Search Grants & Funding

The purpose of the LRCI Program is to support local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across the nation, supporting jobs and delivering benefits to local communities.

Phase 4 of the LRCI Program will open from 1 July 2023 and Grant Agreements will be sent to eligible Funding Recipients for review and signature. Once the Grant Agreements have been returned and executed by the Department, councils will be invited to submit project nominations via a work schedule to the department.

From 1 July 2023, the eligible construction time period (ECTP) commences. Project construction can only begin once Project Nominations are approved by the Department. Projects are required to be physically completed by 30 June 2025.

Phase 4 of the LRCI Program continues to be a temporary, targeted measure supporting local infrastructure, jobs, firms, and procurement. As with the earlier Phases of the LRCI Program, Eligible Funding Recipients can select a broad range of projects to fund so that communities can continue to be provided with the infrastructure they require. It is expected that Eligible Funding Recipients will use local businesses and workforces to deliver projects wherever possible to ensure direct benefits to local communities.

Only Eligible Funding Recipients are able to participate in Phase 4 of the LRCI Program.

Eligible Funding Recipients will receive a letter of offer to participate in Phase 4 of the LRCI Program:

• Where eligibility for the Part A $500 million component is met, the letter of offer will include reference to this separate funding amount.
• Where eligibility for the Part B $250 million component is met, the letter of offer will include reference to this separate funding amount.

The Eligible Funding Recipients have been selected for this grant opportunity as the intention is to fund local communities directly. A list of funding recipients, and their funding allocations is available on the Department’s website here.

The Specific project grant provides funding to community language schools to help with professional development, such as producing new teaching materials or for teacher training activities.

Your project must either produce materials that can be used in your community language school, or offer training to your teachers. It must benefit the wider language community or be easily adapted or applied across different language groups.

They welcome proposals that consider making the resources available online. In this case, your project team must include someone with web knowledge and experience.

You may receive a specific project grant if your community language school is already receiving, or has currently applied for, the Per capita grant through the NSW Community Languages Schools Program.

Road crashes are a major cost to Australians every year. Black Spot projects target those road locations where crashes are occurring. By funding measures such as traffic signals and roundabouts at dangerous locations, the programme reduces the risk of crashes. Programmes of this sort are very effective, saving the community many times the cost of the relatively minor road improvements that are implemented

The Black Spot Programme makes an important contribution in reducing the national road toll under the National Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan.

The Australian Government has committed $500 million to the Black Spot Programme from 2014-15 to 2018-19, which includes an additional $200 million over two years from 2015-16 under the Infrastructure Growth Package to improve road safety across the nation.

The Government has announced changes to the programme’s eligibility criteria for 2015-16 and 2016-17 aimed at assisting local communities to compete for this additional funding over the next two years.

Under the new criteria, the minimum Benefit Cost Ratio for proposals has been reduced from 2:1 to 1:1. In addition, the minimum crash history of sites has been reduced from 3 to 2 casualty crashes over five years or 0.13 casualty crashes per kilometre per year over 5 years.

The criteria has also been amended to allow more funding for the proactive treatment of unsafe roads. Consultative Panels will able to allocate up to 40% of funding to sites on the basis of a road safety audit.

The Government has also guaranteed that at least 50 per cent of funding provided over the next two years will be dedicated to fixing roads in regional Australia.

The objective of the program is to incentivise voluntary uptake of ADS-B equipment in Australian– registered aircraft operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) to improve safety and efficiency for Australian airspace users.

The intended outcome of the program is improved safety and efficiency of Australian airspace, through extension of ADS-B technology to the Australian VFR aircraft fleet to provide:

• better situational awareness for pilots through improved electronic visibility of nearby airborne VFR aircraft
• enhanced search and rescue capabilities through improved air traffic information
• air traffic controllers with additional and accurate automated aircraft position information of VFR aircraft
  

The program funds two classes of eligible ADS-B equipment (see Appendix A):

• installed ADS-B equipment that air traffic controllers can use for aircraft separation purposes (referred to as ADS-B), or
• portable ADS-B equipment for local electronic traffic information purposes (referred to as ADS-B EC).

