Notifications & Alerts

Scam Alerts

Possible scam alert

The Department of Social Services (DSS) has recently received reports of an email scam where a scammer posing as a representative of the department has emailed members of the public offering a $120,000 grant under the Social Enterprise Development Initiative program. The scammer requests the victim’s contact details, and then sends through a false ‘grant certificate’ to notify them they have been selected, which includes a falsified signature of a senior department officer. To gain access to the payment, victims are then told they need to pay a $250 fee to unlock a debit card. 

If you are contacted by one of these scam attempts, do not provide any personal or financial information. 

Scams and how to report them

If you are concerned that a phone call, SMS, voicemail or email claiming to be from the ATO, the Community Grants Hub or the Department of Social Services is not genuine, do not reply to it. We encourage you to:

  • report the scam to the National Anti Scam Centre on the Scamwatch website
  • you can also report it to the relevant government department using the contact details on their website
  • for scams relating to the Department of Social Services contact the fraud reporting hotline on 1800 054 312, or email the fraud mailbox at fraud@dss.gov.au
  • contact the ATO on 1800 008 540.

If you have already provided information or are concerned that a crime has or may be committed, please immediately contact the police, your bank or the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) if it relates to your passport details.

It is important to know that Departmental officers at the Department of Social Services do not:

  • cold call members of the public to promise grant funding
  • contact members of the public through social media or email to offer grant opportunities.  Legitimate grant opportunities are published on GrantConnect. Legitimate grants will never require the recipient to pay a fee to access the amounts, and debit cards are not used to disburse grant payments
  • contact members of the public seeking personal information, such as bank details, passport or license numbers.

It is a serious matter to impersonate a Commonwealth public official. It may even be a criminal offence carrying a penalty of imprisonment in some circumstances.

Further advice on scams and information on where to get help if you think you have been scammed is available from the National Anti-Scam Centre Scamwatch website.

If you think you have been scammed, find out where to get help.

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Open Grants

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National Disability Conference Initiative 2024–25

man lecturing students university lecture

Grant Category

Services for People with Disabilities

Closing Date & Time

AEST

Selection Process

Open competitive

Delivered on behalf of

Department of Social Services

The National Disability Conference Initiative provides funding of up to $10,000 to conference organisers to help people with disability participate in nationally-focused, disability-related, conferences held in Australia.

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Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program

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Grant Category

Commemorative

Closing Date & Time

AEDT

Selection Process

Open competitive

Delivered on behalf of

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

The Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program aims to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australia’s defence personnel in wars, conflicts and peace operations, and their families.

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Support Plantation Establishment 2024–25 (Round 2, Batches 1 and 2)

Decretive image of a tree sapling

Grant Category

Agriculture

Closing Date & Time

AEDT

Selection Process

Demand-driven

Delivered on behalf of

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

This grant supports the establishment of new long-rotation plantation forests and assists the sector in responding to the projected growth in demand for local timber resources, increasing domestic timber supply and helping to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions by storing the carbon in timber.

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2023-1895 - Justice Reinvestment in Central Australia Program - Round 1 image

Justice Reinvestment in Central Australia Program – Round 2 Assessment Cycle 1

2023-1895 - Justice Reinvestment in Central Australia Program - Round 1 image

Grant Category

Indigenous Communities

Closing Date & Time

AEST

Selection Process

Open non-competitive

Delivered on behalf of

Attorney-General’s Department

Successful initiatives under this opportunity will prevent and reduce Central Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ contact with the criminal justice system through place-based, community led measures to prevent crime, treat drug and alcohol addiction or address illegal drug use.

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National Justice Reinvestment Program – Round 2 image

National Justice Reinvestment Program – Round 2 Assessment Cycle 1

National Justice Reinvestment Program – Round 2 image

Grant Category

Indigenous Communities

Closing Date & Time

AEST

Selection Process

Open non-competitive

Delivered on behalf of

Attorney-General’s Department

The National Justice Reinvestment Program aims to reduce contact with the criminal justice system and incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults and young people through support for place-based and community-led justice reinvestment initiatives across Australia.

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Expansion of the Community Child Care Fund-Restricted (CCCFR) non-competitive grant opportunity (for specified services)

Grant Category

Indigenous Education

Closing Date & Time

AEST

Selection Process

Closed non-competitive

Delivered on behalf of

Department of Education

The CCCFR expansion program aims to establish new early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in mainly remote and very remote areas to increase participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in culturally appropriate ECEC.

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