2025 Inspiring Tasmania Grants Guidelines 

Inspiring Australia Tasmania is offering grants to fund a range of STEM engagement events and initiatives in Tasmania.  

Two stream of grant funding are available:  

  1. National Science Week Grants  

National Science Week, held from 10 to 18 August 2025 aims to raise the profile and increase public awareness of the importance of science, technology, and innovation in our society.    

This grant program is available to support the delivery of public National Science Week events and activities held between 2-24 August 2025. 

  1. Community STEM Grants 

This program aims to build capacity, programs, initiatives, and activities that raise the profile and provide engagement with a focus on groups historically under-represented in STEM*. 

This grant program is available to fund activities as listed above, where these are delivered outside of the National Science Week period (2-24 August 2025). 

For each stream, two levels of grants are available:  

  1. Small program grants: up to $4000 
  2. Large program grants: between $4000-8000 

* Groups historically underrepresented in STEM are defined under the Diversity in STEM strategy (link) to include: 

  • First Nations people
  • Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) people 
  • Women and girls 
  • People living in regional and remote areas 
  • People with disability 
  • People from low socio-economic backgrounds 
  • Neurodiverse people 
  • LGBTIAQ+ people 
  • People who face age-based discrimination 

Program Objectives 

National Science Week  Program

National Science Week, one of Australia’s largest national festivals, aims to raise the profile and increase public awareness of the importance of science, technology, and innovation in our society.    

The objectives of this program are:   

  • Promote and encourage community interest, participation, and engagement in STEM 
  • Raise awareness of the contributions and achievements of Tasmanian scientists and innovators, including contributions to the improvement of everyday life  
  • Increase engagement and participation in groups historically under-represented in STEM* 

STEM Community Connections Program 

The STEM Community Connections Program contributes to a vision for an Australian society engaged in and enriched by science.  

The objectives of this program are:  

  • Increase engagement and participation in groups historically under-represented in STEM* 
  • Support building STEM engagement and communication capacity in Tasmania

Eligibility  

Eligible Applicants 

To be eligible to apply for a grant, you must be:  

  • an individual (aged 18 years or older)  
  • a community group, association, or organisation  
  • a business, industry body or local government organisation  
  • state government department or agency with a community focus (e.g. libraries)    

Successful grantees must be able to provide a valid tax invoice with an ABN. 
 

Eligible costs 

Eligible costs can be included in the budget for a grant application. These include: 

  • Venue and equipment hire  
  • Event consumables  
  • Event advertising and promotions, including graphic design and printing  
  • Transport/accommodation associated with the project 
  • Prizes and giveaways 
  • Equipment  
  • External presenter fees 
  • Staff costs for activity development or delivery of the activity outside of staff hours already paid by your organisation/group 

Ineligible Costs can be listed in the grant application budget, but must not be funded by the grant funds include: 

  • Business As Usual costs 
  • Permanent infrastructure and large capital expenditures 
  • Staff costs for administering the grant or writing the grant or grant reporting or staff hours already paid by your organisation/group 
  • Activities that are exclusively for a school or school audience  
  • Research projects  
  • Administrative fees imposed by a parent organisation 
  • Expenditure items that receive funding under another Commonwealth program, or from a National Science Week state or territory Coordinating Committee, in the same year 

Eligible Initiatives/Activities 

  • Initiatives /activities must take place in Tasmania.  
  • Initiatives /activities under the National Science Week Program must take place between 2 and 24 August 2025.  
  • Initiatives /activities under the STEM Community Connections Program must occur outside of 2 and 24 August 2025.  

And eligible activities/initiatives will need to address one or more of the following objectives: 

  • Promote and encourage community interest, participation, and engagement in STEM 
  • Raise awareness of the contributions and achievements of Tasmanian scientists and innovators, including contributions to the improvement of everyday life  
  • Increase engagement and participation in groups historically under-represented in STEM* 
  • Build engagement and communication capacity in the Tasmanian STEM ecosystem 

Please be sure to address the specific objective of the grant scheme you are applying for in your application.  

