Grants up to $4 million support remote and very remote Australian aerodromes to improve safety, accessibility, all-weather operations, essential services and community air access nationwide.
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What is the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program (RAUP)?
The Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program – Round 12 provides Australian Government grant funding to improve the safety and accessibility of aerodromes in remote and very remote areas of Australia.
Safe and operational aerodromes play an important role in remote communities, particularly where road access may be unavailable, unreliable or disrupted by seasonal weather.
Upgraded airstrips can improve access to essential goods and services, healthcare and aeromedical services, employment, education and connections between remote communities.
Round 12 is an open competitive grant opportunity administered by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (DITRDCSA).
Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program level of support
Funding amount
- A total of $25 million is available under Round 12.
- The minimum grant amount is $5,000.
- The maximum grant amount is $4 million.
Co-contribution
Co-contribution is generally required.
- The grant will generally fund up to 50% of eligible project costs.
- Applicants are responsible for funding the remaining project costs.
- Where both the applicant and a third party contribute to eligible project costs, the Australian Government grant may be reduced to one-third of eligible project costs.
- Third-party contributions may include state, territory or local government or other non-government funding.
- Applicants meeting the definition of an Indigenous Owned and/or Operated Aerodrome may receive funding of up to 100% of eligible project costs.
- Applicant contributions may come from any source other than another Commonwealth granting program.
- Contributions may be cash or in-kind, but in-kind contributions are not eligible expenditure and cannot form part of an agreed cash contribution.
- Grant funding cannot be used to recover in-kind costs.
Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program important dates
- Applications close: 6 October 2026 at 5:00 pm AEST
- Expected project commencement: Around December 2026
- Project completion: No later than 30 March 2029
- End date of grant commitment: 30 June 2029
- Late applications will not be accepted
- Register your interest with GrantHelper
Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program objectives
The objective of the program is to enhance the safety and accessibility of aerodromes in remote and very remote areas of Australia.
The intended outcomes are to:
- improve the safety of aircraft, operators and passengers using remote and very remote airstrips
- improve the delivery of essential goods and services, including food supplies, healthcare, community mail and passenger air services
- complement air services delivered to communities through the Australian Government’s Remote Air Services Subsidy Scheme
- help aerodromes meet the operational requirements of aeromedical services, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and emergency services
- improve access to air services for people with disability
- support reliable air access for communities where road access may be unavailable, unreliable or disrupted for extended periods.
Projects and expenditure eligible for Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program support
Eligible projects must:
- enhance the safety and accessibility of aerodromes in remote or very remote areas of Australia
- include at least $5,000 in eligible expenditure
- directly relate proposed activities to the project and program objectives.
Eligible activities may include:
- sealing, re-sealing and re-sheeting aircraft pavements
- repairing, restoring or reconstructing airstrips, taxiways and aprons
- airstrip drainage works
- basic airside ambulance and passenger shelters supporting patient health while in transit
- installing or restoring animal fencing
- providing markers and navigational aids
- works that reduce aerodrome safety hazards
- preparing safety-related operational or training manuals
- aviation-safety training for key operational personnel
- installing runway and taxiway lighting
- providing power for aerodrome lighting
- installing Pilot Activated Lighting Control systems
- installing ramps, signage and other modifications to improve disability access to existing facilities
- providing aircraft boarding facilities supporting an accessible whole aviation journey
- other accessibility works where consultation with community disability accessibility stakeholders and evidence of need are provided
- other activities approved by the program where they align with the program’s objectives and intended outcomes.
Eligible expenditure
Eligible expenditure may include:
- contractor costs directly associated with project activities
- employee costs directly related to core elements of the project
- aviation-safety-related staff training
- capital expenditure for eligible assets
- power provisions
- lighting and control systems
- markers and navigational aids
- training materials
- assets supporting access to terminals or aircraft for people with disability
- materials for airstrip sealing, re-sealing and sheeting
- materials for repair, restoration, reconstruction and drainage works
- fencing materials
- basic airside ambulance and emergency patient shelters
- land clearing for an approved project
- materials and works supporting disability access
- final engineering specifications and drawings required for tender design and construction
- contingency and escalation costs combined up to 10% of eligible project costs
- independent audit costs up to 1% of total eligible project expenditure or $5,000, with an audit mandatory for projects over $500,000 or where requested.
