QLD Residential Activation Fund

QLD Residential Activation Fund

  • Round 1 is now open
  • $500M funding pool to accelerate delivery of the critical infrastructure that is fundamental to activating residential housing projects
  • Projects with confirmed financial co-contributions will be assessed more favourably
  • Expected announcements from July 2025

The Queensland Government's $2B Residential Activation Fund aims to accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure essential for initiating residential housing projects. This includes infrastructure such as water supply, sewerage, stormwater management, power, and transportation (e.g., roads).

50% of the funding is allocated to regional, rural, and remote local government areas outside Southeast QLD. Round 1, with $500M available, focuses on projects ready to commence promptly.

Key Requirements

Round 1 is focusing on projects that are ready to proceed now, and applications have been seperated into two pathways:

Pathway 1 for Local Governments is seeking:

  • Detailed, costed submissions for trunk and essential infrastructure projects to facilitate residential housing development. The trunk and essential infrastructure project must commence construction within 12 months of a fully executed funding agreement and be completed within 3 years of a fully executed funding agreement.
  • Detailed costed submissions for Specific Infrastructure Planning Projects from Local Governments outside SEQ that facilitate residential housing developments, with associated Trunk and Essential Infrastructure, that can commence within 3 months of a fully executed funding agreement.

Pathway 2 for Developers is seeking:

  • Detailed, costed submissions for trunk and essential infrastructure projects to facilitate residential housing development. The trunk and essential infrastructure project must commence construction within 12 months of a fully executed funding agreement and be completed within 3 years of a fully executed funding agreement.

Eligible Applicants may seek funding for more than one project.

What is eligible for funding?

Projects must involve the construction of trunk and essential infrastructure to support residential housing developments. This includes:

  • Residential lots
  • Houses
  • Units
  • Build-to-rent developments
  • Retirement living
  • Land lease communities

Eligible Project Costs:

  • Project management costs, including remuneration of the Eligible Applicant’s technical, professional, and administrative staff for time directly related to managing the approved project works (excluding executive duties and overhead charges)
  • Purchase and installation of fixed plant and equipment required to fully commission the approved project
  • Reasonable construction costs integral to the Approved Project, including:
    • all site works required as part of construction
    • construction-related labour costs
    • construction materials and equipment hire.

For Specific Infrastructure Planning Projects only:

  • Professional third-party service provider fees for a planning project (excluding the service provider’s administrative or overhead costs) for delivery of the funded activity.

Pathway 1 – Where a non-SEQ Local Government is an Applicant the Project:

  • Be a Specific Infrastructure Planning Project to facilitate residential housing development(s), and includes:
    • Detailed design (including associated supporting documentation) for trunk and essential infrastructure for a residential housing development or part thereof.
  • Must be located in the relevant Local Government area
  • Must be identified and documented within the Local Government Infrastructure Plan (if available), or capital works program or Council budget documents (or similar), or other documentation demonstrating it is a priority for council

Pathway 2 – where a Developer or landowner is an applicant, the project:

  • Must be located in QLD
  • Must have Development Approval (excluding preliminary approval) together with sufficient evidence to demonstrate it.
  • Infrastructure must be identified and documented within the Local Government Infrastructure Plan, or capital works program or Council budget documents (or similar), Development Charges and Offset Plan or Water NetServ Plan
  • Must have evidence of the conditioned infrastructure for the Development Approval or a letter of support provided by the relevant Local Government or Economic Development Queensland as planning authority and be to the satisfaction of the Department

What companies are eligible for funding?

Pathway 1: Be a Local Government constituted under the Local Government Act 2009 or the City of Brisbane Act 2010.

Pathway 2: Be a developer or landowner with a company registered in Australia with development approval for a residential development in QLD necessitating trunk and essential infrastructure.

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.