Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation Sector Strengthening Grant Program

We’re developing a grant program to support Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) to deliver services to students in Western Australian public schools.

The grant program will:

• engage, build and strengthen relationships with ACCOs
• increase the number and type of services ACCOs provide to students in public schools in Western Australia.    

To help design the program, we’ve partnered with the Council of Aboriginal Services Western Australia (CASWA) to conduct community consultation workshops across the state.

Why are we doing this work together?

Because we know strong ACCOs mean strong communities. This process is about working together from the ground up to ensure these grants reflect what’s needed, not what’s assumed.

What’s involved in the consultation?

• regional workshops
• one-on-one yarns and group conversations
• opportunities to share ideas in writing.

We’ll be asking:

• What kind of support would strengthen your organisation?
• What should a grant process look like?
• How can this investment support long-term change?

Who should attend

We invite you to attend a local consultation workshop if you work for an ACCO or you’re a community member interested in contributing to conversations about:

• service delivery
• capacity building
• partnership development in the education sector
• governance and leadership
• workforce development
• cultural knowledge and practice.

Is funding available now?

Not just yet. This phase is all about listening and shaping the grant program together. Once the design is done, funding will be rolled out in the next stage.

Phase 1 consultation workshops

Phase 1 consultations have been held in the following locations:

Geraldton, Mid West

4 June 2025
 

Port Hedland, Pilbara

19 June 2025
 

Narrogin, Great Southern

24 June 2025
 

Albany, Great Southern

26 June 2025
 

Broome, Kimberley

22 July 2025
 

Kununurra, Kimberley

24 July 2025
 

Kalgoorlie, Goldfields

30 July 2025
 

South Metro, Perth

5 August 2025
 

North Metro, Perth

6 August 2025
 

Bunbury, South West

12 August 2025
 

Register for a workshop

To register for a workshop, email CASWA at ctg@ahcwa.org.

Get more information

For help with registration or general enquiries, email CASWA at ctg@ahcwa.org or call (08) 9227 1631.

Didn’t make it to a regional session? We still want to hear from you.

If your organisation wasn’t able to attend one of our recent engagement sessions, we invite you to share your feedback.

What kind of feedback are we looking for?

We'd love to hear your ideas on the types of support that would help ACCOs deliver services in schools. This could include areas such as:

• workforce development
• governance processes and requirements
• service planning and development
• regional collaboration and innovation.

We also welcome your feedback to inform what the grant process should look like. For example:

• Are there any supports your organisation needs to apply for the grant, including guidance and support from the Department?
• How should the grant be made available? Should it be through an online form, paper form, email, video or interview?
• When is the best time for grants to be advertised?

To provide feedback on phase 1, email brandon.caswa@ahcwa.org to arrange suitable feedback options. Feedback must be provided by close of business Friday 15 August 2025.

Next steps

In phase 2 we'll work with ACCOs interested in delivering services in schools to help design the grant program. If you would like to be involved, email brandon.caswa@ahcwa.org or call (08) 9227 1631.