The grant amount will be up to 50 per cent of eligible project expenditure (grant percentage). The maximum grant amount is $5,000 per eligible aircraft. Only one grant per aircraft and per device is permitted. You can apply for multiple grants if you own more than one eligible aircraft. A grant may be made for each eligible aircraft for an ADS-B or an ADS-B EC, but not both

Self-Employment Assistance can help you turn your business idea or existing small business into a viable business. The program allows you to choose the level of support that meets your needs and the needs of your small business.

Self-Employment Assistance can help you with your business idea or existing business through its flexible services including:

• Exploring Self-Employment Workshops
• Business Plan Development
• Free accredited Small Business Training
• Business Advice Sessions
• Business Health Checks
• Small Business Coaching.

You may also be eligible for financial support while you start and run your business as part of Small Business Coaching.

The Regional NSW Business Concierge service provides support for businesses wishing to set up or expand their operations in Regional NSW.

This service provides expert advice to corporations and companies wanting to tap into a wider pool of skilled workers and lower their operating costs by relocating to regional NSW. The specialist team includes representatives from Office of Regional Economic Development, Investment NSW, Training Services NSW and the Regional Growth Development Corporation.

The service provides the following services: 

• Comparative analysis of multiple locations across regional NSW based on business requirements.
• Identification of suitable available office space.
• Assistance with business planning requirements including economic analysis and skills data.
• Assistance to identify and develop commercial opportunities in a specific industry sector or region.
• Coordination across key government agencies and regulatory bodies.
• Assistance in identifying business-to-business solutions and opportunities.
• Information on relocation requirements and introductions to support services.
• Advice on accessing grants and other financial incentives.

The aim of this program is to provide regional and remote communities with access to essential air services that can in turn connect these smaller communities with the rest of Australia. The Scheme supports regional commercial airlines operating low volume and new routes to regional and remote communities; as well as aeromedical providers.

The Government's policy for aviation encourages the growth of regional aviation services across Australia and the expansion of the current network by giving impetus for operators to test whether a new route can be commercially viable in time.

To be eligible for the commercial passenger component of the program:
    The airline has a current Australian air transport (formerly Regular Public Transport (RPT) Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) that authorises scheduled air transport operations on the route and authorises the aircraft / aircraft type for air transport services;
    Services are to be operated as scheduled air transport operations (charter services are NOT eligible);
    The route is to be to/from a Regional or Remote location, as defined by the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC);

• The route is serviced by a single operator;
• The route has no more than 15,000 passenger movements per annum;
• The route does not otherwise receive a subsidy for flight costs from any level of government;
• The proposed route is shown to have an economic and/or social impact on the community; and
• The aircraft type used on the route has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 15,000Kg or less.

Applicants flying commercial routes can obtain assistance of up to 60 per cent of the enroute charge; and up to 100 per cent for new routes for a period of up to three years

To be eligible for the aeromedical component of the program:

• The airline can demonstrate its engagement as a contracted aeromedical provider;
• The airline has an AOC that authorises these services;
• The aeromedical services are conducted using aircraft listed on the airline's AOC as being for this purpose;
• The aircraft used has a MTOW of 15,000Kg or less; AND
• Services operated by the airline are anticipated to include services to/from a Regional or Remote location, as defined by the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC).

Please refer to the Guidelines for more details on Eligibility.

The program provides funding with the intention of empowering community and creating an environment where every child has the opportunity to reach their potential.

CAGES Foundation will intentionally seek to fund DGR 1 organisations with high levels of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation, influence, identity and leadership. The foundation’s principle around self-determination is best enacted through supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led organisations however they also recognise the need to build skills and capabilities in these organisations and the communities they exist in. They believe an effective way to do this is to support respectful partnerships between non-Indigenous and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations where two-way learning and capacity building at an organisational and community level is intentional.

The Start Strong for Community Preschools program provides funding to deliver affordable quality preschool education for 3 to 5 year old children enroled in eligible community and mobile preschools in NSW.

From 2023, fee relief for families announced as “Affordable Preschool” in the context of the NSW Government's Early Years Commitment will be integrated into Start Strong and provide community and mobile preschools with sustainable long-term funding to deliver at least 600 hours of low, or no cost preschool to eligible children.

Start Strong for Community Preschools funding is provided for children in the two years before school and supports enrolment of at least 600 hours per year or 15 hours per week. Evidence shows that this level of participation in a quality early childhood education program in the two years before school is associated with better outcomes for children.

