What we will cover today
Overview &
Objectives
Questions
Assessment
Process
Round 2
Preparation
NSRF Overview
• $1 billion Australian Government program
• Funding over 5 years for priority infrastructure
• Promote sustainable economic development
• Addressing disadvantage to achieve growth
• Encouraging strong partnerships
NSRF Objectives
• Fund investment ready infrastructure projects which
support economic growth and address disadvantage
• Desired outcomes for regions
Improved level of economic activity
Increased productivity
Employment and skilled workforce
Capacity and capability to deliver major projects
Improved partnerships
Stability and viability of communities
Application Appraisal Framework
Greatest
relative merit
Reasonable
cost
Meet
eligibility
requirements
Acceptable
risk
Value
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must comply with all of the following eligibility
requirements;
 Applicants must be an eligible applicant
 Projects must be an eligible project
 Grant sought is at least $20,000 and up to a maximum of
$10 million
 NSRF grant is matched in cash on at least a dollar for
dollar basis
Eligibility Requirements (cont..)
 All partner funding is confirmed
 The project completed on or before 31 December 2019
 Deliver an economic benefit to the region beyond the
period of construction and
 Submit a completed application, including the mandatory
documents.
Who is eligible?
Eligible Organisations
 Local councils
 Not-for-profit organisations (not owned by a Local,
State or Territory Government)
 Other organisations can participate where they are a
member of a consortium led by an eligible applicant
What is eligible?
Eligible Projects
 Construction of new infrastructure, or the upgrade, or
an extension to existing infrastructure
 Funding between $20,000 and $10 million
 Match funding in cash at least dollar-for-dollar
 Deliver an economic benefit to the region
 Project completed by 31 December 2019
 Provide all mandatory documents
Who is ineligible?
Ineligible Organisations
X State and Northern Territory Governments
X State and Territory owned corporations and not-forprofits
X Universities, technical colleges, schools and hospitals
X Organisations supported by other Commonwealth
programmes and initiatives
X Regional Development Australia Committees
X For profit organisations
What is ineligible?
Ineligible Projects are those that:
X Do not have all partner funding confirmed
X Do not deliver sustainable economic benefits
X Eligible under the National Disaster Relief and
Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA)
X Shift costs from state, territory or local governments
X Are integral elements of hospitals
What is ineligible?
Additionally, NSRF grants cannot be used for:
X
X
X
X
X
X
Replacement of existing infrastructure
Expenditure incurred prior successful announcement
Provision of services and support activities
Soft infrastructure
Payment of existing salaries
Administrative overheads
Round One - Who Applied?
Applied
Eligible
262
NFP
$270.6m
194
143
LGA
$940.4m
78
LGA
Funding sought by
organisation type
NFP
Eligible applications by
organisation type
Round One Eligible Applications
405 APPLICATIONS
Eligible/Ineligible
33%
133 INELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS
Reason for ineligibility
67%
28%
Eligible
Unconfirmed
partner
funding
Ineligible
Other
72%
Round One Applications - Observations
405
$1.2b
272
133
96
110
162
51
Applications received in Round One
Total funding requested
Applications met eligibility criteria
Applications did not meet eligibility criteria
Applications did not have confirmed partner funding
Failed to satisfy one or more criteria
Were assessed as value for money
Applications approved for funding (12.8%)
What’s new?
