Funding up to $5 million to construct or upgrade bicycle and walking pathways, improving road safety, reducing transport emissions and creating active, liveable communities nationwide.
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What is the Active Transport Fund?
The Active Transport Fund (ATF) is an ongoing Australian Government funding program supporting the construction of new and upgraded bicycle and walking pathways across Australia.
The program forms part of the Australian Government’s commitment under the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–30 to improve road safety outcomes, particularly for vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians.
It also supports the Australian Government’s objectives to reduce transport emissions and create more active and liveable communities.
The program provides $50 million in funding each year and operates through one competitive, merit-assessed funding tranche annually.
Projects must involve the construction or upgrade of bicycle or walking pathways that are on or associated with a public road. Pathways must be publicly accessible and cannot be located on private land.
Active Transport Fund level of support
Funding Amount
- Maximum Australian Government funding: $5 million per eligible project.
- Minimum funding amount: No minimum funding amount is specified in the guidelines.
- Total program funding: $50 million is available each year.
Co-contribution
A co-contribution is required for all projects.
- State and territory government applicants can receive Australian Government funding of up to 50% of the total eligible project cost.
- State and territory applicants must therefore provide at least 50% of the total project cost from other sources.
- In-kind contributions are not accepted.
- LGAs would ordinarily be expected to provide a 50% co-contribution.
- An LGA that cannot provide a 50% co-contribution may request an Australian Government contribution exceeding 50% of the total project cost.
- The LGA must provide strong justification demonstrating why the higher Australian Government contribution is required.
- Contributions exceeding 50% will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and are at the sole discretion of the Minister or delegate.
- The maximum Australian Government contribution remains $5 million.
- Applicants must identify all sources being used to meet their co-contribution.
- Applicants must declare that sufficient funding has been secured to meet the required co-contribution.
- All project costs exceeding the approved project budget are the responsibility of the proponent.
- Program payments are made to and through state and territory governments. Where an LGA is successful, funding is provided through the relevant state or territory government rather than directly by the Australian Government.
Active Transport Fund important dates
The Active Transport Fund is an ongoing program with one merit-assessed funding tranche each year.
For Tranche 2:
- Applications close: 30 September 2026.
- Assessment and approval following the closure of a tranche can take at least 12 weeks.
- Negotiation and approval of a funding offer for successful projects can take an additional 6–8 weeks.
- Projects should not commence construction before the funding offer has been approved.
Applicants should ensure their proposed project is sufficiently developed to meet the program’s expected delivery timeframes.
For construction-only projects:
- Construction is generally expected to commence within 12 months of funding offer approval.
- Construction is expected to be completed within two years of construction commencing.
- The Post Completion Report must be provided within three months of construction completion.
For design and construction projects:
- Pre-construction design is generally expected to be completed within 12 months of funding offer approval.
- Construction is expected to commence within 12 months of completion of design.
- Construction is expected to be completed within two years of construction commencing.
- The Post Completion Report must be provided within three months of construction completion.
Projects proposing delivery timeframes outside these expectations may not be considered for funding.
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Active Transport Fund objectives
The Active Transport Fund has three objectives.
1. Road safety
- Improve road safety for active transport users.
- Reduce road trauma affecting cyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
2. Reduce transport emissions
- Support commuters to choose more efficient and sustainable modes of transport.
- Encourage walking and cycling.
- Support healthier and more affordable transport choices.
3. Active and liveable communities
- Better connect people to where they live, work and learn.
- Reduce traffic-related air pollution.
- Reduce traffic-related noise pollution.
- Encourage outdoor physical activity.
- Support more active and liveable Australian communities.
Applicants must demonstrate how their project contributes to these three objectives.
Projects and expenditure eligible for Active Transport Fund support
Projects must satisfy all program eligibility requirements.
Eligible projects must:
- Construct a new bicycle or walking pathway or upgrade or replace an existing pathway.
- Have construction as their primary purpose.
- Be on or associated with a public road.
- Encourage the use of active transport.
