Deadline: 26-Aug-2024
The Australian Government is inviting applications for the Thriving Suburbs Program.
The Thriving Suburbs Program drives urban economic prosperity by providing access to funding for community-focused infrastructure projects throughout urban, suburban, and peri-urban communities of Australia.
The Thriving Suburbs Program will run over 3 years from 2024-25 to 2026-27. The program was announced as part of the May 2023-24 Budget. The program will deliver place-based benefits by investing in community-focused infrastructure which creates and enhances amenity, liveability and social cohesion throughout urban, suburban and peri-urban communities in Australia. The Government is committed to urban renewal and supporting equitable access to amenities to create strong and vibrant communities.
Objectives
- The objectives of the program are:
- constructing or upgrading community infrastructure that fills an identified and immediate gap or unmet need for community infrastructure, particularly for communities that have experienced substantial growth
- contributing to achieving social outcomes and increased community cohesion, liveability and accessibility for urban, suburban and peri-urban growth areas, fringe areas and inner suburbs
- strategic alignment with the Australian Government’s National Urban Policy to deliver targeted and place-based investment that promotes sustainable growth and enables communities to thrive.
Funding Information
- The Australian Government has announced a total of $350 million over 3 years for the program.
- The minimum funding amount is $500,000.
- The maximum funding amount is $15 million.
Outcomes
- The intended outcomes of the program are:
- provision of multi-use infrastructure which benefits a broad section of the community by improving access, equity and social inclusion
- to enhance amenity and liveability, particularly in suburban and peri-urban areas (new and outer suburbs) that are experiencing growth
- to contribute to the achievement of Government priorities supporting the resilience, adaptability, accessibility, sustainability and liveability of communities, including in First Nations communities
- delivery of funding where it is needed across a broad geographic spread of urban, suburban and peri-urban areas in Australia
- delivery of diverse project types and a balance of large and small projects
- supporting and encouraging projects from lesser-resourced project proponents and low ratebased councils
Projects
- To be eligible your project must:
- construct new community infrastructure or expand or upgrade existing infrastructure for wider community benefit
- not be standard capital works of other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government bodies including, but not limited to, roads, housing and essential service provision
- not have commenced construction
- not have received Commonwealth funding to undertake the same funded activities
- have a minimum eligible expenditure of at least $555,556 (group 1), $714,286 (group 2) or $1,000,000 (group 3) depending on co-funding requirements outlines in section 3.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible you must:
- be an incorporated not-for-profit organisation.
- A not-for-profit organisation must demonstrate not-for-profit status through one of the following:
- current Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) registration; or
- State or territory incorporated association status; or Constitutional documents and/or Articles of Association that demonstrate the not-for-profit character of the organisation.
- be a local government agency or body and
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or ORIC registration
- deliver the project in an eligible location
- declare the project will be shovel ready at the time of signing a funding agreement
- own the land/infrastructure being upgraded or built upon or have the landowner’s permission to use the land/infrastructure.
- If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust, the Trustee must apply using an eligible entity type as listed above.
- Joint applications are acceptable provided you have a lead organisation who is the main driver of the project and is eligible to apply.
Ineligible
- You are not eligible to apply if you are:
- an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’
- an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012)
- an individual
- a partnership
- a Regional Development Australia Committee
- an unincorporated association
For more information, visit Australian Government.