Start Strong, including the now integrated Affordable Preschool initiative, promotes universal access and priority of access by providing:

• higher program funding rates for preschools which operate within the lower range of Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) score of relative socio-economic disadvantage
• additional funding for children aged 3 years and above from low income families, children with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, and children with disability or additional needs
• loadings for preschools that operate in outer regional, remote and very remote areas
• further loadings and subsidies as outlined in Section 3.2
• up to $4,220 per year in fee relief for 3 to 5 year old children in community and mobile preschools.

The Program Payment and Fee Relief Payment are both calculated based on the data entered in the Annual Preschool Census, including the number and hours of enrolment, and the number and characteristics of children enroled.

The Indigenous Apprenticeships Program (IAP) plays a pivotal role in increasing Indigenous employment opportunities across the APS. Since 2015, the IAP has given over 1,800 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people opportunities to join the APS. These are people with diverse backgrounds, including people leaving school, finishing study or looking for a new career. ’s a great way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make a difference in the lives of Australians.
The 12-month program offers:
    a permanent, full-time, entry-level job in government
    job security with a competitive salary
    opportunities to progress your career, including a nationally recognised certificate or diploma qualification.

It also offers a range of roles across a number of departments and agencies. You could work in:
    administration
    policy and program development
    service delivery
    finance
    human resources
    information technology.

When you apply, they will ask you which department or agency you’re interested in and they will consider your application for all participating departments and agencies.

They will also ask where in Australia you’d like to work. You can apply for a role in one or more locations. If you’re successful, they will take your preferences into account when we offer you a job. They may offer you a job at more than one department or agency, you can then select the one that is best for you.

A $10,000 First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is available when you buy or build your first new home.

Your first new home can be a house, townhouse, apartment, unit or similar that is newly built, purchased off the plan or substantially renovated.

Grants are available to eligible events that have previously received triennial funding through the Flagship Event stream to support initiatives that have a direct impact on increasing overnight visitation to the event.

The Event Development stream supports the strategic growth of proven events that demonstrate a clear rationale for the continued development of its tourism potential.

Applications for the 2023-24 Event Development stream are now open and will remain open until available funds are exhausted. Applications to the Event Development stream must be received by Destination NSW in sufficient time prior to the next event to allow for assessment and delivery of the initiative for which funding has been requested.

The Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) is a one off payment of up to $5,000. It’s to help eligible students with the cost of moving to study. This is for study after you’ve finished year 12 or equivalent.

To get the payment you need to meet some rules. These include:

• moving from a regional or remote area for tertiary study
• starting tertiary study in the year after finishing year 12 or equivalent.

You can claim this payment in your first year of tertiary study only.

To get this payment you must also be all of the following:

• an Australian resident meeting residence rules
• from an inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote area
• moving to study at a tertiary education provider that’s at least 90 minutes away from your family home by public transport
• have completed year 12 or equivalent
• studying a tertiary course at certificate IV or above in the year after year 12 with no gap year
• 22 or younger on the day you start your tertiary course
• have parents or guardians whose income is under the current combined parental income limit of $250,000.

You must also meet all of the study rules. You meet the rules for qualifying study if you do both of the following:

• study a certificate IV or above at an accredited Australian tertiary education provider
• study at least 75% of a full-time study load
• study a course with a minimum duration of one academic year.

This program provides re-imbursement funding to support regional and remote airports to meet requirements of the Screener Accreditation Scheme. The program aims to provide transitional support through the implementation of the new scheme with funding concluding in 2024.

The objectives of the program are to:

• support regional and remote airports to meet requirements of the Screener Accreditation Scheme
• increase the delivery and effectiveness of education, training and testing for screening officers and air cargo examination officers
• reduce the cost burden of airport security to regional airports
• support regional airport compliance with the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004.

The Bridges Renewal Program is an Australian Government initiative to fund the upgrade and replacement of bridges to enhance access for local communities and facilitate higher productivity vehicle access.

Up until now, these programs invited applications separately through specified, time-limited funding rounds. The Australian Government will now consider projects on an ongoing basis with applications accepted all year round to provide increased flexibility and permit projects to be submitted when they will most benefit Australia’s bridges and heavy vehicle infrastructure.