Eligible expenditure must be a direct project cost and generally must be incurred between the approved project start and end dates.
Ineligible expenditure
Grant funding cannot be used for:
- costs that cannot be directly linked to improving aerodrome safety and accessibility
- salaries for existing staff or contractors not directly employed on core project elements
- in-kind or volunteer expenditure
- donated materials or services
- works on terminals, hangars, commercial developments and other aerodrome buildings, except specified patient shelters and disability-access works
- purchasing or maintaining motor vehicles, heavy plant and equipment, except where associated with providing disability access
- project planning and design, research or feasibility studies and other pre-development approval costs
- preparing the grant application
- preparing project reports, except required independent audit reports
- preparing project variation requests
- construction costs for new development proposals
- introducing, maintaining or expanding commercial air services, including fuel storage facilities
- staff training that is not directly related to aviation safety
- routine operational expenses
- communications and administrative overheads
- accommodation
- office computing facilities
- printing, stationery and postage
- legal and accounting fees
- bank charges
- ongoing routine maintenance, including vegetation and weed control, slashing and mowing.
Other Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program important details that you will need to know
Organisations eligible for Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program support
To be eligible, applicants must:
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- be the owner and/or operator of an existing aerodrome or airport, subject to provisions allowing eligible entities to apply on behalf of an owner or operator
- have an aerodrome or airport located in an area classified as Remote or Very Remote under the latest ASGS Remoteness Area
- provide evidence from their board, council, CEO or equivalent that the organisation supports the project and accepts responsibility for completing it and meeting costs not covered by grant funding
- have the aerodrome owner’s support where the applicant is not the owner.
Eligible entity types include:
- entities incorporated in Australia
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
- incorporated trustees applying on behalf of a trust
- incorporated associations
- incorporated not-for-profit organisations
- Australian local government agencies or bodies
- Australian state or territory government agencies or bodies, including eligible statutory corporations
- corporate Commonwealth entities.
State agencies and other eligible entities may apply on behalf of aerodrome owners or operators in certain circumstances.
Where this occurs:
- the application must be a joint application
- the eligible entity acts as the lead applicant
- the lead applicant is responsible for administering, reporting and acquitting project expenditure
- only the lead organisation can submit the application and enter into the grant agreement.
Applicants are not eligible if they are:
- an organisation outside the eligible entity types
- an individual
- a partnership
- a trust, although an incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust
- a non-corporate Commonwealth entity
- an organisation, or partnered with an organisation, listed as an institution that has not joined or signified its intention to join the National Redress Scheme
- an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.
Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program assessment criteria
Applicants must address all three assessment criteria.
Applications must score at least 50% against each individual assessment criterion to be considered for funding.
The amount of detail and supporting evidence provided should be proportionate to the project’s size, complexity and grant amount requested.
Criterion 1: Demonstrated need for your project – 50 points
Applicants should demonstrate:
- the extent of the need to improve general access to the aerodrome
- the need to improve all-weather access
- the need to improve safety at the airstrip
- where relevant, the need to provide an accessible whole-of-aviation journey for people with disability
- how the proposed improvements will facilitate the delivery of essential services to the community
- evidence supporting the identified need, such as airstrip inspection reports, engineering reports and photographs showing the problem or issue
- the extent to which upgrades are required to support aeromedical operations, including Royal Flying Doctor Service operations
- the extent to which upgrades are required to support emergency services
- why the project is time-critical
- why the project cannot proceed without grant funding.
Criterion 2: Capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project – 25 points
Applicants should demonstrate:
- their track record in successfully managing similar projects
- an appropriate approach to managing the project
- a clearly defined project scope
- an appropriate implementation plan
- appropriate procurement and works arrangements
- realistic project timeframes
- a credible and sufficiently detailed budget
- appropriate risk-management arrangements
- appropriate workplace health and safety management
- a strategy for maintaining the project’s outcomes beyond the grant funding period.
A project plan must also be provided to support the response to this criterion.
