Applying for government funding is a lengthy, complicated, and competitive process. A lesser known service of AIG is grant writing, which we’ve been offering for no or discounted service fee to Aboriginal organisations for many years. Assistance with grant applications is essential to helping communities understand what money is available and how to access it.
“Grant writing support is critically important to the creation of wealth and self-determination for communities and individuals. In my experience organisations struggle with the complexity of some grant applications and the amount of red tape to navigate through” said COO Alexa Gutenberger.
“I’m very proud of the grant writing support AIG has provided to other Aboriginal. We applied for a total value of $6.5 million worth of grants in 2021 and 8.6 million in 2022 so far with a success rate of over 60% in the past. This is an amazing return on investment, for every dollar spent, we have returned $13 (2021)”.
Meet Coota Bees – one of the businesses we work with
Keenly aware of the dwindling numbers of bees throughout the world, their importance as a food source, and pollination for the agricultural sector, Aboriginal man Jahmayne Coolwell and Caleb Cardno decided to create a beekeeping business called Coota Bees.
Their vision is to provide local employment and educational opportunities by establishing and growing an apiary (beehives that produce honey) firstly in the greater Darwin Area (Middle Point), and then to expand into communities to be a source of local employment, opportunity and education.
The opportunity, too good to be missed
Recently a key beekeeper in the NT had expressed his desire to retire and stop beekeeping in the NT, leaving a hole in the market that was too good to pass up. Coota Bees came to AIG asking for assistance with an ABA grant that would help them buy bees, beehives and equipment that would allow Coota Bees to not only enter the next business life cycle of growth but also accomplish their vision to expand into Indigenous remote communities to be a source of local employment.
Indigenous training and education
Coota Bees plan is to split and multiply beehives to donate them to identified Indigenous Communities and assist them in establishing micro business apiaries of up to 30 hives. Ramingining and Gunbalanya have been identified as the first pilot sites within the next 12 months and negotiations with stakeholders have begun.
In the long term the mentoring and training program is designed for interested Indigenous people and communities across the Top End to receive donated hives, training and mentoring, with a focus on them learning how to run a micro honey supply and pollination business with a guaranteed market for their products being honey and/ or pollination services linked into Coota Bees Commercial Contracts.
How we worked together
“An obvious strength of the AIG grant writing service is bringing professionalism to a concept” said Caleb who was impressed by the energy and innovation AIG brought to the process. “Jahmayne and I explained our business plan and vision and they were able to create a grant concept and application from it; they are very good at what they do and made our experience with the grant process stress free. I would thoroughly recommend their assistance to anyone who needs grant writing assistance”.
Alexa worked with the Coota Bees to submit an ABA grant application which included strong business case letters of support, breakdown of their financial viability, risks and a partnership agreement.
Preparing a grant application is lengthy and AIG’s extensive experience in the process which can offer valuable assistance to Aboriginal organisations like Coota Bees that want to grow.
We help Aboriginal organisations
If you are interested in knowing more about our grant writing services or any of our Business Support Services, head to our website https://www.aiggroup.org.au/business-support-services/ or give us a ring on 08 8922 2666.
If you’re interested in contacting Caleb and Jahmayne about their bee business, email them on territorybees@gmail.com