- Be accessible to the public.
- Not be located on private land.
- Be a whole and complete project.
- Be capable of being delivered independently.
- Not depend upon another project being completed before it can become operational.
The program can support:
- Construction-only projects.
- Design and construction projects.
- Widening or realignment of existing pathways associated with a road.
- New pathways alongside or on a road that physically separate users from vehicular traffic.
- Footpaths.
- Raised cycle tracks adjacent to kerbs.
- Protected bicycle lanes physically separated from motor vehicles.
- Single-direction or bi-directional protected bicycle lanes.
- Bicycle-only paths separated from pedestrians and motor vehicles.
- Shared-user paths separated from motor vehicles.
- Pedestrian crossings connecting new or existing pathways where they improve connectivity and support safer active transport outcomes.
Where a project forms part of a broader staged program of works:
- Previous stages must have been completed and be operational before funding for the proposed stage will be considered.
- A broader project cannot be divided into smaller sections and submitted as separate applications in the same funding tranche.
- Approval of one stage does not guarantee funding for subsequent stages.
Applicants should consider the Austroads Guide to Road Design Part 6A: Paths for Walking and Cycling, relevant state or territory supplements and other applicable jurisdictional design guidance when developing projects.
Eligible expenditure
Eligible expenditure must be a direct cost of the project, required for approved project activities and incurred before project completion.
Eligible expenditure may include:
- Contractor costs.
- Materials and items purchased by contractors for project activities.
- Employee and labour hire costs directly attributable to core project activities.
- Project management costs directly attributable to core project activities.
- Plant and equipment hire.
- Materials.
- Engineering services.
- Geology and hydrology work.
- Environmental, cultural and heritage surveys and inspections directly related to core project activities.
- Ancillary project costs such as eligible insurance costs.
- Eligible land acquisition costs relating to the project site.
- Temporary pathways required to maintain user safety while the permanent pathway is constructed or upgraded.
- Costs of meeting Australian Government project signage requirements.
- Engineering specifications and drawings.
- Other eligible design activities for design and construction projects.
- Minor design revisions required after construction has commenced.
Ineligible projects
The program will not support:
- Pathways or circuits in parklands or open spaces that are not associated with or connected to a road.
- Projects where construction commenced before the application was submitted.
- Projects where construction tenders were awarded before the application was submitted.
- Maintenance of existing pathways.
- Design-only projects.
- Projects that cannot commence or be completed until another project has been completed.
- Separate applications by the same applicant for adjoining sections of the same pathway within the same tranche.
- Projects that cannot provide a usable or operational connection independently of future stages.
- Projects that have already been, or could be, fully funded from other sources.
- Commercial projects.
- User-pays projects.
- Projects intended to generate a profit.
- Projects that have already received funding through the Active Transport Fund.
Ineligible expenditure
Ineligible expenditure includes:
- Ongoing maintenance and repair costs.
- Costs that cannot be directly linked to the approved project.
- Costs incurred before an application has been submitted.
- Costs for construction works physically completed before funding approval.
- Planning approval fees and charges.
- Environmental, cultural and heritage approval fees and charges.
- Similar pre-development approval costs.
- Procurement costs for materials or services that are not directly related to project delivery.
- Environmental offset costs.
- Routine operational expenses.
- General communications costs.
- Administrative overheads.
- Accommodation.
- Office computing facilities.
- Printing and stationery.
- Postage.
- Legal fees.
- Accounting fees.
- Loan interest.
- Bank charges.
- Business-as-usual expenditure unrelated to the project.
- Staff training unrelated to the project.
- Media and advertising costs unrelated to the project.
Other Active Transport Fund important details that you will need to know
Organisations eligible for Active Transport Fund support
Applications can only be submitted by:
- State or territory government entities.
- Local Government Authorities (LGAs).
Projects may involve partnerships with other government or non-government organisations, but the lead applicant must be an eligible state or territory government entity or LGA.
Applications from any other type of organisation will not be accepted as the lead applicant.
