Grants to improve safety and accessibility of remote airstrips
Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program: Round 10
Closing date: Friday 15 December 2023 5:00pm AEDT Fri 15 Dec 2023 5:00pm AEDT
What do you get?
Grants of up to $3 million to enhance aerodrome safety and accessibility.
Who is this for?
Owners and operators of aerodromes in remote or very remote areas of Australia.
Overview
The Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program provides grants to enhance the safety and accessibility of aerodromes in remote and very remote areas of Australia. It will provide year-round all-weather access, particularly where road access is unavailable or unreliable. This will:
- improve the safety of aircraft, operators and passengers using remote and very remote airstrips
- facilitate improved delivery of essential goods and services such as food supplies, health care, community mail and passenger air services
- complement air services delivery to communities subsidised under the Australian Government’s Remote Aviation Access Program (RAAP) through the Remote Air Services Subsidy (RASS) Scheme
- meet operational requirements of the RFDS or operators providing similar aeromedical services
The maximum grant amount is $3,000,000.
The grant will be up to 50% of eligible project costs, unless:
- where the applicant (you) and a third party (could include State/Territory or local government, or other entity are both contributing to eligible project costs, the grant amount will be up to 33.3% of eligible project costs or
- where the applicant (you) meets the definition in these Guidelines as an Indigenous Owned and/or Operated Aerodrome, the grant will be up to 100% of eligible project cost.
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 eligible project activities.
The rules are in the grant opportunity guidelines.
To be eligible, you must:
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be an owner and/or operator of an existing aerodrome in an area classed as remote or very remote in Australia
You must also be one of the following:
- an entity incorporated in Australia (including incorporated trustees on behalf of a trust)
- an Australian local government agency body (defined in Appendix A of the grant opportunity guidelines)
- an Australian state or territory government agency or body
- a corporate Commonwealth entity
- an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
An eligible organisation may apply on behalf of an aerodrome owner or operator (this excludes Indigenous owned or operated aerodromes seeking 100% of funding). In this case, you will be:
- the lead applicant in a joint application
- responsible for the project including administering, reporting and acquitting project expenditure
- responsible for entering into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth
We can only accept applications if your aerodrome is identified as “remote or very remote” as defined by the 2021 Australian Statistical Geographic Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Area. (Check the remoteness of your aerodrome location using nationalmap.gov.au).
You must complete your project by 30 April 2026.
You can use this grant funding for:
- works to improve all weather capability of the aerodrome and aircraft safety including:
- sealing and/or re-sealing and re-sheeting of aircraft pavements
- repair, restoration and/or reconstruction of the airstrip, taxiway and/or apron
- airstrip drainage works
- basic airside ambulance and passenger shelters (to support patient health in transit).
- works to enhance aerodrome safety for aircraft operations including:
- installation or restoration of animal fencing
- provision of markers and navigational aids
- works to reduce safety hazards at an aerodrome
- provision of safety related operational and/or training manuals and training for key operational personnel
- works to better enable night-time operations including:
- installation of runway and taxiway lighting
- provision of power for aerodrome lighting
- installation of Pilot Activated Lighting Control systems.
We may also approve other activities.
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
Apply using our online portal:
- Create or log into your portal account.
- Follow the instructions to complete your application.
- Submit your application before the close date.
Make sure you include enough detail and supporting evidence in your application to help us decide whether to award you the grant.
Don’t submit the application until it’s complete. You can’t correct a mistake.
First we check that you meet the eligibility criteria. Then we assess your application against the assessment criteria.
The committee, which is comprised of representatives from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, will only consider funding applications that score at least 50% against each assessment criterion.
- Assessment criterion 1: Demonstrated need for your project (50 points)
- Assessment criterion 2: Capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project (25 points)
- Assessment criterion 3: Impact/benefit of grant funding on your project (25 points)
The amount of detail and supporting evidence you provide should be relative to the project size, complexity and grant amount requested.
The Minister makes the final decision.
Apply now
Apply for the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program: Round 10 now
Before you apply, make sure you:
- read and understand the grant opportunity guidelines
- read the sample application form
- read the sample grant agreement.
Sample applications
The best way to understand what information you need to provide is to start an application. We have also provided a version to download at the bottom of this page.
Technical help
See our customer portal's frequently asked questions to help with your queries. If you can't find your answer, contact us for assistance.
We can’t consider the application you submit after the close date under any circumstances.
Past and current rounds
Contact
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