The first grant recipients of the Australian Government’s Online Safety Grants Program, led by the eSafety Commissioner, were announced today, providing funding that will boost the online safety of children, the community and those most at-risk online.
Grant funding of between $80,000 and $1 million has been made available to eight non-government organisations (NGOs) to develop services, resources and products that provide new solutions for improving online safety.
The successful projects ensure children and young people, along with their families and communities, can access online safety education and resources – especially within at-risk communities.
“These grants are very exciting and extremely timely for eSafety to be rolling out. Being online and staying connected has never been more important. So, making sure our children and young people are supported in their online interactions is equally as important.” said eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant.
“Our research tells us that children as young as two are going online, so the need to develop practical skills to confidently navigate the online world is crucial. And these new programs will be able to help with just that.
“The successful grant applicant’s projects also reflect our vision and commitment to be innovative, agile and culturally responsive as we continue to meet the online safety needs of Australia’s diverse and continually evolving population.”
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said, “In the 2019-20 Budget, the Morrison Government provided $10 million over four years for eSafety to provide grants to NGOs that will deliver important new community programs and complement our world-leading regulator’s work to keep Australian families safe online.”
The first round of the grants program attracted a large volume of applicants who went through a highly competitive application and review process.
The successful grant recipients for the Online Safety Grants Program – Round 1 2020 are:
University of Canberra – Safe Online Together
Alannah and Madeline Foundation – Improve your Play
Endeavour Foundation – Online Safety for All Abilities
Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies – Online Safety in Out of Home Care
YMCA Services – Empowered to Tell
Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media – Stayin’ eSafe
Souths Cares – Souths Cares Cyber Safety Program
Constable Care Child Safety Foundation – Creating Virtual Reality Resources for Cyber Safety Education
eSafety will support each of these organisations as they develop and roll-out their programs and highlight their work and impact amongst their targeted communities.
For more information about the successful programs and information about the Online Safety Grants program, visit esafety.gov.au/safety-grants