QBE Foundation local grants in Australia

Eligibility for a QBE Foundation local grant is based on the conditions below. Please take note and ensure your application meets all criteria before applying.

Charity eligibility

To be eligible for a QBE Foundation local grant, the organisation:

• Must be a registered ‘not-for-profit’ (or non-profit) with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC)
• Must have Australian Tax Office endorsement of DGR 1 or 2 status
• Must not be affiliated with a political party or union, or take an overtly political stance in the focus of their work
• May have a religious basis, but any program or initiative supported by QBE must not incorporate religious teaching into the delivery of the program or initiative
• Must be based in Australia, but initiatives working in Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Fiji and Solomon Islands will be considered.

Note: Australia Pacific QBE Foundation charity partners and 2024 local grant recipients are not eligible to apply.

Application suitability and alignment

• Only applications working to address issues in our local grant categories will be considered. You will need to clearly demonstrate the relevance of your initiative to the category, so please consider this before applying
• You can only apply once per project or initiative. Please do not submit multiple applications for the same project or initiative across different categories
• QBE Foundation local grants are intended for high impact community initiatives. Requests for funding for "business as usual" activities will be considered less favourably than specific initiatives
• We understand that some initiatives require support from multiple funders. If this is the case, please outline clearly in your application where other funding is coming from, any funding expected in the future or due to end in the coming 12 months, and how you plan to report on the QBE Foundation portion of the total funding
• The organisation must be based in Australia, but initiatives working in Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Fiji and Solomon Islands will be considered.

Unfortunately, feedback on individual applications or reasons why your organisation was not provided with a grant cannot be provided. If an application does not meet initial eligibility criteria for any reason, we are not able to contact you before applications close. Please take the time to ensure you only submit an application if you meet all the conditions listed above. It is in the discretion of Australia Pacific QBE Foundation whether to make a grant to your organisation and to determine the value of that grant.

Multiple grants of $40,000 will be awarded per category in 2025.

Please note that it is at the discretion of Australia Pacific QBE Foundation whether to make a grant to your organisation and to determine the value of that grant.

Register your interest here for the 2025 QBE Foundation local grants program

Australia Pacific QBE Foundation local grants will go through multiple rounds of assessment. All applications are initially checked to ensure they meet our eligibility criteria for a funding arrangement and that the application is appropriate for the elected category.

The QBE Foundation Committee and subject matter experts will then assess applications and create a short list of five applications per category. Assessment of grants will focus on:

• Expected outcome and impact of the initiative
• Long term impacts of the initiative
• Need for the initiative within the community
• Eligibility of the charity
• Reputation of the charity and ability to deliver on the initiative
• Ability to show planned use of funds
• Ability to measure and report on outcomes of the initiative
• Alignment with the goals and values of the QBE Foundation
• Alignment with the chosen category
• Potential for success of the initiative
• Innovation

QBE’s Financial Crime Management team may undertake further due diligence on shortlisted applicants.

Our local grants program is designed to engage QBE’s employees and give them the opportunity to advocate for organisations, learn more about work happening in our communities and empower them to direct funding. Please read this part of our assessment process carefully and make sure you are comfortable with it and would still like to apply for a grant.

Once a short list has been created, applications are presented by QBE’s Community & Foundation Manager to QBE employees – employees have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the applications. A live vote is then held on the call and employees vote for their top three grants – the top three are the successful applicants and are announced on the call. If there are any issues with the voting (e.g. if there is a tie), the Australia Pacific QBE Foundation will make the final decision as to who receives the grants.

Notifying applicants

Winning applicants will be notified individually and grant agreements issued.

We will seek to create content with successful grant recipients about their work and the QBE Foundation grant – this will be shared externally on QBE’s social media and other communications channels. Please note, if applying for the QBE Employee Choice category, the QBE employee may be called upon to speak externally about their involvement with your charity.

Unsuccessful applicants will receive an email informing them. Due to the high volume of applications, we will not be able to provide unsuccessful applicants with individual feedback.

Successful local grant applicants will need to provide QBE with a completed acquittal report by 31 July 2026 or on the completion of the initiative, whichever is sooner. QBE may also request a progress report or informal update six months post award of the grant, to understand how work is progressing. QBE may choose to use information provided as a case study and/or in reporting at any time after the grant is awarded. Approval will always be sought from the charity prior to publication.

Here’s an example of the data required for our acquittal report. If you believe you may not be able to provide this information, please note this in your application form.