Ethnic Program Grant Round 2 2014/15

Funds are available to assist with production costs for Ethnic radio programs that are relevant to a defined local Ethnic community and are broadcast on a regular basis by broadcasters who contribute to media diversity in Australia by connecting people to their ancestry, language and culture.  The grants assist with the maintenance and development of ethnic community radio broadcasting throughout Australia.

Applications are accepted twice a year in January and July.

Consideration of Ethnic Grants is the responsibility of the Ethnic Grants Advisory Committee.

For assistance in applying please see links to further information below. If you would prefer to apply for the grant using a word processing document contact the CBF Grants Administrator.

CBF Grants Administrator:

Barbara Baxter
Telephone: (03) 8341 5900
Email:bbaxter@cbf.com.au

For further information see:

Applying for the first time?

General information for all applicants

SmartyGrants Guide for Applicants

Return to CBF website

*** THIS GRANT ROUND IS NOW CLOSED ***

Please refer to guidelines for the previous grant round below.

Guidelines for Ethnic Program grants

Read these grant guidelines before you apply. Underlined words in bold are links to additional information you should read before proceeding to the next point.  Even if you frequently apply under this category, read the guidelines and links each round, as they are regularly revised. The grant guidelines include important information about this grant category including what you can use the grant for and the criteria used by the Ethnic Grants Advisory Committee to assess your application.

1. What is the objective of the Ethnic Program grant category?

To assist the maintenance, with a particular focus on development, of Australian ethnic community broadcasting through grants to subsidise production of ethnic programs relevant to a local ethnic community.

2. Who is eligible to apply?

• A long term licensed community radio station or holder of a temporary community radio license giving time to ethnic community groups to broadcast in their own languages on an equitable basis with other station programs.

• An umbrella group (an incorporated ethnic community broadcasting association) representing one or more ethnic program groups at a particular licensed community radio station. Please contact the CBF for further information.

Grants are not available for stations broadcasting under a narrowcast license. 

3.  What makes a program eligible for funding?

A program must meet the following conditions:

• it is being broadcast regularly (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) on or before the grant submission date. A program that ceases part way through the funding period or is off air for any significant length of time during the period may receive part funding.  A program that starts after the grant submission closing date will not be funded until the following round.
• it is locally produced and focuses on local material (which can include contemporary Australian music), and is not a re-presentation of a program already broadcast on any analogue or digital service.
  
• it serves the needs of a defined local ethnic community
• it provides settlement assistance, news, information, and/or cultural maintenance and development for the local ethnic language/cultural community
• it has at least 50% spoken content
• any religious content is less than 25% of the spoken word content
• it is broadcast between 6 am and 1 am 
• it meets the particular conditions of the individual program category ie. Ethnic, Multicultural, Ethnic Youth or Multicultural Youth
• it complies with standards of the Australian Communications and Media Authority and sector Codes of Practice

The CBF monitors a random selection of programs to check their eligibility for funding. You may be requested to submit recordings of programs or the CBF may remotely monitor your broadcast to ensure that the programs meet eligibility criteria.  The program presenter will be asked to confirm in writing that the program we monitor is a typical broadcast. If a program does not comply with the guidelines, it will be deemed ineligible for the entire period.  Presenters should monitor their own programs regularly to ensure they are within the funding guidelines. The Ethnic Program Self-Assessment Sheet can be downloaded to assist with that. You do not need to send any completed self-assessment to the CBF. 4.  What types of programs can be funded?

4.  What types of programs can be funded?

a) Ethnic Program - produced by a group of people broadcasting programs relevant to a defined local ethnic community.  The program group must be accountable to that community and must be able to demonstrate how the community has input into the content of the program.

b) Ethnic Youth Program - produced by a group of young people all under the age of 30 with a common cultural background making programs for young people of that culture.  The program group must be accountable to the cultural youth community and be able to demonstrate how the community has input into the content of the program.

c) Multicultural Program - produced by a group at a station of at least 3 broadcasters from differing language/cultural backgrounds who would not otherwise have access to the media and where there are not sufficient members or resources in a single ethnic community to establish individual programs.

d) Multicultural Youth Program - produced by a group of young people all under the age of 30 producing programs relevant to an audience of young people with diverse cultural backgrounds.  The program group must be accountable to the multicultural youth community and be able to demonstrate how the community has input into the content of the program. 

5. How does the funding work?

The amount of funding is based on the number of hours of eligible programming that are broadcast at your station, up to 133 hours per week regardless of whether it is part of your analogue or digital service. The CBF has a total amount of money in each funding round which is divided by the number of hours of approved programs around Australia. It is important to note that programs

• on regional and remote stations will be funded at a rate 20% higher than programs on metropolitan and suburban stations
  
  
• for new and emerging communities will be funded at a rate 20% higher than programs for established communities (to see what those communities are refer Definition and List of Emerging Communities)
• in their first two years of broadcasting will be funded at a rate 20% higher than programs that have been broadcasting  longer. A program is considered new if it is in a language that has not been broadcast before at your station or is for a new cultural group not previously represented at the station

Program grants are applied for early in the funding period. This means that you apply for a grant only for those programs which are already on air in the first month of the period. For example: In February successful applications will be funded for programs that were on air in January or earlier.   The money can be used for some of the expenses of making the program for January to June.  Programs that commence after the application submission date can not be funded until the following round.

6. What can you use the grant for?

• How the grant money is expended must be agreed to following consultation between station management and the ethnic broadcasters. A minimum of 25% must be available to cover the costs of production and presentation resources of programs. Basic production and program resources include recorded material, printed materials, telephone, studio and internet access.

• Items such as CDs and portable recorders bought with CBF grant money belong to the station and are held in trust for use by current and future ethnic broadcasters. They must be included on the station's asset register.

• Up to 10 percent of the grant may be used for broadcasters' transport and travel expenses incurred in presenting the program

• Any money not spent on production costs can be used to cover other station costs associated with assisting ethnic broadcasting at your station.

At the time of reporting on expenditure of the grant you will be required to compare how you spent the grant with what the broadcasters agreed to during the consultation process.  You may be required to provide minutes of the meeting as confirmation of the decisions.  You may also be required to provide proof of purchase of items valued over $100.

7. What can't you use the grant for?

• Support for other programs

• Broadcasters' wages

8. What does the Grants Advisory Committee look at when assessing your application?

Ethnic program grants are non-competitive.  Applications that meet the following assessment criteria will be funded:

• Eligible applicant - you are eligible to apply for an Ethnic Program grant. Refer point 2 above for description of an eligible applicant.
  
  
• Eligible programs - your programs are eligible for funding as defined in these guidelines and you can demonstrate how your programs serve the local ethnic community.  Refer points 3 and 4 above for description of an eligible program.
  
  
• Consultation and agreement - you can demonstrate a joint and consultative grant process between station management and ethnic broadcasters.  Refer point 6 above.
  

9. What should you include in the application?

• Summary of Programs applied for

• Program guide
  

• Evidence of public support for the program
  

• Recording of program
  

• Other supporting documents
  

• You may also be required to supply additional information relating to your organisation and this application.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of Australia and their connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to them and their Elders, past and present.