business or occupy vacant buildings spaces
• pop-up markets
• long table dinners
• live music performances
• fashion shows
• food and wine events
• pop-up art exhibits
• children’s programs and performances
• general entertainment events.

Eligible costs

To be eligible, costs must:

• be a direct cost related to the event or activation activity
• be incurred within the project period
• reflect competitive market rates
• be a true and accurate reflection of costs required to deliver the activity.

Eligible costs include, but not be limited to:

• labour expenditure for temporary employment for the project
• the cost of any agreed project activities contracted to another organisation, such as:
  • costs associated with staging events and activation activities
  • costs associated with marketing and communication of events and activation activities
• project costs for successful applications will be verified by seeking evidence of costs, such as supplier contracts, quotes, and invoices.

DLGSC will make the final decision on whether a claimed cost is eligible or reasonable and can decide to only pay the reasonable amount as per the signed grant agreement.

Non-eligible costs

The grant cannot be used for the following activities:

• projects outside of the CBD as per the area in diagram 1 
• projects requiring ongoing funding from the WA Government
• projects that are ongoing or constitute the normal course of business
• activities that have commenced or been completed prior to an offer of funding made to successful applicants
• activities that will not be delivered prior to the end of the grant funding period
• purchase of land or property.

Assessment criteria

Economic impact

Considerations include:

• participation/attendance
• average spend of participants
• average time spent by participants in the CBD area
• support of businesses located within the CBD area
• impact on the night-time economy
• evidence that the project would not occur, or would not occur within the same timeframe or scale, without WA Government support.

This is based on the projected economic benefits presented within the application.

Activation

Considerations include:

• events and activities that target street activation
• events and activities which occupy empty shopfronts or activate vacant upper floor building spaces
• events and activities that target less activated areas, such as East Perth and West Perth
• events and activities that target off-peak times, such as week days.

Attraction

Considerations include:

• ability to draw people into the city through innovation, significance and/or showcasing unique aspects of the CBD
• potential to involve the local and larger communities in the event or in surrounding support activities
• impact on creating awareness of the CBD as a destination through media, television and/or other broadcast coverage.

Capacity to deliver

Considerations include:

• the applicant’s past performance in delivering similar projects
• the suitability of the staff and/or arrangements in place to deliver the project
• the suitability and feasibility of the detailed business plan, technical plans and/or cost estimates supporting the project
• the applicant’s financial viability, including demonstration of financial viability over the duration of the event or activation activity.
  

Application process

Applications must be submitted online through SmartyGrants. The application form will require the following information:

• the applicant’s details, including ABN or other identifier and primary business activities
• a short description of the project
• estimated total cost of the project excluding GST
• grant amount requested excluding GST (requested support should reflect the expected revitalisation impact of the project)
• project location, and any supporting documents that the proposed event space can be used
• details of the project scope which demonstrates how it intends to meet the assessment criteria
• a project plan
• any supporting quotes or technical documents
• evidence of experience in delivering projects similar in scope and scale to the project
• evidence of financial viability such as an audited financial statement for the last financial year and/or a signed statement from an external accountant.

If further guidance is required on the application process, contact LGResponse@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

Assessment process

Eligibility assessment

The CBD Revitalisation Grant Program Team will assess applications against the eligibility criteria set out in these guidelines.

Proposals that are assessed as meeting the eligibility criteria will proceed and be assessed by the CBD Revitalisation Grant Review Committee.

Application assessment

Decision making

The Director General will consider advice and recommendations from the CBD Revitalisation Grant Review Committee.

The Director General will approve the provision and amount of support to individual projects.

Applicants should not lobby the Minister/s, DLGSC Director General or members of the Grant Review Committee during the application or assessment process. Any breaches of this condition may result in the application being deemed ineligible.

Timeframe

From the date of application lodgement and provision of all relevant documentation, the processing period for each stage will be in line with the timeframes listed under ‘key dates’.  

The assessment will be based on the information provided. Applicants will be notified via email on the outcome of their application. Where an application or claim is unsuccessful, a reason will also be provided.

All enquiries must be sent through LGresponse@dlgsc.wa.gov.au for response, citing the application number.

Notification

Successful applicants will be notified via written correspondence. Successful applicants may be requested to keep any grant support confidential for a period of time if an announcement is likely to be made by the WA Government.

The WA Government will notify successful applicants by the stipulated timeframes.

Further information

Grant agreement

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a CBD Revitalisation Grant Program agreement with the WA Government. The WA Government will require the grant agreement to be executed no later than two weeks after the decision has been made.

The WA Government makes no binding funding or support commitment to an applicant unless and until both parties sign a CBD Revitalisation Grant Program agreement.