Criterion 3: Impact and benefit of grant funding on your project – 25 points
Applicants should demonstrate:
- the benefits the project will provide to communities serviced by the aerodrome
- the broader benefits the project will provide to Australia
- alignment with broader Australian Government priorities where relevant
- contributions to improved climate resilience
- contributions to First Nations priorities
- improved access for people with disability
- improved provision of essential services
- benefits relating to employment and economic access
- benefits relating to community health access
- benefits for emergency medical and other essential services
- the total investment the grant will leverage
- the level of state or territory government co-funding expected for the project, where applicable.
Overall assessment
Eligible applications will also be considered according to:
- how well the application meets the assessment criteria
- how the application compares with other eligible applications
- whether the proposal represents value with relevant money
- the overall objectives of the grant opportunity
- the strength of evidence showing how the project contributes to those objectives
- the relative value of the grant amount requested.
Where applications receive the same score, the assessment panel may consider:
- value with relevant money
- alignment with program objectives
- geographical spread
- other program-specific requirements.
The assessment process may also consider national interest, financial, legal, regulatory, governance and other due diligence risks.
An assessment panel comprising DITRDCSA representatives will assess eligible applications and may seek advice from state or territory governments, stakeholder representatives such as aeromedical service providers, and independent technical experts.
The Minister makes the final decision on which grants are approved.
How do I get the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program support?
To give your application the strongest chance of receiving funding, you should demonstrate:
- a clear and evidenced need for the proposed airstrip upgrades
- that the aerodrome is located in an eligible Remote or Very Remote area
- a strong connection between the project and improved aerodrome safety and accessibility
- how the project will improve all-weather access or aircraft safety
- how the project will support essential services to the community
- how the upgrades will benefit aeromedical and emergency services where relevant
- how the project will improve accessibility for people with disability where relevant
- why the project is time-critical
- why the project cannot proceed, or cannot proceed to the required standard or timeframe, without grant funding
- a strong track record and organisational capability to deliver similar projects
- a clear project scope and implementation plan
- realistic milestones and delivery timeframes
- appropriate procurement and works arrangements
- a detailed, realistic and well-supported project budget
- appropriate project and workplace health and safety risk management
- a credible plan to maintain project outcomes after grant funding ends
- clear and measurable benefits for communities using the aerodrome
- broader benefits aligned with relevant Australian Government priorities
- the amount of additional investment and co-funding the grant will leverage
- strong value with relevant money
- appropriate supporting evidence for every major claim made in the application.
Information to prepare for the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program support
Applicants should prepare:
- organisation and ABN details
- applicant street and postal addresses
- primary contact and authorised signatory details
- latest financial-year information, including revenue, R&D expenditure, taxable income and employee and contractor numbers
- relevant ANZSIC details
- Indigenous ownership or control information, where applicable
- project title
- brief project description
- detailed project description and key activities
- expected project outcomes
- proposed project start and end dates
- project milestones
- aerodrome or airport name and project site address
- evidence confirming the aerodrome is classified as Remote or Very Remote
- project electorate and state
- project site latitude and longitude
- nearest town or service centre
- runway length and surface
- aerodrome category
- project partner details, where applicable
- detailed eligible expenditure and project budget
- grant amount sought
- details of applicant and third-party contributions
- responses to all three assessment criteria
- bank account and payment contact details
- conflict-of-interest information, where applicable.
Required supporting documents
Applicants must provide:
- a project plan supporting the response to assessment criterion 2
- a detailed project budget
- evidence of support from the board, council, CEO or equivalent
- a trust deed, where applicable
- evidence of consultation with community disability accessibility stakeholders and evidence of need for relevant disability-access projects.
Applicants should also provide, where relevant:
- airstrip inspection reports
- engineering reports
- quotes
- photographs of the issue being addressed
- project partner letters of support.
For applications seeking over $1 million, additional documentation is required, including:
- information on the co-funding source, where applicable
- a state or territory government letter of support where that government is providing co-funding, unless it is the applicant
- quotes or detailed cost breakdowns
- written support from the relevant state or territory transport department for the proposal
- support for the use of a project manager, unless the application is lodged by the state or territory government.
Applying for the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program support
Applications must be submitted through the Business Grants Hub online portal.
Register your interest with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this grant and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.
Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program resources
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