Clubs Funding & Grants

Activity and Asset Grants MUST be submitted through the Arc Membership Portal.

Arc Membership Portal admins can submit them HERE.

One of the main ways that Clubs benefit from being affiliated with Arc is through funding and grants. We know that running awesome events that get your Club members excited costs money. In order to support the rich diversity of Club events held continually throughout the year, Arc provides an array of funding options to best suit the needs of your Club.

Annual Funding Limits

The number of Active Arc Members a Club has determines their maximum amount of funding via the Activities & Asset Grants a Club can receive from Arc in a year. Funding provided by Arc through Competitive Grants (e.g. SCDG & Elevation) or other Arc Events (e.g. Games Galore & Clubs Takeover) do not contribute to your Annual Limit.

Active Arc MembersClub TypeAnnual Funding Limit
5 - 74Bronze$1500
75 - 249Silver$2500
250+Gold$4000

Types of Standard Grants

Activity Grants

Get funding for things like your BBQs, workshops, speed friending, paint n’ sips, cruises, camps and parties etc. etc!

Click for Full Details

Asset Grants

Get a 50% discount on Club Equipment, Merchandise, Subscriptions & Publications costs!

Click for Full Details

Secretarial Allowance

Every Club has access to free printing, laminating & badgemaking through their Secretarial Allowance

Click for Full Details

Training Grants

Get up to $80 back for Execs completing their Food Safety, First Aid & Responsible Service of Alcohol Training!

Click for Full Details

Small & Regional Campus Grant

Supporting Clubs that primarily operate on campuses outside of Sydney!

Click for Full Details

Types of Competitive Grants

Event Elevation Grant

Collaborate with us to make your biggest and best event ideas happen with ~$5,000 in funding per event available!

Learn More

Student Community & Development Grants (SCDG)

Compete for a large pool of funding for events that help improve Graduate Capabilities!

Learn More

Club Grants at at Arc Events (O-Week, Launch Week, Games Galore etc.)

Activity Grants do not apply for Clubs participating in Arc events. This means that expenses incurred to run your O-Week stall are not eligible for Grants funding. Similarly, running a stage performance, small activation or similar at an Arc event will not receive funding via the Activity Grant.

However, Activity Grants will still apply for Clubs running events that happen at the same time as Arc events. For example, your Club hosting a Welcome Party during O-Week would be eligible for funding.

What is a Valid Receipt?

For grants involving expenditure, grants require a valid receipt to be submitted that contain ALL of the following details:

  • The company’s name
  • The company’s ABN
  • The date the invoice was issued
  • A clear breakdown of all purchases and their quantities
  • The total amount paid
  • GST information (including where tax is applied)
    • Where the company is not registered for GST, the receipt or invoice should say “[the company] is not registered for GST”

Receipts that do not contain one or more of the items listed above will usually be omitted from the grant. Exceptions to this can be found at the end of this section. All copies of receipts must be clear and complete (i.e. the whole receipt is visible) – where copies are unclear or incomplete,

It is recommended that Clubs make copies of receipts as soon as they receive them (before they have a chance to fade). Make sure you’re providing a copy that it is a scan, photocopy or a clear image with all details readable.

Proof of payment may be requested for any payment included in a grant application.

Time Limit for Submitting Grants

Grants must be submitted no more than 30 days after the event has concluded for Activity Grants and 30 days after the purchase was made for an Asset Grant.

If your Club suspects you cannot meet this deadline, please contact Arc before the 30-day deadline has lapsed and provide the reason. As long as there is a good reason (e.g. waiting for an outstanding invoice), most likely we will be able to extend the deadline. Extensions are generally not granted if you contact us after the deadline has passed.

My Club purchased an item overseas/international, can I still receive a grant?

Some Clubs may wish to make purchases internationally. In these cases, the invoices and receipts will not contain an ABN, and the Club’s payment may be made in a foreign currency. It is the responsibility of the club to provide a translation of receipts or purchasing documents when applying for Grants from international purchases. This should be submitted alongside the original receipts.

When processing the grant application, the value of the purchase will be calculated at the exchange rate on the day of the purchase (i.e. the date stated on the invoice or receipt).

The following additional charges are eligible for grant funding (where invoices end/or receipts are provided):

  • delivery fees charged by the international supplier
  • delivery fees charged by international couriers
  • international transaction fees charged by a financial institution when a payment is made directly from an Australian account to the international supplier

The following examples are additional charges that are ineligible for grant funding (this is not an exhaustive list):

  • transport fees for someone in a foreign country who is helping your Club to transport the purchase
  • exchange rate transaction fees where the payment is not being made directly from an Australian account to the international supplier (e.g. a Club Executive makes the payment overseas in person)

I’ve got an Invoice without an ABN, can I still receive a grant?

