The Australian Government Capital Grants Program provides approximately $9 million each year to assist non-government schools to upgrade and improve facilities.
Capital grants are additional to funds provided by state and territory governments, non-government school authorities, and school communities, which are responsible for providing and maintaining non-government school facilities.
The objectives of the Capital Grants Program are to:
- provide and improve school capital infrastructure, particularly for the most educationally disadvantaged students.
- ensure attention to refurbishment and upgrading of capital infrastructure for existing students, while making provision for needs arising from new demographic and enrolment trends; and
- pursue the Australian Government’s other priorities and objectives for schooling.
Uses of Funds
Grants for capital expenditure will be considered for the following:
- The planning, erection, alteration, extension, demolition or refurbishment of buildings or other facilities, including student residential accommodation, and attached supervisors’ quarters.
- the development or preparation of land for buildings or other purposes.
- the installation or upgrading of water, electricity or any other services.
- the provision of furniture or equipment, including information technology equipment which should be part of a broader capital project unless special circumstances exist.
- the provision of library materials and the goods for cataloguing a library.
- teacher accommodation in rural and remote areas.
- capital grants to assist students with disabilities.
- to supplement the construction of projects funded through other Commonwealth projects.
- the purchase of land in special circumstances.
- Other projects as prescribed by the regulation.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for Capital Grant Program funding, schools must:
- be a member, or prospective member, of AISWA CGA.
- be in receipt of recurrent funding under the Act
- demonstrate to the BGA a financial need for the grant (that is, show that it and its supporting community do not have the capacity to meet the total cost of the project)
- demonstrate to the BGA that the project will contribute to the objectives of the CGP
- demonstrate to the BGA that the school has an appropriate maintenance plan in place and is able to meet the ongoing running costs of its facilities (or, for proposed new schools, a proposed maintenance plan)
- demonstrate to the BGA that adequate insurance is held over its school buildings (only if relevant, for proposed new schools)
- be proposing a project that is consistent with sound educational planning, within both the school and the environment within which it is operating, especially in relation to the cost, size and use of facilities to be funded
- be proposing a project that will not adversely affect the condition of a place in relation to the Commonwealth, state, territory or local government heritage legislation
- demonstrate to the BGA that it is financially viable
- own the land or have a lease for the land and/or buildings that has a period to run commensurate with the period in which the capital grant may be required to be repaid if the school no longer provides school education