NSW Regional Economic and Community Investment Program

NSW REDCIP Fund

  • Funding pool of $50 million to promote regional economic development and contribute to job creation and retention.
  • Grants between $250,000 and $5 million are available.
  • Applications are open until 20 February 2025

The Regional Economic and Community Investment Program (REDCIP) provides support for economic growth and community well-being in regional areas. Funding will support the creation of jobs, stimulate investment, and enhance community infrastructure, aiming to strengthen regional economies and improve quality of life for residents.

Key Requirements

Applications must include a cash co-contribution, with the exception of Aboriginal-owned organisations that can provide some or all of the required co-contribution in-kind.

  • For-profit entities: A minimum of 50% of the requested funding
  • All other applicants: A minimum of 20% of the requested funding
  • Aboriginal-owned organisations: A minimum of 20% of the requested funding either in cash or in-kind.

The programs key focus areas are as follows:

  • Aboriginal economic development and enterprise
  • Community connection and capacity building
  • Improving regional service delivery
  • Sustainable regional industries

Within each key focus area, applications may be submitted for:

  • Infrastructure projects
  • Services and program delivery

What is eligible for funding?

Eligible project costs include:

  • Construction costs for infrastructure development, expansion or upgrades that would not be considered business-as-usual activities and operations
  • Project management and project assurance support, including employment of project managers either directly or through outsourcing to an external organisation, up to 10% of the total eligible project costs being claimed under the grant
  • The purchase of equipment that relates specifically to the delivery of the service or program
  • The employment of staff or service providers to deliver the service or program only for the duration of the project

Projects must be located in one of the 95 regional NSW Local Government Areas (LGAs)

What companies are eligible for funding?

Eligible applicants must be one of the following entities:

  • A company incorporated in Australia
  • An incorporated association or co-operative
  • A Local Government organisation (Committees under section 355 of the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) must apply via the relevant council)
  • A NSW Joint Organisation of Councils or a Regional Organisation of Councils
  • A Regional Development Australia Committee
  • An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
  • A Local Aboriginal Land Council
  • The Lord Howe Island Board or an Unincorporated Far West Group including RDA Far West (in their capacity as service providers for eligible locations not covered by a local government entity)
  • An Australian university.
  • Applicants must have at least $20 million public liability insurance or are willing to secure the insurance before entering into a funding deed if the application is successful.

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.