For any Australian purchase where the supplier is unable to supply an ABN on their invoice, they will need to complete a ‘Statement by Supplier – reason for not quoting an ABN to an enterprise’ form available HERE or from the Australian Taxation Office website. This form must be completed by the supplier and they must still provide an invoice with all of the other required details such as the name of supplier, date, breakdown of products supplied and total charges.

For the most part, in section A-3 of the form, the reason for not quoting an ABN will be because ‘The supplier is an individual and has given the payer a written statement to the effect that the supply is made in the course or furtherance of an activity done as a private recreational pursuit or hobby’. Keep in mind that the reason and the subsequent legal declaration made will be at the discretion of the supplier. If a supplier declines to provide an ABN or complete this form, your Club should not make purchases from that supplier and should pursue other alternatives.

This form should only be used as a last resort if you are unable to find a supplier that has a registered business and ABN. Only in unique circumstances (such as purchases of niche or unique items) will this option be plausible for your Club.

I purchased an item on Amazon and there’s no ABN or GST information, can I still receive a grant?

If the seller is in Australia you'll need to contact them for a proper GST + ABN Receipt. If they're overseas then follow the instructions above for International Purchases.

How can I calculate GST on an invoice/receipt?

See: ATO Tax Invoices

Can we apply for a Clubs Grant for a fundraising event?

There are two parts to the Clubs Grant calculation:

  • Expenses & overall profit/loss
  • Number of Arc members attending the event

For events that have made a profit (the goal of all fundraising events), there is no funding for the first part of the calculation. While your Club may be raising money for charity and might consider the donation to be an expense of the event, Arc Clubs funds events for the benefit of students rather than charities, so these payments are not included in the calculation.

The specific nature of the event will determine whether the second part of the calculation is applicable. For events such as a bake sale, students making purchases would not be considered to be “attending” an event – they are simply making a purchase and continuing on their way. On the other hand, for events such as a Trivia Night where individuals are at the event for an extended amount of time, your Club would receive funding for attendance.

Activity Grant

How to Apply for an Activity Grant

In order to receive an Activity Grant, there are some important steps to complete in order to be eligible.

Click here 🔗 for your step-by-step from start-to-finish guide on how to get Arc Clubs funding for your events!


What is Covered?
(Including but not limited to)
What is NOT Covered
Food & drinkAlcohol*
Venue hire costsPayments, wages or salaries for Club Executives & Contributing Club Members
Decorations, audio, lightingCash prizes
Photographers, DJs, performersTransport & Parking costs
Prizes & gifts for presenters, judges, hosts etcFines & other fees
Marketing

*Expenditure grants apply for alcohol purchased at UNSW Roundhouse

How is it Calculated?

The Activities Grant is the most commonly applied for grants and helps subsidise the costs of your events. There are two attributes used to calculate your Activities Grant: Attendance and Expenses.

  • Your Club will receive $1 for every Arc Member who attends your event (Up to 100 attendees)

    For events Off-Campus & Online, your Club will receive $1 for every Arc Member who attends your event (Up to 100 attendees)

  • If your Club incurs expenses running an event, the Activities Grant will cover 35% of these costs up to breakeven.

The grants from attendance AND expenses will be combined in your Activities Grant payment.

GrantCalculationMaximum Amount
Activities Grant (Step-by-step guide HERE)35% of expenses up to break-even, plus attendance: $1 per Arc member up to 100 Arc attendees$750 (Bronze)
$1125 (Silver)
$1500 (Gold) (Per Event)
plus attendance

Activities Grants Small Event Example

The Nicolas Cage Appreciation Society has just held a very successful event: ‘Nicolas Cage: Good or Bad?’ held on campus in Colombo LG01.

They had 40 attendees at the event and spent $50 on food and drinks. The event was not ticketed and was free for all member to attend. Below is an example calculation of the grants received after the event.

Event Attendance & ExpensesResulting Grant
40 Attendees x $1 per attendee= $40
$50 F&D Expenses x 0.35 reimbursements= $17.50
Total$57.50

As a result of the event, the Nicolas Cage Appreciation Society has made $7.50 profit.


Activities Grant Major Event Example

The Nicolas Cage Appreciation Society has just held a very successful ball: ‘National Treasure: NCAS Ball’ held off-campus in Darling Harbour. NCAS is a Gold Tier Club.

They had 120 attendees at the event and spent $20,000 hiring the venue. The event was ticketed and made $19,400 in ticket revenue. Below is an example calculation of the grants received after the event.

Event Attendance & ExpensesResulting Grant
120 Attendees x $1 per attendee= $120
$20,000 Venue Expenses - $19,400 Ticket Revenue = 600 loss= $600
Total= $720

Therefore, the Club will be award $720 in Activities Grants. Meaning the Club has made $120 in profit from the event.