Payment of grant

DLGSC will pay the grant once the grant agreement has been executed. Grantees will be required to report how the grant funds were spent at the completion of the project.

DLGSC may set payment amounts and timings subject to achievement of specific milestones. The milestone payments will be noted and agreed to through the grant agreement.

Reporting requirements

Grantees must submit reports in line with the funding agreement. All grantees will be expected to report on:

• progress against agreed program milestones and outcomes
• expenditure of the grant.

The scope of works and milestones submitted as part of the application will form the basis of project reporting requirements.

When a grantee completes the project, the grantee must submit a final report and an audited financial report for the project as part of the acquittal process.

Final reports must:

• identify if and how outcomes have been achieved
• include the agreed evidence as specified in the grant agreement
• identify the total eligible expenditure incurred
• be submitted within 30 business days of completion in the format provided in the grant agreement.

Evaluation and audit

DLGSC will evaluate the program to measure how well the outcomes and objectives have been achieved. Information from the application and progress reports may be used for this purpose. Grantees may also be interviewed or asked for further information to assist with understanding the program impact and to evaluate how effective the program was in achieving its outcomes.

DLGSC and the Office of the Auditor General reserves the right to undertake an audit of program funding and support within seven years. Tracking and reporting will be a requirement of the grant agreement.

Unspent funds, as detailed in the application and/or grant agreement will be returned. Applicants that wish to re-allocate unspent funds to expenses/activity costs that align with the eligible costs within these guidelines must seek and gain approval from DLGSC.

Acknowledgement

The WA Government logo should be used on all materials related to grants provided to the project. Whenever the logo is used, the publication must also acknowledge the WA Government.

If a grantee makes a public statement about a project funded under the program, the grantee is required to acknowledge the program and the support provided.

Unsuccessful applicants

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application within
45 business days from application close date.

Application support

DLGSC staff are available to provide guidance and clarity relating to the process and can be contacted at LGResponse@dlgsc.wa.gov.au. DLGSC staff are not able to assist in writing, completing or submitting the application or in delivery of the activity.

Applicants should seek advice from their legal, business, and financial advisors to determine the suitability of the program before applying.

Enquiries and feedback

For further information or clarification, applicants can contact LGResponse@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

Answers to your questions may be published on the DLGSC website.

If there are issues with how DLGSC has handled an enquiry or complaint, these may be referred to the WA Ombudsman.

Conflicts of interest

Any conflicts of interest could affect the performance of the program. There may be a conflict of interest, or perceived conflict of interest, if DLGSC staff, any member of a committee or advisor and/or the applicant or any of its associates:

• has a professional, commercial, or personal relationship with a party who is able to influence the application selection process
• has a relationship with or interest in, an organisation, which is likely to interfere with or restrict the applicants from carrying out the proposed activities fairly and independently
• has a relationship with, or interest in, an organisation from which they will receive personal gain because the organisation received a grant under the program.

All applicants will be required to declare, as part of the application, any perceived or existing conflicts of interests or that, to the best of your knowledge, there is no conflict of interest.

If an actual, apparent or perceived conflict of interest is later identified, the applicant must inform DLGSC immediately.

DLGSC staff, committee members and other officials including the decision maker must declare any conflicts of interest.

Conflicts of interest for DLGSC will be handled as set out in its Grants Administration Conflict of Interest Policy, and Managing Conflicts of Interest Guidelines. 

Privacy

Personal information is managed according to the Australian Privacy Principles, set out in Schedule 1 to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Personal information can only be disclosed to someone for the primary purpose for which it was collected unless an exemption applies.

DLGSC may also use or disclose information about grant applicants and grant recipients under this grant opportunity for reporting purposes.

Freedom of information

Applicants should be aware that information submitted in applications and all related correspondence, attachments and other documents may be made publicly available under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA). Information that is deemed to be commercially sensitive will be withheld. The Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA) makes government information accessible to the public by:

• requiring government agencies to make certain sorts of information freely available
• encouraging government agencies to release as much other information as possible
• giving the public an enforceable right to make access applications for government information
• restricting access to information only when there is an overriding public interest against disclosure.

Disclaimer

DLGSC does not guarantee or warrant, and accepts no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency, or completeness of any material contained in this publication. Information in this publication is provided as general information only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.

DLGSC recommends that users exercise care and use their own skill and judgement in using information from this publication and that users carefully evaluate the accuracy, currency, completeness, and relevance of such information. Users should take steps to independently verify the information in this publication and, where appropriate, seek professional advice.

The guidelines are subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of DLGSC. Any changes will be communicated publicly and to program applicants.