Regional Job Creation Fund

The RJCF aims to support businesses in regional NSW to grow, increase productivity, and to create and/or retain jobs, leading to a more productive, diverse and resilient regional economy.

It aims to deliver $200 million of combined private and government investment into businesses operating in, or relocating to, regional NSW.

To be eligible to apply for funding, applicants must:

• have an ABN
• be one of the following:
  • a company incorporated in Australia
  • a company incorporated by guarantee
  • an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
  • an incorporated association or co-operative
  • a partnership
  • a sole trader
  • an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
• be registered for GST
• be financially viable and able to demonstrate that they are likely to remain so over the duration of the project
• have at least $20 million public liability insurance or be able to secure before entering into a Funding Deed if successful

Applicants can be based internationally, interstate or in metropolitan or regional NSW. International businesses will need to have an ABN, be registered for GST, have at least $20 million in public liability insurance and be an eligible entity (as listed above), to enter into a funding deed if they are successful.

Applicants can submit a joint application, but a lead applicant will need to be nominated.

Applicants may submit more than one EOI for eligible projects.

Ineligible applicants include:

• Australian or NSW Government agencies, State Owned Corporations or statutory authorities
• Local Government Authorities or their Section 355 Committees
• organisations that do not have an ABN or are unable to obtain an ABN to enter into a Funding Deed
• unincorporated associations
• other unincorporated organisations
• businesses that are insolvent

Ineligible entities (except for insolvent companies) can be part of a joint application, but not the lead applicant.

Businesses whose primary operation and project is in the following industries are not eligible for funding:

• hospitality, except where a proposal is unique to the existing market and considered regionally significant and/or iconic (for example, brewery expansion focussed on production enabling out of state sales, with a small hospitality element such as a kitchen/bar)
• retail
• localised trades
• healthcare, childcare and social services
• residential housing construction that only serves the immediate local or regional community of the applicant
• waste services, except where a proposal is providing unique services, such as un-serviced or under- serviced waste stream in the state, and where the project provides services beyond the local or regional area
• abattoirs, except where the project is to increase value-adding or diversification of product ranges, or to process unique livestock types and is not expected to have a significant impact on the livestock supply chain of other NSW businesses
• administrative services that serve only the local or regional community

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible applicants.

Eligible projects must:

• be located in one of the 93 regional NSW Local Government Areas (LGAs), the Unincorporated Far West or Lord Howe Island
• create or retain direct Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs^* in regional NSW that are sustainable without additional NSW Government investment beyond the grant
• demonstrate the project would not occur in regional NSW at all, or in the same timeframe, without government investment
• be completed by 30 May 2025. It is recommended applicants have a COVID plan in place to mitigate any potential delays due to COVID
• provide proof of $20 million of public liability insurance at time of contracting
• secure approvals to meet project timeframes
• confirm secured cash co-contribution

^*Jobs must be directly employed by the applicant/joint applicant and not through labour hire firms. One FTE is equal to a ‘standard working week’ of 35 hours.

Examples of eligible projects include:

• replacement, upgrade or adaptation of existing plant and equipment including technology or energy efficiency upgrades
• establishment of an additional production line for an existing regional NSW business
• onshoring in a regional NSW location of activity currently done overseas
• development of new regionally significant and /or iconic tourism experiences and visitor attractions creating new inter-state or international demand in the region (without impacting other NSW tourism businesses)
• relocating or expanding a business operation from out- of-state or internationally to regional NSW

The following projects are ineligible for funding:

• projects located in Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Wollondilly), and Newcastle or Wollongong LGAs
• projects funding the day-to-day operations of business or focusing primarily on marketing and promotion
• projects requiring ongoing funding from the NSW Government
• projects not aligned to the objectives of the RJCF
• projects that would proceed and be delivered on the same timeline without government investment support
• projects that have already commenced prior to an offer of grant funding being made for the scope requested in the application
• projects that will have significant negative competitive impacts on other NSW businesses legitimately competing in the same market and/or competing for resources in the NSW supply chains
• projects that have already received NSW Government or other funding for the same outputs and outcomes. However, a project is eligible if funding from both sources is required to enable the project to proceed

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible projects.

