Secure communities partnership grants

The $40 million Secure Communities Partnership Program offers funding to support safety measures to deter crime against small and family businesses and create safer and more vibrant business areas.

The program aims to protect small and family businesses from crime and economic losses, through the installation of vital safety and security infrastructure. This will create safer public commercial precincts and business strips and improve the operating environment for small and family businesses across Queensland.

The program will consist of multiple rounds with additional funding rounds to be announced over the next 2 years.

The Secure Communities Partnership Program is an initiative of the Queensland Government’s Small and Family Business First Action Statement.

Round 1

Local councils can apply for grants of up to $400,000 in round 1 of the program to fund measures that improve the security of local small and family businesses.

The grant funding will support councils to install critical safety updates like CCTV, alarm systems and security lighting to make small businesses safer.

This grant round will be delivered via an application-based, competitive funding program. local councils can apply for up to 2 grants in this round.

Projects must be in areas in and around where small and family businesses are operating. This may include in malls, streets, walkways, active transport spaces, parks and recreation facilities that are next to small businesses, and public small business hubs, buildings and facilities.

Councils are required to consult with their local small business sector to ensure that projects are in locations that directly benefit small businesses.

Individual businesses and chambers of commerce are encouraged to contact their local councils to collaborate and identify appropriate locations to deliver projects that create safer public commercial precincts and business strips.

Councils should also consult with the local Officer in Charge from Queensland Police Service on crime issues in the nominated location and to support the positive impact of the proposed project.

Councils can co-contribute to their project costs. Councils within local government sustainability tier 1–4 must co-contribute 50% for their proposed projects.

Types of projects funded

The project application must demonstrate how small and family businesses will benefit and must fall within the following categories:

  • Physical infrastructure
    • Environmental design and landscaping for security
    • Bollards
    • Lighting
  • Surveillance and alarm systems
    • CCTV
    • Intruder alarms
    • Intercom systems
  • Perimeter and property defence improvements
    • Lockable fencing, gates and barriers
    • Outdoor security and sensor lighting
    • Signage and Visible Deterrents.

Project locations

Funding for successful applications must be used to implement critical safety measures and improve operational environments, security defence and surveillance and alarms that will benefit small and family businesses. Eligible locations include:

  • malls
  • streets
  • walkways
  • active transport spaces
  • parks and recreation facilities that are next to small businesses
  • public small business hubs
  • buildings and facilities including shopping malls, business strips, community halls and access ways to public toilet facilities.

Councils should also consider specific factors when selecting project locations and include justification in their application, referencing:

  • crime statistics and trends
  • industry/sector composition (density of small businesses)
  • sufficiency of existing infrastructure
  • environmental factors (e.g., high traffic areas used after dark, lighting, lines of sight).

Eligibility criteria

All local councils formed under the Local Government Act 2009 or the City of Brisbane Act 2010 (Queensland local councils) are eligible to apply and can submit up to 2 proposed projects in round 1.

How to apply

Local councils can submit their project application detailing how proposed crime deterrents and infrastructure upgrades will benefit their small and family business community.

Read the program guidelines and project proposal guidance to prepare your application.

Submit your application

Submit your application through the eGrant portal.

This program is administered by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers, in partnership with the Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business.

Application dates

Applications are open from Monday 26 May and close at midnight on Friday 11 July.

Contact

Email scpplc@dsdilgp.qld.gov.au or grants@desbt.qld.gov.au for more information about the program.