Funded activities/initiatives may include, but are not limited to, applications for the following types of STEM engagement:  

  • workshops or field activities  
  • fairs, expos, shows or exhibitions  
  • science through the arts activities  
  • interactive online events, podcasts, videos, or virtual tours    
  • presentations, demonstrations, lectures, or webinar 
  • forums, debates, quizzes 
  • citizen science activities   
  • build organisational capacity in STEM, for example through professional development 
  • STEM clubs or groups 
  • school initiatives open to the wider community that are not for the exclusive or primary benefit of a school or its enrolled students. Initiatives in or for schools that are specifically for students and their families can apply for the Australian Science Teacher’s Association’s National Science Week School’s grants (link). 

All activities/initiatives must comply with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.  

All in-person activities/initiatives must meet Tasmanian public health guidelines and are required to be delivered in a COVID-19 safe way.  

Assessment 

Assessment Criteria  

Eligible applications will be assessed against the following:  

  1. Reach and impact demonstrated through: 
  • Identifying the intended audience of the proposed activity, noting where appropriate the anticipated audience numbers, ages/demographics, geographic reach**, and outlining whether/how this event is catering to people from specific groups that are historically under-represented in STEM.  
  • A clear and inclusive promotional plan to outline how the target audience will be reached, including any innovative approaches  
  • How participation will be kept affordable and accessible 
  • The impact of the proposed activities for the intended audience  
  • How success of the project will be evaluated 
  1. Applicant’s capacity, capability and resources to carry out the project, demonstrated through identifying:  
  • Ability to run the activity, including previous experience and access to support from personnel with suitable skills and experience. 
  • Access to appropriate venues, infrastructure, technology, and any required regulatory or other approvals required to run the proposed activity. 
  • Submission of a considered and achievable budget. 

** Activities/initiatives in areas outside of major cities are encouraged. 

Budget 

A well-considered budget is an important part of any successful grant submission.  

Tips for preparing a strong grant budget: 

  • General descriptions of required items and estimated costs are appropriate at this stage. 
  • Note any other funding sources that you have already secured, or hope to secure. 
  • List all in-kind contributions in your budget. These are contributions made to a project that are not in the form of cash but rather goods, services, or assets – for example: 
    • Staffing costs (e.g. event coordinator, 10 hrs at $40 hour = $400 in kind contribution) 
    • Venue hire 
    • Equipment use (e.g. hire of audio/visual equipment) 
    • Speaker fees 

Please use the budget template available here.

Assessment Process 

Applicants will be assessed by a Grants Subcommittee of the Inspiring Australia – Tasmania Reference Group. The assessors will identify any potential or actual conflicts of interest before applications are assessed – these issues will be managed accordingly.   

Assessment will be based on the written information provided by the applicant. In some instances, the assessors may request further information before making its final decision.  

The Grants Subcommittee will assess eligible applications against the assessment criteria and rank projects accordingly. Based on the project ranking, the Grants Subcommittee will determine the successful applications. Under specific circumstances, the Grants Subcommittee may offer partial funding for a grant application. 
 

Application  

Requirements for Grant Application  

  • Each grant application must include a fully completed grant application form through the Inspiring Tasmania website. 
  • Each grant application must meet at least one of the program objectives 
  • Each grant application must include a detailed budget (template available above)  
  • Grant applicants must be able to provide a valid tax invoice (ABN required***) to receive funds.   
     

Successful Grants 

Successful grantees are required to 

  • Sign a letter of agreement
  • Acknowledge grant funding by including the Inspiring Australia logo on all promotional materials and where possible, display an Inspiring Australia Tasmania banner at grant-funded events. 
  • For grants funded under the National Science Week Scheme, list events/activities on the National Science Week website by 1 June 2025 and include the National Science Week logo in addition to the Inspiring Australia logo.  
  • Provide an evaluation report after the completion of the activity by the due date specified in the grant agreement. 

Applicants can apply for multiple grants of each or both grant schemes.  
 

How to apply 

  • Read the guidelines carefully. 
  • If you have any questions, please contact inspiring.tasmania@utas.edu.au 
  • Fill in the application form here
  • Submit the application form along with a detailed budget (template here) by 26 March 2025 

If you have any questions about these grants, please contact inspiring.tasmania@utas.edu.au 

*** Special conditions apply for the payment of grant funds to University of Tasmania staff. An ABN is not required and arrangements for the disbursement of funds will be made on acceptance of a grant offer.