Grants may be used for capital and other expenses directly related to the delivery of eligible projects that support job creation and/or retention. This may include:

• purchasing, constructing, installing and/or commissioning new plant, equipment and/or machinery
• purchasing, constructing, establishing and/or fitting out new facilities, buildings or hubs
• purchasing technology and/or intellectual property (IP) required to undertake the project
• purchase of land (if necessary for the project and suitable alternatives to rent do not exist)
• upgrading existing facilities, buildings, plant, equipment, machinery and/or technology where necessary to deliver the project and achieve its outcomes
• cost of contractors to construct new buildings and facilities
• costs relating to activities that directly contribute to, or enable knowledge sharing (i.e. reports, database development)
• project management and administration costs up to 10% of project cost
• contingency costs up to 25% of project cost

The following costs are ineligible unless otherwise agreed by DRNSW:

• contributions made ‘in-kind’
• repayment of existing debts or budget deficits
• administrative, operational and maintenance costs not related to the project
• ongoing staff wages and salaries
• ongoing rental expenses, unless they form a small part of a larger project that anchors the applicant to the location
• non-fixed equipment, unless it forms a small part of a larger project that anchors the applicant to the location
• costs already funded by insurance or other NSW or Australian Government programs
• costs that have been incurred prior to the applicant receiving a Letter of Offer of grant funding
• costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation
• costs that require recurrent or ongoing funding from the NSW Government
• costs relating solely to marketing, advertising or product promotion, including education and information campaigns

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible expenditure.

EOI application

• organisation eligibility details, primary activities of the organisation, industry sector, business ownership structure and project contact details
• financial statements (trading, profit and loss statements, and balance sheets) for three continuous years starting from the latest available year or other evidence of financial viability if statements are not available (for example a signed statement from an external accountant and shareholder financial statements where available).
• a short description of:
  • project scope and proposed use of the grant, including the aim, objectives, deliverables/outputs, timeframes for delivery, and location
  • proposed governance arrangements to manage the project
  • organisation’s experience in delivering projects similar in scope and scale to the proposed project
  • (if applicable) status of any permissions or approvals relevant to the project or pathway to achieve all relevant permissions and approvals within the proposed project timeframe, for example, development approval, landowner’s consent, other regulatory approvals such as Therapeutics Goods Administration approvals
  • key competitors in the industry, including whether the project will be competing against out-of-state goods and services, or substituting out of state inputs in the production process or supply chain, or primarily competing against other NSW businesses for markets or supplies
• a short description of the project’s expected benefits, including:
  • expected share of project revenue from interstate or international sales at full capacity
  • how the project will contribute to employment and training outcomes for young people, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander individuals and people with disability
  • other expected benefits
• project budget including:
  • estimated total cost of the project
  • grant amount requested
  • cash co-contribution amount and source
• estimate of the number of new and retained FTE jobs created by the project

Detailed application

• any updates to the information provided in the EOI such as organisation details, project scope, proposed use of the grant, governance arrangements, financial statements, etc
• detailed Project Plan which includes a detailed scope and identifies all elements of the project (template provided)
• completed data sheet (template provided) which includes:
  • a detailed budget identifying all project costs including contingency
  • information required for calculation of quantifiable benefits including incremental business revenue and costs from the project, incremental wages, intermediate input costs, profit margin, incremental employment from the project, and share of employment from unemployed or disadvantaged groups.
• business plan or other supporting documents explaining the underlying assumptions across the project’s lifecycle (demand, sales channels, value proposition and risks), for example:
  • justification for undertaking the project
  • evaluation of the costs, benefits, risks and assumptions of alternative options to deliver the project
  • financial analysis to demonstrate the project is financially feasible and supports the information provided in the Data Sheet
  • commercial analysis to identify the preferred procurement and delivery strategy
  • management analysis to demonstrate the preferred option can be successfully delivered (governance, resourcing, schedule, risk, benefits, change etc).
• cost estimates and/or quotes (dated in the previous six months) and technical documents supporting the detailed budget and project plan
• evidence of at least $20 million in public liability insurance or be able to secure it before entering into a Funding Deed if successful
• signed Probity Declaration Form
• experience in delivering projects similar in scope and scale to the project or otherwise demonstrates capability and capacity to deliver the project
• evidence of project readiness, including status of development applications, landowner’s consent and/ or regulatory approvals where required or applicable
• confirmation of co-contribution to the project, including from the applicant, partners and other sources, that demonstrates to DRNSW that the applicant has sufficient funds available for the required co-contribution amount (for example, bank statements, shareholders financial statements, loan documentation or financial approvals)
• details of other expected benefits of the project and how they will be measured, including how the project aligns with NSW Government strategic priorities

The level of information provided should be proportional to the scale and complexity of the project.

See the guidelines for full details of information requirements.

Applications are submitted online via the SmartyGrants portal.

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