Weekly Events

Arc recognises that many Clubs hold regular events, such as weekly classes or monthly meetings. A separate Clubs Grant Application may be submitted for each re-occurrence for which you would to apply for a grant, however where a Club holds multiple activities per week, Arc Clubs Staff must be consulted prior to applying for funding. If these activities are similar, Clubs may be asked to consolidate Grant Applications.

Collab Events (Multiple Clubs Hosting)

If your Club teams up with another Arc-Affiliated Club for an event, you may still apply for one Activity Grant for the event. Arc will pay the Club that applied for the grant and it is the Club’s responsibility to split this funding once it has been paid out.

Internal-Only Events

Events that are not publicly accessible to General Members of the Club are not eligible for grant funding. For example, Team Meetings, Induction Days, Internal Road Trips and Team Bonding activities cannot be submitted for the Activities Grant.

Your Club should be primarily run for your members.


Asset Grant

How to Apply for an Asset Grant

In order to receive an Asset Grant, there must be a Arc Clubs Logo on the item (i.e. print the logo on custom items or use one of our Arc Clubs stickers).

The Arc Clubs logo must “appear in a prominent, visible position in your designs”. If you’re worried about the size or placement of the Arc Clubs logo, run it past the Clubs Staff before your purchase by emailing clubs@arc.unsw.edu.au

Click here 🔗 for your step-by-step from start-to-finish guide on how to get Arc Clubs funding for your assets, equipment, merchandise, subscriptions and publications!


What is Covered?What is NOT Covered
“Equipment” refers to purchases made by the Club that are integral to the Club’s aims or activities, are durable and for the long-term use of the Club. This equipment must remain the property of the Club - examples include cash boxes, music stands, eskies, sports equipment.Equipment that is already provided by Arc for Club use. For example, Clubs can borrow speakers from Arc, so purchases of similar items will generally not be eligible for Arc funding.
“Merchandise” refers to items produced by the Club to promote the Club’s aims or activities. This includes custom T-Shirts, hoodies, pens, membership stickers and membership cards.The equipment must have a continued future use that is aligned with the aims of the Club, and that will allow the Club to grow substantially. For example Social Soccer Society buying soccer goals would be eligible for funding, but Photo Club making the same purchase would not receive funding.
“Subscriptions” refers to on-going paid services which are integral to your Club's activities - for example, game server hosting for game societies, website hosting fees, design software (i.e. Canva) or other online service subscriptions. These subscriptions must be in the name of your Club, and not in an individual member's name. You can do this by signing up for the service using your Club email address.Merchandise that is for a specific activity (e.g. T-shirts that feature a design for a specific tournament, production, camp) is not eligible for funding under through the Merchandise stream. Instead these should be included in the costs for the event/activity in the Activity stream.
“Publications” refers to items published by the Club to promote the Club’s aims or activities. Examples include: Printed First Years Guides, Annual Journals, Year Books etc.


How is it Calculated?

The Asset Grant is a simple 50% grant on the cost for the asset up to break-even.

GrantCalculationAnnual Limit: 
Asset (Equipment, Merchandise, Subscriptions & Publications) Grant50% of cost for assets up to break-even. Maximum of $600 in grants per purchase.$750 (Bronze) $1150 (Silver) $1500 (Gold) Limit Per Purchase: $600 (All Types)

If you are selling your merchandise, you can use our handy Merchandise Price Calculator that automatically calculates the lowest cost you can sell your merch for and maximise the grant amount awarded. Access it HERE 🔗

Asset Grants Example

The Nicolas Cage Appreciation Society has decided that they require a Blu-Ray Player to watch National Treasure at the highest quality possible.

They found Blu-Ray player that costs $100 online and purchased it and stuck an Arc Clubs Sticker on to it.

ExpensesResulting Grant
$100 x 50%= $50
Total$50

It is really that simple.


Selling Merchandise Asset Grant Example

The Nicolas Cage Appreciation Society has decided in the lead up to winter to make some Custom Hoodies to stay warm. They don’t seek to make a profit on sales but simply sell them for the lowest price possible.

They ordered 50 hoodies from a supplier which cost $40 per hoodie.

ExpensesResulting Grant
50 x $40 = $2,000
$2,000 x 50% = $1000 ($600 cap) = $600
Total= $600

Therefore, $600 - $2,000 = $1,400 and the Society can sell the hoodies for $28 each ($1,400 / 50 = $28) and exactly break-even and maximise the Merchandise Grant.  


Placement of the Arc Clubs Logo

The Arc Clubs logo must “appear in a prominent, visible position in your designs”. The Arc Clubs Space has stickers available to stick to non-customised equipment.

