The Cervical Screening Primary Care Grants support primary care providers to deliver setting-tailored initiatives that contribute to Australia’s cervical cancer elimination targets.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $100,000
- Application opened: 1 October 2025
- Application closed: 29 October 2025, 12:00 pm
Program objective
The Cervical Screening Primary Care Grants support primary care providers (specifically nurses and midwives and Aboriginal healthcare workforce) to deliver setting-tailored initiatives that contribute to Australia’s cervical cancer elimination targets. The grant promotes innovative approaches that empower communities, respect cultural diversity, and creatively address barriers to cervical screening. The goal of the program is to increase participation in cervical screening among low-screening populations and to facilitate progress towards the elimination of cervical cancer by focusing on sustainable strategies that reduce barriers to care and improve access to cervical screening services.
Objectives
- Increase cervical screening testing with a focus on self-collection, among under-screened and never-screened priority populations, including:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities
- LGBTIQ+ communities
- People with disability.
- Strengthen the capacity of qualified *non-medical providers to deliver cervical screening and support clients through the cervical screening pathway.
- Expand equitable access to cervical screening services by embedding culturally safe, inclusive, and sustainable approaches.
- Improve prevention and care pathways by:
- enhancing timely referral processes for follow-up care and access to liquid-based cytology/colposcopy
- increasing HPV vaccination uptake among eligible people aged 12–25 who missed school-based vaccination.
*non-medical providers refer to health practitioners e.g. nurses, midwives and Aboriginal Health Practitioners.
This program is funded and administered by Cancer Institute NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Eligible applicants include:
- Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS), Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), or Women’s Health Centres that provide primary care services to the community.
- Primary Health Networks (PHNs) located in areas where cervical screening participation is below 60%
- Western NSW
- South Western Sydney
- Nepean Blue Mountains
- Western Sydney
- Murrumbidgee.
Additional eligibility requirements:
- The lead applicant must deliver cervical screening services directly to the community and cannot rely on external providers to do so.
- Applicants must have met all obligations from any previously funded Cancer Institute NSW projects to the Institute’s satisfaction, including the submission of acceptable progress, final, and financial report.
- Organisations must have access to cervical screening history and eligibility via the National Cancer Screening Register.
Note: Lead applicants who applied for a 2025 Cervical Screening Integration Grant must propose a different project when applying for a Cervical Screening Primary Care Grant.
Who can’t apply
Ineligible applicants include:
- organisations already receiving grant funding under the National Cervical Screening Elimination Strategy for primary health care quality improvement activities
- any Primary Health Networks that are not listed above.
What can’t you apply for
The following are not eligible for funding:
- capital purchases exceeding $10,000 (for example, vehicles, major medical equipment)
- salaries for ongoing clinical service positions (gap funding and backfilling is permitted)
- activities outside the scope of primary care services
- projects delivered outside of NSW
- cash-based award incentives for participation in cervical screening
- funding to cover Medicare claims or pathology testing fees
- partnering with another service solely to administer cervical screening
- administration or overhead fees.
What your application needs to include
- The Cervical Screening Primary Care Grants application form
- Organisation Endorsement Letter (must be submitted on the Cancer Institute’s template).
- Other supporting documents (if applicable, for example, letter of support, diagrams, tables, references, evidence of cash and/or in-kind support).
Address the eligibility criteria
Applicants must clearly demonstrate how their project addresses the following:
Priority Population(s)
- Focus on women and people with a cervix from one or more of the following priority populations:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities
- LGBTIQ+ communities
- People with disability.
Primary Care Delivery
- delivery by eligible primary care providers (AMS, ACCHOs, Women’s Health Centres, or PHNs)
- directly able to provide cervical screening, including self-collection and/or clinician-collected tests
- involves and supports *non-medical providers in the cervical screening pathway.
Culturally Safe, Inclusive and Sustainable Services
- demonstrates culturally safe, accessible, and inclusive approaches
- identifies barriers to cervical screening and outlines strategies to reach under-screened or never-screened people
- includes a plan to support sustainable service delivery.
Local Priority Alignment
- Where relevant, supports timely referral processes for follow-up care and access to liquid-based cytology /colposcopy, and/or HPV vaccination uptake among eligible people aged 12–25 who missed the school-based vaccination.
*non-medical providers refer to health practitioners e.g. nurses, midwives and Aboriginal Health Practitioners.
Address the assessment criteria
Project Methodology (30%)
Description of the aim, objectives and outcomes of the project, including activities and milestones and risk management plan. Project methodology must address the essential criteria as outlined in section 2.2.
Project Budget and Resourcing (25%)
Demonstration of *value for money and clear proposal of how the project funds will be spent. Sufficient allocation of staffing and resourcing to project manage and facilitate project activities.
Experience and Background (25%)
Demonstration of connections with the priority population/s and experience and/or knowledge in delivering cervical screening services to this group.
Sustainability and Scalability (20%)
Demonstration of how the activities of the project will be sustained after the funding period has ceased, and/or how the approach could be scaled up or replicated across other health services.
*Value for money refers to how the project will make the best use of resources to achieve the best results, by keeping costs down, reaching as many people as possible, and having a strong impact.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Cancer Institute NSW Chief Executive Officer
All applicants will be notified in writing of the grant outcome.