GO8057: Veteran Wellbeing Grants (VWG) Program 2025-26

The Australian Government is inviting applications through a Targeted Competitive process to apply for funding under the VWG Program.

To be eligible to apply your organisation must be either: an Ex-Service Organisation (ESO) applying in its own right, or as the lead member of a consortium a non-ESO applying as the lead member of a consortium with at least one ESO and be one of the legal entity types as outlined in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines.

The Australian Government has announced a total of up to $3.827 million (GST exclusive) for the VWG Program for the 2025–26 financial year.

Applications will be considered under 2 grant streams: Stream A Small Grants (up to a maximum of $50,000 per grant) and Stream B Large Grants (from $50,001 to a maximum of $200,000 per grant).

There is no set proportion of the funding allocated per stream.

The objectives of the VWG Program are to: maintain and improve the independence and quality of life of members of the veteran community, by providing funding for activities and projects that sustain or enhance health and social wellbeing deliver activities and projects not already provided by Australian, state, territory or local government funding to the veteran community to build future community capacity expand on existing activities and projects offered to the veteran community in new regions within Australia or in the development of new activities and projects that will be offered in more than one location raise awareness of the important issues faced by the veteran community.

To be eligible an organisation must be either an ex-service organisation (ESO) applying in its own right (and meeting the ESO definition in section 4.1) or a non-ESO applying as the lead member of a consortium with at least one ESO.

All not-for-profit organisations applying must be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

Unincorporated ESOs (eg sub-branches) are not eligible to apply on their own and must apply in consortium with an incorporated ESO as lead.

Stream B applications must include financial and/or in-kind co-contributions with written confirmation from contributing parties.

Applicants may be asked to provide evidence of meeting these requirements.

The decision maker can choose to waive eligibility criteria with clear evidence provided to the delegate.