If you’re worried about the size or placement of the Arc Clubs logo, run it past the Clubs Staff before your purchase by emailing clubs@arc.unsw.edu.au

Secretarial Allowance

The Secretarial Allowance is designed to assist Clubs in covering costs associated with marketing or administration and it is available for all affiliated Clubs to access exclusively from the Arc Clubs Space.

How to Apply for your Clubs Secretarial Allowance

No need! The Secretary Allowance is applied to all Clubs automatically at the beginning of the year. Simply submit a printing or badge making request and the amount will be automatically deducted from your Clubs Secretarial Allowance

What is Covered?What is NOT Covered
PrintingPrinting done at UNSW Printers (i.e. Main Library)
PhotocopyingExternal printing (i.e. Officeworks)
LaminatingPersonal printing (i.e. Class notes etc.)
Badgemaking 
At the Arc Clubs Space ONLY


Funding Limits

The amount is “rolled over” to the following term but is reset in Week 1 Term 1 each year. Clubs are allocated an amount for their Secretarial Allowance based on their funding level as shown in the table below.

Per term:

$50 (Bronze)

$75 (Silver)

$135 (Gold)

In order to check how much Secretarial Allowance your Club has remaining, please email us at clubs@arc.unsw.edu.au

Resource Pricing

We strongly recommend that clubs submit their printing requests here with at least 2 days' notice: Club Printing Request.

If you come to the Clubs Space to request printing without having first submitted a printing request, we may not be able to fulfill your request (particularly during busy periods). Plan ahead!

Printing:

The pricing list for printing is as follows: 

Black & White PrintingCost per Page
A4 Single Sided$0.10
A4 Double Sided$0.20
A3 Single Sided$0.20
A3 Double Sided$0.35
Colour PrintingCost Per Page
A4 Single Sided$0.50
A4 Double Sided$0.90
A3 Single Sided$1.00
A3 Double Sided$1.75


Laminating:

Laminating pouches are available in A3 and A4 sizes only and can be obtained from the Arc Clubs Space to use with the in-office laminating machine. Before operating the Laminator, please ask for assistance from the Clubs Space reception.  

Laminating Cost per pouch
A4 paper$0.50 ea.
A3 paper$1.00 ea.

Payment for printing, photocopying, and laminating will be deducted from your Club’s Secretarial Allowance. See above for more information on the Secretarial Allowance.


Badge Making 

There are three badge makers available in the Arc Clubs Office. The large badge maker produces 57mm (diameter) badges, and the two small badge makers produce 35mm (diameter) badges. You can refer to the Badge Making Sizes Template that is available on the Clubs Forms & Files page when designing your badges to ensure that the image is compatible with the machines. 

Payment for badge parts will be deducted from your Secretarial Allowance. For a compiled list of prices, please see the Arc Clubs Office Resources Price List available on the Arc website.

BadgesCost
Small Badge 10 pack$6.00
Small Badge 20 pack$10.00
Large Badge 10 pack$8.00
Large Badge 20 pack$15.00

Training Grant

This grant's purpose is to help subsidise the cost involved with obtaining training that is necessary for your Club to operate effectively and safely.

The Training Grant will reimburse your Club up to $80 upon completion and submission of a valid training course.

Any money reimbursed will be reimbursed to the club bank account, not individual accounts.

How to Apply for a Training Grant

Simply submit the Certificate of Completion in this form here 🔗


What is Covered?What is NOT Covered
First Aid TrainingTraining completed by subcommittee, directors or other non-elected contributing members
Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate Training that does not provide a certificate of completion
Food Safety Certificate (Course Code: SITXFSA005 - other courses not subsidised by this grant)

Training must be completed by elected Executives only


Training Grant Limits

During 2024 each Club may submit for a maximum of four EACH of the First Aid & RSA Training, and maximum two Food Safety Certificates of the above training options for a total of 10 possible reimbursements.

New Club Startup Grant

The New Club Grant is a one-time grant of up to $200 designed to help newly created Clubs get started with events.

This grant is only available to new Clubs that became affiliated with Arc in the last 12 months.

How to Apply for a New Club Startup Grant

If your Club participated in a Fast-Tracked Affiliation meeting, the grant will be applied automatically once you have provided Arc Clubs with your Bank Account details.

If your Club ran your own IGM, you'll need to provide an estimated budget breakdown of your first few events and how you'll use up to $200. Your event/activity can go over $200 worth of expenses, but just keep in mind that this grant is capped at $200! An important thing to think about is how this grant can be used to kick-start future regular events or other income streams that will let you sustain your Club longer term. You can apply here 🔗

Arc Clubs Team

P:02 9065 0930

E:clubs@arc.unsw.edu.au

H:10am to 5pm

A:Level 2 Basser Steps, Gate 5 on High St, UNSW