Active Transport Fund assessment criteria
Eligible applications undergo a competitive merit assessment.
Applications are assessed according to:
- Performance against the assessment criteria.
- Performance relative to other applications.
- Value with relevant money.
- Evidence demonstrating achievement of the program objectives.
- Relative value of the funding requested.
- Overall project deliverability and readiness.
- Adequacy of project risk management.
There are three equally weighted assessment criteria.
Importantly, applicants must achieve at least 60% against each individual assessment criterion. Applications that do not reach this threshold against every criterion will not be recommended for funding because they will not be considered to provide value with relevant money.
Applicants must address every assessment criterion and substantiate claims with appropriate evidence.
Criterion 1 – Strategic fit
Applicants must demonstrate the rationale for the project, establish a strong case for action and show that the proposed solution is fit for purpose and meets community needs.
Applications should:
- Demonstrate alignment with all three Active Transport Fund objectives.
- Clearly identify the outcomes the project is expected to achieve.
- Demonstrate alignment with relevant Australian Government goals, policies and strategic plans.
- Demonstrate alignment with relevant state or territory government goals, policies and strategic plans.
- Demonstrate alignment with relevant local government goals, policies and strategic plans.
- Explain the existing problem or need and establish a clear case for change.
- Identify the opportunities the project is intended to address.
- Explain specifically how the proposed project will address the identified problems and opportunities.
- Justify why the proposed solution represents the most appropriate response.
- Demonstrate stakeholder support and buy-in.
- Demonstrate how the project responds to community needs.
- Identify any known community opposition and explain the circumstances where relevant.
Supporting evidence may include relevant road safety strategies and action plans, local emissions reduction plans, community consultation and other evidence demonstrating the need for the project.
Criterion 2 – Project benefits and impact
Applicants must use evidence-based analysis to demonstrate the impact of the project, including benefits arising during construction and after completion.
Applications should demonstrate how the project will:
- Improve road safety for vulnerable road users.
- Reduce the risk of road trauma for cyclists.
- Reduce the risk of road trauma for pedestrians.
- Reduce transport emissions.
- Encourage a shift towards walking and cycling.
- Contribute to more active and liveable communities.
- Better connect people with where they live, work and learn.
- Encourage outdoor physical activity.
- Reduce traffic-related air pollution.
- Reduce traffic-related noise pollution.
- Improve outcomes for First Nations people.
- Improve outcomes for vulnerable communities.
- Generate economic benefits.
- Improve productivity and efficiency.
- Generate employment benefits.
Evidence may include road safety audits, projected emissions reductions, community surveys and consultation, equity and inclusion assessments, economic impact assessments and relevant usage or traffic data.
Criterion 3 – Project deliverability
Applicants must demonstrate that they have the capability and capacity to successfully deliver the project and manage its risks.
Applications should:
- Provide a credible project delivery plan.
- Demonstrate that the project can be delivered within the program’s expected timeframes.
- Identify key project milestones.
- Detail the skills, capability and capacity of the people and organisations responsible for project delivery.
- Demonstrate relevant experience and performance history.
- Identify required development approvals and whether they have been obtained.
- Identify required cultural and environmental approvals and whether they have been obtained.
- Provide expected approval timeframes where approvals remain outstanding.
- Identify any required land acquisition.
- Identify whether utility relocation is required.
- Confirm whether necessary consents have been obtained or explain when they will be sought.
- Explain whether the project would be prevented from proceeding without Australian Government funding.
- Demonstrate that the project budget is appropriate and adequate.
- Include appropriate contingency allowances.
- Explain how cost overruns will be managed.
- Describe project governance arrangements and demonstrate why they are appropriate.
- Outline the proposed procurement model.
- Explain how procurement contributes to broader Australian Government outcomes.
- Identify risks that could cause project delays.
- Identify risks of cost overruns or changes in scope.
- Provide appropriate mitigation strategies for identified project risks.
Applicants should develop project budgets using robust cost estimation processes and sufficient contingency.
