RDAF – Round 2
Up to $15M in funding for regional infrastructure projects in Round 2 is available.
About
The Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) is a national program to support Australia’s regions and enhance the economic development and livability of their communities. The government grant is administered by the Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government (the Department). It is designed to ensure that new investments are targeted to reflect the characteristics, and to address the opportunities and challenges, of our diverse regions.
The Regional Development Australia Fund aims to support localism, and to leverage and better coordinate state, commonwealth, local government and private (including not-for-profit) investments for the long term benefit of communities.
Key changes from Round 1
- A two-stage application and assessment process, including a short paper-based Expression of Interest (EOI);
- A stronger role for Regional Development Australia (RDA) committees;
- Applicants can submit one EOI and application for a single project;
- Maximum grant of $15 million;
- Preference for applications that demonstrate partnership funding of 1:1 for grant requests of $5 million and less, and 1:2 for grant requests of more than $5 million;
- At least 50 per cent of partnership funding must be cash;
- Not-for-profit organisations must have a minimum annual income of $1.5 million; and
- Projects located in capital cities must demonstrate how the proposed project will benefit the broader region, or other parts of regional Australia; and
- Provision of guidance on content of mandatory documents.
Expressions of Interest
The Expression of Interest (EOI) reduces costs for applicants, and provides early certainty. It also gives local stakeholders the opportunity to participate in decision-making, and recognises that local communities are best placed to provide advice on local needs and priorities.
Regional Development Australia committees will consider all EOIs from their region and select three viable priority projects to proceed to full application and assessment.
The EOI lodgement form includes the sections:
- What is your project? – Your answer should provide a clear and succinct overview of the project to be funded, including its nature, scope and the service that will be delivered from the infrastructure. Response should be no more than 350 words.
- What benefits will your project deliver for the community and economy? - Describe the need being met by your project and the impacts of your project on the region, community and local economy. Describe the issue in your RDA committee’s Regional Plan that is being addressed, and how that issue is being addressed. Response should be no more than 350 words.
- Does your project benefit the broader region? – Describe the broader impact of your project, focusing on its impacts across Local Government Areas, within the whole of the RDA and bordering (or other) RDA committee areas (as appropriate). Response should be no more than 350 words.
- What consultations have you undertaken with local communities? Is there broad community support for your project? - Identify key stakeholders who are supportive of the project. Describe the consultations undertaken by your organisation and their outcomes. Identify stakeholders who are opposed to the project? Response should be no more than 350 words.
- How will your project be delivered? – Describe how your project will be delivered. Include the planning, construction and other approvals that are in place/will shortly be provided/have been applied for. Response should be no more than 350 words.
Documents
- Regional Development Australia Fund – Guidelines for Round Two [
PDF: 936 KB] - Expression of interest (EOI) form [PDF: 157 KB]
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) [PDF: 515 KB]
- Better Practice Guide for Applicants [PDF: 173 KB]
- Regional Development Australia Committee Details and Contact List [PDF: 149 KB]
- Regional Development Australia Fund Funding Agreement [PDF: 532 KB]
- Fact Sheet [PDF: 34 KB]
RDAF Round Two Timeline
| Milestone | Anticipated Dates |
|---|---|
| RDA Regional Plans finalised | Monday 31 October 2011 |
| RDAF Round Two announced | Thursday 3 November 2011 |
| RDAF Round Two Guidelines published | Thursday 3 November 2011 |
| Expressions of Interest open | Thursday 3 November 2011 |
| Expressions of Interest close | Thursday 1 December 2011 |
| RDA committee decisions on Expressions of Interest | Wednesday 21 December 2011 |
| Notification of outcomes of the Expression of Interest process by the Department | Wednesday 11 January 2012 |
| Full applications for Round Two close | Wednesday 15 February 2012 |
| Minister announces successful projects | Commences mid to late May 2012 |
| Funding Agreements negotiated and executed | Within 8 weeks of Minister’s announcement |
Outcomes of Round One
The Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government received a very strong response to RDAF Round One, with 553 applications submitted by local government and not-for-profit organisations. Up to $150 million was approved for investment-ready projects that supported the growth of local communities across the country. This was extended from $100 million due to the strong response from communities.
Under Round One, grants of between $500,000 and $25 million will support 35 projects across the country.
For more information on Round One can be found here
Expert Assistance
In round 1 there was a total of 553 applications and only 35 were funded. Hence the success rate for an application was only 6%.
An analysis of the Regional Development Australia Fund round 1 results indicates that the percentage of the project funded also varied significantly. Compare Wollongong City Council with a project size of $4.83 M and recieving 48% funding compared with Lismore City Council with a $5.99 M project and receiving 83% of funding. Clearly some councils were not asking for enough from the Regional Development Australia Fund.
We have a 100% success rate with infrastructure funding. In the last 2 years we have raised over $68 M in government grants for infrastructure. We are the largest grant consultancy in Australia.
We can assist in this round with demonstrating:
- the short and long term impacts to the local regions economy
- the extent to which the project will provide community benefit
- the extent to which the applicant leverages additional funding from a variety of sources
If your require a specialist government grant consultant to assist your Regional Development Australia Fund application please call us on 03 9005 6789 to discuss further.
[...] projects shared in almost $150 million under the 1st round of the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF). With a total of 553 applications, your chances of success was only [...]