WE SWIM: Multicultural Community Water Safety Program is a national, evidence-informed initiative to reduce drowning risk, remove barriers to swimming and water safety education, and build belonging for refugees, recently arrived migrants and broader multicultural communities.

WE SWIM is funded by the Australian Government and led by Royal Life Saving Society – Australia. Royal Life Saving Australia brings national coordination, facilitation of WE SWIM community partnerships, and monitoring, evaluation and learning into one cohesive program.

Multicultural communities face higher drowning risk from layered vulnerabilities including lower swimming and water safety skills, limited familiarity with local hazards, and financial, language, cultural and access barriers to participation. These vulnerabilities and barriers are most pronounced for refugees and recently arrived migrants during settlement and the decade after and can persist across generations if unaddressed. WE SWIM exists to close that gap.

Every funded activity activates one or more of the WE SWIM pillars. They are WE CONNECT (linking multicultural communities to local aquatic facilities, swim schools and clubs); WE WELCOME (improving cultural safety and creating welcoming aquatic environments); WE PROMOTE (delivering multilingual water safety messages through trusted voices), and WE LEARN (removing barriers to participation and building swimming and water safety skills). Each stream's funding guidelines suggests fundable activities for each pillar.

Four beneficiary groups: refugees in humanitarian and settlement support programs; recently arrived migrants (in Australia less than 10 years); broader multicultural communities facing access and equity barriers around water; and, where appropriate, international students. Emphasis falls on school-aged children and young people, with a secondary focus on adults and caregivers, whose choices shape family participation and safety.

WE SWIM aligns to the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 and its target to reduce drowning by 50 per cent by 2030, the Commonwealth's Multicultural Access and Equity Policy, and the Multicultural Framework Review: Towards Fairness. It also reflects Royal Life Saving's strategic framework for eliminating drowning, empowering communities, strengthening safety and succeeding together, and every funded activity is expected to embody that same approach.

There are three streams.1/ Place-Based Partnerships funds larger, multi-partner coalitions shifting systems across a multi-LGA or regional footprint. 2/ Community Programs funds targeted, single-organisation-led delivery in one local government area. 3/ Pathfinders which include WE SWIM Pathfinder: Refugee Settlement which funds a small number of pilots integrating water safety into settlement pathways, and WE SWIM Pathfinder: Multicultural Community Ambassador Program funds trusted community voices to deliver communications and advocacy activity. Contact weswim@rlssa.org.au if you're unsure which stream fits your idea.

Yes. Each stream's funding guidelines set out how many applications a lead organisation can submit within that stream. If you're considering more than one stream. For example, leading a Community Programs application while joining another organisation's Place-Based Partnership as a partner. Talk to us early to avoid overlapping or duplicate proposals.

Most streams follow a similar rhythm: documentation released from 18 August 2026, applications closing 24 September 2026, outcomes notified 16 October 2026, and agreements executed shortly after. Delivery generally runs 1 November 2026 to 31 May 2027, with final reporting due by 30 June 2027.

Most streams expect cash and/or in-kind co-investment including things like venue access, staff time, translation or transport support. Clearly describe any co-investment in your budget. Requirements vary by stream and scale, so check your stream's funding guidelines.

Through the Royal Life Saving Grant Hub. Which is an externally supported online platform, not email or paper. You'll set up an account, complete your application online, upload supporting documents, and submit directly through the platform. We'll provide the link and access instructions when each round opens.

Yes. The platform's 'collaborate' feature lets multiple people from your organisation and partnership contribute to the same application – drafting sections or reviewing the budget together. However, the lead organisation must create and submit the application; partners using collaborate cannot submit on its behalf.

Royal Life Saving's WE SWIM team at weswim@rlssa.org.au. Reach out before submitting – early conversations can confirm program fit, eligibility, partnership expectations and cultural safety considerations, and we can help with technical questions about the platform.

No. Several streams require a workplan, budget, risk assessment and letters of support, and Royal Life Saving has created templates for all of these – find them in the resources section of our website. Please complete and submit using only our templates, not your own formats, so every application can be assessed consistently.

Programs should be designed with intersectionality in mind, recognising that people often hold overlapping inclusion and access needs across factors including culture, disability, gender and neurodiversity. Programs should be genuinely strengths-based, non-tokenistic, and reflect the real, layered identities of the people they serve rather than treating each factor in isolation.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) is the program's accountability framework; full participation is a funding condition, proportionate to your project's scale. Royal Life Saving provides common indicators, templates and guidance. Reporting generally covers activity delivery, participant data, access and inclusion outcomes, co-investment, risks and practical learning.

