Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations in the Northern Territory are invited to apply for funding through the second Aboriginals Benefit Account (ABA) funding round for 2015-16 which has now opened.

Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, said funding would be available to support projects that provide lasting benefits for Aboriginal people living and working in remote Northern Territory communities.

"The ABA is a fund that supports a wide range of one-off projects that benefits communities by improving infrastructure, assisting better education outcomes and creating jobs including through support for business development," Minister Scullion said.

“It is a requirement of ABA section 64(4) funding that all employees funded are to be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, unless an exemption is approved by the Minister.

"I encourage local organisations committed to improving the lives of people living in Northern Territory Indigenous communities to apply for funding."

There are four categories under which organisations will be able to apply for ABA grant funding:

• Supporting Enterprises
• Supporting Community
• Supporting Land, Sea and Waters Management and Use
• Supporting Culture, Language and Leadership

Up to $30 million is available for ABA beneficial grants across the two funding rounds expected in the 2015-16 financial year. In the last funding round in 2014-15 funding of approximately $15.9 million was provided to 42 projects from 38 organisations across the Northern Territory.

The Aboriginals Benefit Account was established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.

The account is funded by payments from the Commonwealth equivalent to the value of royalties paid by mining interests on Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory.

Applications will close on 2 October 2015 at 2pm AEST. Further information on the application process is available at dpmc.gov.au.