Helping to Bring Another $6.5 Million of Funding into Our Region

Anyone who has sat down to complete an application for a grant will know how much work and information is required to complete the form, let alone knowing how to write an application that is successful. Recently, we worked with Armidale Regional Council on two grant applications which resulted in the approval of almost $6.5 Million of grant funding for their Armidale Regional Airport Business Park and their Safety and Security project. These two grant applications demonstrate the range of information that our team can collate for Councils, businesses and community groups to successfully apply for grant funding. Our newest team member, Project Officer James Pryor, worked extensively on these grant applications alongside our Executive Director, Nathan Axelsson and Senior Project Officer, David Thompson and staff of Armidale Regional Council. James, who recently completed his Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours, has hit the ground running and we are now able to help bring even more funding into our region.

What We Offer
For projects like these, we can provide a wealth of local knowledge and strong relationships with all levels of Government, community groups and local businesses. This allows our work to be more specifically targeted and accurate in the details for local projects, knowledge that cannot be replicated by consulting firms that are outside our region. Our extensive work with all three levels of government also allows us to provide economic analysis that is closely aligned with the methodologies used by the Australian and NSW Government departments when grant applications are being assessed. This provides a greater certainty in the application process and improves the chances of a positive outcome.

Due to our wide range of skills, we are a one-stop-shop for grant application assistance. We have experience in producing business cases, cash flow analysis, addressing merit criteria effectively, and project planning, including milestones, collating quotations and creating budgets. We can assess the governance capacity of applicants, and provide risk identification, mitigation and management strategies for applications. These skills, along with the ability to address merit criteria effectively, ensure the project is aligned to Government Strategic Plans and the specific grant outcomes; all which are key to successful applications.

The Armidale Regional Airport Business Park
The Armidale Regional Airport Business Park will provide 72 industrial and commercial lots adjacent to the airport and will generate over 200 new jobs. Our work on the funding application included creating a Business Case and a linked datasheet which included analysis of the fifteen businesses that are already interested in moving into the business park. By collating data from our economics and industry software, REMPLAN and IBISWorld, along with our local knowledge, we were able to demonstrate the direct and indirect impact that the project is expected to have on the local economy. This includes estimates on economic value-add and flow-on effects that the project generates to demonstrate the importance of the project.

Armidale Regional Council’s Safety and Security Project
The Safety and Security project will see the installation of lighting and new Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras around crime 'hot-spots' of Armidale and Guyra and upgrade existing outdated security monitoring room equipment at the local police station. Our role included a wide range of activities to help develop the project and apply for the funding. This included analysing crime statistics and hot spot research, locations and the types of crimes being committed, how the CCTV systems would impact these crimes, and the ability to use the footage as evidence in court. We also provided evidence on how security lighting acts as a deterrent to crime and invokes community sentiment and sense of security. Utilising Google maps, and analysis of the data from our research, feedback from local police and equipment specifications, we mapped out the best locations for the CCTV and lighting to be located to benefit the communities of Armidale and Guyra while also benefiting Government assets and services.

How We Can Help
Round four of the Australian Government’s Safer Communities Fund opens shortly. If you are interested in installing security and safety equipment for your community or have another grant application you want to submit, we have the research and skills that can help you get your project over the line, contact us on 02 6771 0700 or rdani@rdani.org.au to find out how we can help. You can find out more about our Research and Consultancy Services or find out about grants that are currently available on the Grants and Funding Opportunities on our website. While our research and consulting services are free for small community groups, we do charge a minimal fee for Local Government and larger organisations. We are able to provide our services at a subsidised rate due to support and funding from the Australian Government.