Rural Financial Counselling Service Program

This program is an Australian Government initiative that provides free and independent financial counselling to eligible farmers, fishers, foresters and small related enterprises who are experiencing, or at risk of, financial hardship.

The Australian Government is inviting applications via an open and competitive process to apply to deliver services under the RFCS Program in the 12 predefined service regions from 2021–22 to 2023–24. Applicants may apply for more than one service region, including across different states.

The vision for the 2021 to 2024 RFCS Program is to empower clients to take control of their financial situation and cultivate financially capable primary producers that are profitable, self-reliant and resilient.

The overarching outcome of the program is that clients who engage with the service become financially self-reliant and their businesses are better prepared to deal with risks.

The objectives of the RFCS Program are to:
transition clients out of financial crisis
improve clients’ business profitability or facilitate a dignified exit
improve clients’ financial well-being and resilience.