The $20 million Cross-Border Commissioner’s Infrastructure Fund, established by the NSW Government, provides targeted investment in social, economic, environmental and cultural infrastructure in cross-border communities.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: $20,000,000
- Application opened: 24 November 2021
- Application closed: 28 January 2022, 11:59 pm
Program objective
The Cross-Border Commissioner’s Infrastructure Fund has been established by the NSW Government to provide targeted infrastructure investment in cross-border communities and focuses on projects that deliver social, economic, environmental or cultural benefits to communities in border regions of NSW and neighbouring jurisdictions.
The additional Covid Recovery Round was designed to support those cross-border communities that have been demonstrably impacted by the events of the past few years, particularly border restrictions.
The fund supports infrastructure projects that align with NSW Government priorities’ and that have shared benefits with neighbouring jurisdictions. Projects should support local procurement, job creation and skills development outcomes.
This program is funded and administered by Department of Regional NSW.
Eligibility
Grants were available from $25,000 with projects required to be completed within 3 years of the grant announcement.
Funding is available to support infrastructure proposals in cross-border communities where there is a formal whole of government cross-border agreement in place.
Proposals require co-investment from the neighbouring jurisdiction or private partner(s) in the neighbouring jurisdiction which is proportional to the expected jurisdictional or private benefit.
All grants are exclusive of GST.
Who can apply
- Councils, joint organisations of councils, or council groupings and associations.
- Incorporated non-commercial not-for-profit organisations.
- Peak industry bodies or cooperatives.
- Incorporated private proponents, and entities. This can include:
- charities
- organisations with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status
- organisations with benevolent status
- cooperatives
- companies limited by guarantee and/or limited by shares (non-distributing of profits or dividends)
- trusts that are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission
- associations (under the Associations Act)
- Aboriginal Land Councils
- religious organisations
- organisations established under an Act of Parliament.
- NSW Government agencies or state-owned corporations.
- State or Commonwealth government agencies in jurisdictions which share a border with NSW.
Note: Organisations listed on the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Register must have a current and up-to-date record. Any organisation who has defaulted on providing the required documentation to the ACNC will have funding withheld if the project is successful until any outstanding issues could be resolved, or organisations may have the grant offer withdrawn.
Where an organisation is eligible to apply for funding, that organisation must apply under its own legal name and ABN (if applicable). Where an eligible organisation applies on behalf of another eligible organisation, the application will not be considered.
Who can’t apply
Unincorporated entities.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Eligible project locations
- Be located in one of the eligible Local Government Areas in NSW or neighbouring jurisdictions identified in Appendix A, where there is a formal cross-border agreement with NSW, including the ACT-NSW Memorandum of Understanding for Regional Collaboration, Queensland-NSW Statement of Principles and Priorities for Cross-Border Collaboration and Victoria-NSW Memorandum of Understanding for Cross-Border Collaboration.
- Be located in an area which has been demonstrably adversely impacted by the events of the past few years, particularly border restrictions.
Eligible project types
Infrastructure projects that will improve economic, social, cultural or environmental outcomes in cross-border communities, aligned with NSW Government priorities’ and that have shared benefits with neighbouring jurisdictions.
What can’t you apply for
Ineligible project types:
- would likely proceed without any NSW Government financial assistance
- have exclusively private benefits
- are not in an eligible location or do not provide direct benefit to an eligible Local Government Area
- require ongoing funding from the NSW Government, partner state or territory government, or the Australian Government.
Ineligible project costs:
- include but are not limited to regular repairs and maintenance
- request funding for any operational expenditure
- relate to engaging or paying permanent employees
- relate to buying or upgrading non–fixed equipment, or relate to administrative or running costs that are normally the responsibility of businesses, state or territory agencies or local councils
- relate to marketing, advertising or product promotion and
- relate to administrative, project management or design costs greater than 10% of the total grant.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
Stage 1
Interested applicants were invited to submit an expression of interest through the SmartyGrants online portal.
Applications for Stage 1 of the Covid Recovery Round closed at 11:59pm on 28 January 2022.
Information required:
- application form through SmartyGrants
- landowner’s consent (if applicable)
- evidence of $20 million Public Liability Insurance.
Stage 2 - COVID recovery round
Eligible applicants were invited to submit a full business case for stage 2 of the application.
For projects of low value, business case submission is at the discretion of the NSW Cross-Border Commissioner.
Documents required were a business case using template provided by the Commissioner.
Applications were assessed against 4 program criteria
1. Strategic (20% weighting)
- The project aligns with the intent of specific cross-border agreements including the ACT-NSW MoU for Regional Collaboration, Queensland-NSW Statement of Principles and Priorities for Cross-Border Collaboration and Victoria-NSW Memorandum of Understanding for Cross-Border Collaboration.
- The project will benefit more than 1 jurisdiction.
- The project aligns with other NSW Government plans or strategies.
2. Economic and social (50% weighting)
- The project gives reasonable consideration, to support local procurement, job creation, and skills development.
- The project would improve economic and/or social outcomes for the community in which it will be established.
- The project supports recovery efforts for impacted cross-border communities as a result of events of the past few years, specifically COVID-19 travel restrictions.
3. Affordability (15% weighting)
- The projects will be viable in the future, that is having the capacity to cover maintenance and operational costs associated with the infrastructure.
- Co-contribution from the neighbouring jurisdiction or private partner(s) in the neighbouring jurisdiction relative to the expected jurisdictional or private benefit.
4. Deliverability (15% weighting)
- The proponent has suitable expertise and experience.
- Costings of the project appear appropriate for the size and scale of the infrastructure proposed.
- The proponent has demonstrated an ability to manage and deliver the project.
- Confirmation there is no planning, construction, zoning, environmental and/or Native Title impediments to delivering the project.
- Evidence the project can be delivered within 3 years.
After the application is submitted
The applications have been assessed, successful and non-successful applicants will be notified.