For any general question, or if you're unsure which funding stream fits, contact weswim@rlssa.org.au. More information and our resource templates are at royallifesaving.com.au.

A lead organisation applies on behalf of a partnership – not alone. It must be incorporated, with the governance and financial capability to manage the grant, and its partnership must include at least one community-based organisation serving multicultural, refugee-background or settlement communities, plus one water safety or aquatic provider. Multiple people can contribute via the platform's 'collaborate' feature, but only the lead submits. See section 2.1 of the funding guidelines.

Yes. Smaller, grassroots groups bring the trust that makes locally anchored programs work. A grassroots group doesn't need to be the lead applicant – joining as the community-based partner still shapes the program's design and delivery.

At least one community-based organisation serving multicultural, refugee-background, settlement or other priority communities, and one water safety or aquatic provider. You're welcome to add schools, councils or other local partners. See section 2.1 of the funding guidelines.

Up to three, provided each is a genuinely distinct program with its own community or focus. Talk to us early if you're weighing up several ideas.

Community Programs is generally for a single local government area or tightly focused catchment, not a broad regional footprint. If your idea is genuinely regional, WE SWIM Place-Based Partnerships is the better fit; reach out to weswim@rlssa.org.au first. See section 2.3 of the funding guidelines.

The community you're working with helps shape your priorities and activities from the start – not just reviews a finished plan. Describe this process and how local input informed or will inform your design. See section 8.2 of the funding guidelines.

No. Describe how your partners will make decisions together, how community input will shape delivery, and how you'll manage risks – proportionate to your program's scale. See section 5 of the funding guidelines.

Yes. Schools, councils, settlement services or ethno-specific associations, alongside your required partners. A broader local partnership can strengthen your application against the partnership strength criteria.

A signed letter of support from each partner organisation, using our template and confirming their role and commitment. Space is provided to upload each additional letter beyond the minimum.

Communities facing heightened drowning risk and access barriers. This includes refugees, recently arrived migrants, broader multicultural communities and international students. Priority life stages are school-aged children and young people, with a secondary emphasis on adults and caregivers. See section 2.2 of the funding guidelines.

All are welcome. This includes refugees, migrants arrived under 10 years ago, established communities still facing barriers, and international students where relevant. If there are people who are seeking asylum in Australia in your community, they should be welcome too. The priority is local need, not a checklist; talk to us if unsure. See section 2.2 of the funding guidelines.

One where multicultural participants and families feel safe, welcomed and respected in language, gender norms, dress and trust – not just physically safe. In practice: trauma-informed delivery, community-led design, gender-sensitive options like women-only sessions, and bilingual or interpreter support. See section 6 of the funding guidelines.

Yes. Everyone delivering the program must complete approved cultural safety training before activities begin. Royal Life Saving can help you access suitable training. Don’t stress, building cultural safety is a journey, so entry level training counts as a step forward.

No. WE SWIM is an aspiration, not an eligibility test. Removing that exact barrier is the point of the funding.

Up to $50,000 (excl. GST) per program, from a total pool of roughly $1.2 million funding. Cash and/or in-kind co-investment is expected, which can include venue access, staff time or translation support, should be clearly quantified in your budget. See section 4 and Appendix A of the funding guidelines.

No. We'd rather fund a range of program sizes, from around $5,000 up to the $50,000 cap. Tailor your request to your activity's scale; a smaller, tightly scoped program is just as competitive as a larger one.

Short-term staffing, venue hire, instructor and interpreter costs, multilingual communications, transport, lessons, and training, with coordination capped at 20% of the grant. See section 3.2 of the funding guidelines.

We will not fund things including business-as-usual overheads, capital works or major equipment, pre-agreement costs, or anything not clearly linked to swimming, water safety or cultural safety. Cash prizes, unapproved travel and duplicate funding are also out of scope. Ask us in writing if unsure. See section 3.3 of the funding guidelines.

Current funding covers delivery from 1 November 2026 to 31 May 2027 – a one-year commitment, with some potential for extension if the program shows strong results. Consider how your program can build lasting local capability beyond that period. See section 10.3 of the funding guidelines.

Applications open 18 August 2026 and close 24 September 2026, with outcomes notified 16 October 2026; delivery runs to 31 May 2027, with acquittal due 30 June 2027. See section 8 of the funding guidelines.

All applications are assessed against a five common and weighted assessment criteria as follows 1) Community need and local fit (20%), 2) Partnership strength, delivery capability and sustainability (30%), 3) Alignment to WE SWIM pillars and outcome pathways (20%), 4) Value for money and co-investment (20%), and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) readiness (10%). See section 8 and 9 of the funding guidelines.