Bowel cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Australia, with one in 26 men and one in 37 women expected to be diagnosed before the age of 75 in WA.  

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program monitoring report 2025 reported the overall national participation rate as being 41.7%. Lower participation rates were seen for Australians residing in the lowest socioeconomic areas, people in remote and very remote areas, people who spoke a language other than English at home, LGBTIQA+ communities and Indigenous Australians.

To address this gap, The Cancer Network of Western Australia (CNWA), is offering targeted funding to support the development, implementation and evaluation of a Train-the-Trainer (TTT) or similar peer education model program that builds community capacity and improve awareness, understanding, and engagement with the NBCSP. This initiative targets outreach to priority populations, including Aboriginal communities, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds, LGBTIQA+ individuals, residents in regional and remote areas, and those experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.

Funding

Applications are open for two (2) $90,000 grants (total $198,000 inc. GST), with a projected term of 12 months per grant.

Organisations can submit only one application for this grant funding program. Funding for the Grant will be provided as a one-off allocation, with payment to be made upon signing the Grant agreement by both parties.

How can the funding be used?

The funding can be used for activities, expenses and costs such as:

• salaries for staff required in the design, delivery and evaluation of the program
• resource development
• community engagement workshops (venue hire, catering etc)
• ·operational overheads associated with the program
• intrastate travel (regional delivery only)

The funding cannot be used to fund the following:

• activities already funded by WA Health system through any of its other funding programs
• retrospective activity, e.g. activity starting before the published start date or activity that has already been completed
• research only projects with no implementation component

Who can apply

Eligible groups and organisations must be:

• An incorporated not-for-profit community organisation
• A local government authority or
• An unincorporated organisation or community group, applying through the auspice of an incorporated body or local government authority.

Who cannot apply

• A federal or state government agency
• An individual
• A commercial for-profit organisation
• An unincorporated not-for-profit community sector organisation (unless applying through the auspice of an incorporated body or local government authority)
• An organisation located in the Indian Ocean Territories

Key dates

Please note this schedule is indicative only and may be revised.