Growing Regions Program

Round 2 applications are set to open soon. Ensure you register your interest with our team now to prepare your applications.
Grant amount: $500,000 – $15 million

The programme aims to improve the quality of life in regional Australia, revitalise regions, and bring about both economic and community advantages through investing in community-focused infrastructure.

Key Requirements

The Australian Government has pledged $600 million over three years, beginning in 2023-24, to support regional economic growth. This will be accomplished by providing funds for infrastructure capital improvements throughout Australia’s rural and regional zones. The objectives of the program are:

Intends to support the building or improvement of community infrastructure that solves a recognised gap or requirement in the community.
To contribute to achieving various socio-economic outcomes for the community.
It aligns with the region’s preferences.

The intended outcomes of the program are:

The development of infrastructure centred on the community, contributing to both local and regional goals.
To help achieve larger government goals such as net zero emissions, gender equality, and/or First Nations community priorities.
Improving regional economy while enhancing quality of life and attractiveness.

What is eligible for funding?

To be eligible your project must:

support the construction of new community infrastructure or the enhancement of existing infrastructure with the aim of benefiting a larger community
should not have started any construction work yet
not have received Commonwealth support for the same grant activity.
be based on the co-funding requirements provided in section 3.1, the project should have a minimum qualifying expenditure of $555,556 (for group 1), $714,286 (for group 2), or $1,000,000 (for group 3).

Eligible activities must directly relate to the project and must include at least one of the following:

Creating new community infrastructure
Improving or expanding existing infrastructure to bring more benefits to the community.

Examples of these activities include but not limited to:

Community gathering places and facilities
Cultural institutions such as art exhibitions, libraries, museums, and other artistic venues
Social and community infrastructure that fosters both economic and social well-being

Your project must take place in a qualifying location. Eligible locations are those outside the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), as determined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

What companies are eligible for funding?

To be eligible you must:

be 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
be 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 be one of the following entities:

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

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

Industry analysis presentation
Competitor Analysis Presentation
Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.

This grant is open

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