Procurement should also seek opportunities to support broader outcomes including:
- First Nations socioeconomic outcomes and businesses.
- First Nations cultural heritage protection.
- Reductions in embodied carbon.
- Increased participation of women in construction.
- Increased use of recycled content.
- Australian and local businesses and industry.
- Local employment opportunities.
- Trainees and apprentices.
- Australian Skills Guarantee targets.
- Improved construction-sector culture, flexibility, wellbeing and diversity.
Where available funding cannot support every meritorious application, the department may undertake moderation and consider:
- Relative project value and the amount of funding requested.
- Funding previously awarded to the applicant under earlier tranches.
- Whether an applicant has multiple meritorious projects in the same tranche.
- The applicant’s capacity to deliver the proposed project alongside other active Australian Government-funded projects.
The Minister or delegate makes the final funding decision.
How do I get the Active Transport Fund?
Successful applicants should demonstrate:
- A strong and evidence-based need for the proposed active transport infrastructure.
- Clear alignment with all three program objectives: road safety, reduced transport emissions, and active and liveable communities.
- A whole, complete and independently operational project.
- A clear relationship between the proposed pathway and a public road.
- That the project will materially improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians or other vulnerable road users.
- Measurable benefits supported by credible data and analysis.
- Strong community and stakeholder support.
- Alignment with relevant national, state, territory and local government strategies.
- Clear benefits for First Nations people and vulnerable communities where applicable.
- Economic, productivity, efficiency and employment benefits.
- A mature project that is ready to proceed within the expected delivery timeframes.
- A realistic project budget supported by robust cost estimates.
- Appropriate contingency allowances and a credible approach to managing cost overruns.
- That the required funding co-contribution has already been secured.
- Appropriate planning, environmental, cultural and other approvals, or a credible timetable for obtaining outstanding approvals.
- Appropriate land access and utility relocation arrangements where required.
- An experienced project delivery team with demonstrated capability.
- Appropriate governance and procurement arrangements.
- A comprehensive understanding of project risks and credible mitigation measures.
- That Australian Government funding is genuinely required for the project to proceed.
- Strong supporting evidence for all significant claims made in the application.
Applicants should pay particular attention to the 60% minimum score required against each of the three equally weighted assessment criteria. A strong overall proposal cannot compensate for failing to achieve the minimum score against one criterion.
Information to prepare for the Active Transport Fund application
Applicants should prepare information and evidence including:
- Lead applicant’s legal or registered entity details.
- Organisation contact details and authorised officer information.
- Project name and detailed project scope.
- Location and details of the public road or roads associated with the project.
- Explanation of how the pathway relates to the identified road.
- Details of project partners and co-funders.
- Evidence that required co-contributions have been secured.
- Strong justification where an eligible LGA seeks Australian Government funding exceeding 50% of total project costs.
- Existing and projected pathway usage figures where available.
- Project location and mapping information.
- Relevant strategic plans and policy documents.
- Evidence establishing the need and case for change.
- Stakeholder and community consultation evidence.
- Road safety audits or other road safety evidence.
- Projected transport emissions reductions where available.
- Evidence of community, equity and inclusion benefits.
- Economic impact evidence where available.
- Project delivery plan and milestones.
- Details of the project team’s skills, experience and delivery history.
- Development, environmental, cultural and other approval documentation.
- Land acquisition and utility relocation information where applicable.
- Detailed project budget and individual cost estimates.
- Evidence supporting project costs, such as quotes where appropriate.
- Contingency calculations and justification.
- Procurement approach.
- Governance arrangements.
- Project risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
- Conflict-of-interest disclosures.
- Any other supporting documents necessary to substantiate claims against the assessment criteria.
The amount of supporting evidence should be proportionate to the project’s size, complexity and funding request. Applicants should ensure evidence is complete and accessible when the application is submitted.
Applying for the Active Transport Fund
Applications must be completed and submitted through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts’ Reporting and Program Management (RPM) system.
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Active Transport Fund resources
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