Hume Regional Development AustraliaRDAF Rounds 3 and 4 Information Session 7 November 2012

Purpose of Information Session

• Outline of Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF)

• Messages from Round 1 and 2

• Overview - RDAF Round 3

• Overview – RDAF Round 4

• Regional Plan Update

Regional Development Australia Fund

• Regional Development Australia Fund objective - support economies and communities through funding projects that meet community priorities and needs

• Preferential projects are those with a strong focus on regional benefits that span towns, municipalities and local government areas, regions

• Each project is assessed on its individual and relative merits including extent to which it:

Delivers benefits to town/regional areaAddresses community needsSupports local government/regional priorities

Messages from Round 1 and 2

• Projects should have leveraged funds

• Proponents should be persistent

• Proponents should look to innovative projects

• Regional impact is important

RDAF Round 3• $50M available to support small towns

• Grants of between $50,000 and $500,000 available for projects for towns with a population of 30,000 or less

• Projects will need to meet the needs of local communities and address priorities of councils by aligning with strategic or community plans/other priority plans ie council plan

• Round open to local government authorities and not for profits with annual income of $500,000 or more

RDAF Round 3

Project will need to be primarily identified for one of the following categories:

• Economic

• Community

• Arts and Culture

• Sport and Recreation

RDAF Round 3

• Expressions of Interest - due to the Department by 6 December 2012• RDA committees to assess EOIs and select 5

highest priority and viable projects to proceed to full application

• Assessment of EOIs by RDA committees will be on: Local government priorities Capacity of project to address needs in town/

neighbouring towns Level of community support Capacity for project to commence within 12

months of funding agreement being signed and completed by 31 December 2016

RDAF Round 3

• Eligibility criteria for full applications: Eligible organisation Eligible projects Project must be nominated by RDA committee Viable and sustainable project

•Selection criteria for assessment includes extent to which project provides: Community benefit (Criterion 1) Supports the local economy (Criterion 2) Additional leveraged funding from a variety of sources

(Criterion 3) Unable to otherwise fund the project (Criterion 4)

RDAF Round 3

Tips:•Strong preference given to projects with partner contributions (in kind accepted as partner contribution)

•Funding for arts and culture projects are a priority

•Failure to provide relevant documents for applications will not render application ineligible but could diminish project’s chance of success

•EOIs should tell the story – make the case for project and why it is needed for the town/community

RDAF Round 4• $175 million available to support strategic

infrastructure projects

• Grants of between $500,000 and $15,000,000 available for projects that support regional infrastructure

• Projects will need to have a strong focus on regional benefits, with preference given to projects that span LGAs and or regions

• Round open to local government authorities and not for profits with annual income of $1,000,000 or more

RDAF Round 4

Project will need fit into one of the following categories:

• Economic

• Community

• Arts and Culture

• Sport and Recreation

RDAF Round 4

• Expressions of Interest - due to the Department by 6 December 2012

• RDA committees to assess EOIs and select 3 highest priority and viable projects to proceed to full application – only one per category

• Assessment of EOIs by RDA committees will be on: Priorities in the regional plan Capacity of project to address needs in region Level of community support Impact of project on region Capacity for project to commence within 12 months of

funding agreement being signed and completed by 31 December 2016

RDAF Round 4• Eligibility criteria for full applications: Eligible organisation Eligible projects Project must be nominated by RDA committee Viable and sustainable project

•Selection criteria for assessment includes extent to which project provides: Contribution to regional economic growth (Criterion 1) Community benefit (Criterion 2) Additional leveraged funding from a variety of sources

(Criterion 3) Unable to otherwise fund the project (Criterion 4)

RDAF Round 4

Tips:•Strong preference given to projects with partner contributions

•Funding for arts and culture projects are a priority

•Failure to provide relevant documents for applications will not render application ineligible but could diminish project’s chance of success – refer Section 5.2 and Attachment B of Guidelines for further information

Regional Plan Update

Hume Strategy for Sustainable Communities 2010-20 – still current as regional plan

Update document – Draft Hume Strategy Regional Plan – Key Priorities 2012/13

Draft nominated transformational projects include:

• Regional city revitalisation• Strong regional centres and towns• Hume tracks and trails• Regional sporting precincts• Regional response to less water• Digital Hume • Hume Energy Future• Going Global in the Food Industry• Intermodal Freight and Logistics Facilities• Hume Regional Growth Plan