QBE Foundation Local Grants 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 2025 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.

Feedback on individual applications or reasons why your organisation was not selected will be limited and shared at the end of the program via email. 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 $50,000 will be awarded per category in 2026.

Please note that 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.

The Expressions of Interest (EOI) application period for 2026 QBE Foundation local grant program is now closed. Successful EOI applicants will be notified via email and invited to apply to our full application form in April 2026. Grant winners will be determined at the beginning of August 2026.

For the 2026 grant round, we are introducing an Expressions of Interest (EOI) stage.

All EOI applications are initially checked to ensure they meet our eligibility criteria for a funding arrangement and that the proposed initiative is appropriate for the elected category. EOIs that meet these criteria will then be assessed by the QBE Foundation team and relevant subject matter experts.

Successful EOI applicants will be invited via email to submit a full application for further assessment.

Assessment of full applications

QBE Foundation Local Grants Australia will go through multiple rounds of assessment. All full applications (submitted following a successful EOI) are initially reviewed to confirm they meet our eligibility criteria and are appropriate for the elected category.

The QBE Foundation Committee and subject matter experts will then assess full applications and create a shortlist of five applications per category. Assessment 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 demonstrate planned use of funds
• Ability to measure and report on outcomes
• 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 additional due diligence on shortlisted applicants.

Employee engagement

Our local grants program is designed to engage QBE employees, giving them the opportunity to advocate for organisations, learn more about work happening in our communities and empower them to help direct funding.

Once a shortlist 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, where employees vote for their top three grants. The top three applications are successful and are announced on the call.

If any issues arise in the voting process (e.g., a tie), the Australia Pacific QBE Foundation will make the final decision.

Notifying applicants

Winning applicants will be notified individually and grant agreements issued.

We will work with successful recipients to create content about their work and the QBE Foundation grant. This may be shared externally across QBE’s social media and other communication channels.

For the QBE Employee Choice category, the QBE employee who nominated the charity may be asked to speak publicly about their involvement.

Unsuccessful applicants will receive an email notification. Feedback on individual applications will be provided at the end of the program via email.

Successful local grant applicants will need to provide QBE with a completed acquittal report by 31 July 2027 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.