Changes from Round One
• Two applications per Applicant per Round
• The replacement of existing infrastructure will only be
eligible where there is a demonstrated significant increase
in productivity
• Changed weighting of Criteria
• $25 million quarantined for projects seeking less than $1m
Assessment Overview
Your application will be assessed against 4 criteria
• The extent to which the project contributes to
economic growth in the region
• The extent to which the project supports or addresses
disadvantage in a region
• The extent to which the project increases investment
and builds partnerships in the region
• The extent to which the project and Applicant are
viable and sustainable
Assessment Criteria: Criterion 1
The extent to which the project contributes to economic
growth in the region
 Most important criterion and weighted by a factor of 3
 Guidelines contain examples of what might constitute
economic growth
 Must demonstrate the link between the project and
economic growth
 Provide evidence to support claims
 Identify any social and community benefits
Assessment Criteria: Criterion 2
The extent to which the project supports or addresses
disadvantage in a region
 Project should support disadvantaged regions or
areas of disadvantage
 Demonstrate link between project and disadvantage
 Provide evidence to demonstrate link and benefits
 Guidelines give examples of indicators that could be
used to demonstrate disadvantage
Assessment Criteria: Criterion 3
The extent to which the project increases investment and
builds partnerships in the region
Consideration will be given to:
 Partner cash contributions in addition to the
mandatory 50 per cent matching funding
 Number of partners (do not have to be eligible
organisations)
 In-kind support for the project
 Extent and nature of partnerships
Assessment Criteria: Criterion 4
The extent to which the project and Applicant are viable
and sustainable
 The project has been scoped, costed and planned
 The project ‘Investment Ready’ – i.e. ready to start
construction within 12 months of signing the funding
agreement
 Project delivery risks and possible mitigations
 Applicant’s capacity to deliver the project
(financial/experience)
 Sustainability of the Project beyond completion
Preparing for Round Two
• Improve your application
• Seek feedback on your Round One application
• Advice from Regional Development Australia
Committee
• Workshop the criteria
• Prepare evidence that is targeted and specific
• Make it competitive
• Clear statement of benefits
• Evidence
• Understand the selection criteria
• Weighting on economic benefit and disadvantage
Preparing for Round Two
Information Advice and Support
• Guidelines, Frequently Asked Questions and grants
portal guidance are available at
www.infrastructure.gov.au/nsrf
• Questions can be emailed to
[email protected]
• RDA Committees can advise on alignment with
regional priorities, project development and
applications www.rda.gov.au
Preparing for Round Two
Key Dates
NSRF Guidelines (revised) released
13 May 2015
NSRF Round Two Opened
15 May 2015
Round Two Applications Close
31 July 2015
Round Two Application Assessment
Completed
31 October 2015
Announcements Round Two Projects to
be funded
Expected
December 2015
How to Apply
Online application form at http://gms.infrastructure.gov.au/UI
• Supporting documents (up to 20) only accepted online
• Max 15mb limit and no password protected documents
• Guidelines on website www.infrastructure.gov.au/NSRF
• Helpdesk for GMS portal
Other
• Strongly encouraged to participate in the Review survey
• These slides will be on the NSRF website
• Questions?
Bridges Renewal Programme &
Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme
Bridges Renewal Programme (BRP)
$300m over 5 years from 2014-15 to 2018-19
Contribute to the productivity and community access of road
bridges services local communities, and facilitating increased
productivity by enhancing access to allow for greater efficiency
Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme (HVSPP)
$200 million over 5 years from 2014-15 to 2018-19
Contribute to the improvement of the productivity and safety of
heavy vehicle operations across Australia
• Commonalities across both programmes
• Round One (BRP) and Round Four (HVSPP)
conducted in parallel
• Both undertaken as part of a competitive merit based
process
• State, territory and local governments are eligible
• 50:50 funding
BRP Round One Outcomes
Over 250 proposals submitted
Over $300 million in Australian Government funds
sought
73 successful projects
$114 million in funding approved
HVSPP Round Four Outcomes
Over 140 proposals received
Over $200 million in Australian Government funds
sought
53 successful projects
$97 million in funding approved
Tips for Submitting Better Proposals:
Be strategic and provide details on ‘bigger picture’
Provide details and sound justifiable evidence on
current limitations and future benefits for broader
network and/or community
Address all criteria
Consult with industry and community more broadly to
ensure their views and priorities are considered
Next Rounds:
Announcement expected in coming months
Similar programme parameters and eligibility expected
Assessment criteria will likely remain unchanged
Proposing to make minor changes to the Programme
Criteria and Proposal Form to better assist proponents
in providing more programme specific data and
information
Questions:
BRP and HV Hotline
(02) 6274 6758
Email
BRP – [email protected]
HVSPP – [email protected]