We are looking for projects that meet the following criteria: 

1. Individuals, groups or organisations who are based in Australia and who are working on projects which will take place in Australia;

2. Projects that primarily benefit young people under 25 years old;

3. Projects that will commence in the next 12 months; and

4. Projects with a core focus on creativity.

The Believers Grant runs once a year.

For Believers Vol.2, applications will open on Wednesday 30 April, 2025.

Applications will then close on Monday 30 June, 9PM AEST.

Due to the size of our team and timeline, we cannot allow any extensions past the deadline.

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Once applications close on Monday 30 June, the Blackbird Foundation team will review all applications and shortlist the top 10 submissions. Regardless of whether you are shortlisted, ALL applicants will be notified of the status of their application by COB on Friday 4 July. The Top 10 submissions will proceed to the interview stage, where our judging panel will review them for a final decision and selection. Grant offers will be made to successful applicants on Friday 1 August.

We have iterated on our previous application round and redesigned the application to be as light as possible, while ensuring we get the information we need.

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The application is split across 2 parts: (Part A) should take no more than 20 minutes to complete and collects basic information about your organisation and eligibility. (Part B) may take anywhere between 30-120 minutes to complete and asks you for information about the project, funding and other questions so we can gauge if we are the right funders for your project.

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Based on 74 responses in our feedback survey from our first round of Believers, people spent on average 240 minutes on their application. (Please note that last year's application was considerably longer than this year)

We're primarily looking for projects that unleash young people's creativity and encourage them to explore, experiment, and be highly independent and driven lifelong learners.

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Our scope is wide and vague because we are looking for projects that have not been done yet or are doing things differently. We don't want to be prescriptive; we want to back wild ideas that explore the intersections of creativity, technology, science, media, storytelling, culture and arts. We have a high appetite for risk, and we're on the hunt for great people doing work that creates magic.

We have funded the following organisations:

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FIRST Australia

FIRST Robotics Melbourne Tournament (2023 and 2021)

Red Dirt Robotics

BioQuisitive

Kids' Own Publishing

Friends with Grain

We aim to keep obligations and reporting minimal yet effective so that you can focus on doing the vital work of unleashing creativity in young people. At a minimum, this is what we expect of our Believers:

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1. Use the grant funds for your project. If there are any changes to your project, let us know and keep us in the loop!

2. Keep us updated on your progress and ways that we can support you. We'll check in every three months to see how you're going.

3. Funding is provided for a one-year period. All grant funds should be used within the 12-month funding period unless otherwise agreed upon.

4. Grantees will provide at minimum 1 x case study, 1 x long form article or video on the impact and outcome of the project. Blackbird Foundation will work with the grantees to produce this content.

5. Your organisation must have reasonable safeguards for working with vulnerable people, in line with the ACNC guidelines. We request proof of any child safety policies, training, licenses and certifications, risk assessments and safeguards you have in place for working with vulnerable people before the disbursement of funds. We expect all grantees to maintain these safeguards during the 12-month funding period. If a breach occurs during this period, we reserve the right to terminate the grant offer and request the return of unspent funds.

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