Funding for community infrastructure to improve regional areas
Growing Regions Program Round 1
The Growing Regions Program drives regional economic prosperity by providing access to funding for community-focused infrastructure projects throughout rural and regional areas of Australia.
Opening date: Wednesday 5 July 2023 9:00am AEST Wed 5 Jul 2023 9:00am AEST
Closing date: Tuesday 1 August 2023 5:00pm AEST Tue 1 Aug 2023 5:00pm AEST
What do you get?
Grants between $500,000 and $15 million to cover 50% or more of eligible expenditure.
Who is this for?
Incorporated non-profit organisations, First Nations Community Controlled Organisations and local government agencies or bodies in regional areas.
Overview
The Growing Regions Program – Round 1 will deliver grants up to a maximum of $15,000,000 over 3 years to deliver community infrastructure projects.
It will deliver community and economic benefits by investing in community-focused infrastructure which revitalises regions and enhances amenity and liveability throughout regional Australia.
The objectives of the program are:
- constructing or upgrading community infrastructure that fills an identified gap or need for community infrastructure
- contributing to achieving a wide range of community socio-economic outcomes
- is strategically aligned with regional priorities.
The intended outcomes of the program are:
- delivery of community-focused infrastructure which contributes to local and regional priorities
- provision of infrastructure which benefits the community by improving equity and supports diverse social inclusion
- to contribute to the achievement of broader Government priorities such as net zero emissions, gender equity, and/or First Nations priorities
- growing local economies and enhancing amenity and liveability in the regions.
Growing Regions Program Round 1 will be delivered through a two-stage selection process.
You must first submit an Expression of Interest at Stage 1 and if successful, you will be invited to submit a full application at Stage 2.
Check if you can apply
You can apply if you meet the eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria are a set of rules that describe who we can consider for this grant. You can apply if you:
- are an eligible entity
- have an eligible project
- have eligible expenditure.
The rules are in the grant opportunity guidelines.
You can apply if you:
- are a not-for-profit organisation with a current Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission’s (ACNC) registration or Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Organisations (ORIC) registration, or
- a local government agency or body
and
- have an Australian business number (ABN) or ORIC registration
- deliver the project in an eligible location
- commence the project no later than 15 May 2024
- own the land/infrastructure being upgraded or built upon, or have the landowner’s permission to use the land/infrastructure
and you are one of the following entity types:
- an Australian company incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001
- a co-operative
- an incorporated association
- Indigenous Corporation/an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
- Local Government/an Australian local government agency or body - Local Government is an entity established under state or territory local government legislation, for the purposes of governing local areas within state or territory. In the states, they are generally referred to as local councils.
You can’t apply if you are:
- an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’
- an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012)
- an individual
- a partnership
- a Regional Development Australia Committee
- an unincorporated association
- any organisation not included in section 4.1 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines.
Partner with other organisations
You can partner with one or more other organisations that also meet the eligibility criteria. But you must decide who the lead organisation is.
The lead organisation must fill out the application form.
If we give your group the grant, the lead organisation:
- signs the grant agreement
- is responsible for making sure your group follows the rules in the grant agreement.
You must complete your project by 31 December 2025.
Your project must:
- be aimed at constructing new community infrastructure or expanding or upgrading existing infrastructure for wider community benefit
- be located outside of the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA) as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (see the mapping tool on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts website)
- be aimed at constructing new community infrastructure or expanding or upgrading existing infrastructure for wider community benefit
- not have commenced construction
- not have received Commonwealth funding to undertake the same grant activities
- have a minimum eligible expenditure of at least $555,556 (group 1), $714,286 (group 2) or $1,000,000 (group 3) depending on co-funding requirements as outlined in section 3.1. of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines.
You can apply for a grant between 5 July 2023 and 1 August 2023.
You can use this grant funding to cover costs incurred that are directly related to your agreed project including:
- materials for construction
- lease of plant and equipment
- contract expenditure
- external labour hire and consulting.
How to apply
Check if you’re ready to apply for a grant
Finding a suitable grant opportunity is just the start of the process to get funding. The application process can take time and effort. Understanding the entire process will help you be grant ready and may improve your chances of getting funding.
Use our checklist to find out what it takes to apply for a grant.
When you're ready to apply
When the online form is available, you must submit your application through the online portal. You’ll need to set up an account when you first log into the portal. The portal allows you to apply for and manage a grant or service in a secure online environment.
Contact
Need help?
Let us answer your question via phone, email or live chat. And if we can't help, we'll put you in touch with someone who can.
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Open Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm across Australia
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