Regional Job Creation Fund

The $240 million Regional Job Creation Fund supports existing businesses in regional NSW to grow, innovate, and increase productivity.

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Key information

Status: Closed
Grant amount: From $100,000 to $10,000,000
Application opened: 13 January 2023
Application closed: 6 March 2023, 5:00 pm

Program objective

Regional Job Creation Fund Round 3

The Regional Job Creation Fund (RJCF) Round 3 provides opportunity for existing businesses to diversify into new markets and innovate in regional NSW.

The $100 million round 3 will support existing regional NSW businesses, or those seeking to relocate to regional NSW as they adapt to technological change, meet evolving supply chain distribution demands and leverage their strengths to drive ongoing productivity and regional economic development.

Funded projects will create and maintain regional jobs, diversify regional economies, and provide skills, and training opportunities, including for young people, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander individuals and people with disability.

This investment will lead to more sustainable employment and stronger and more resilient regional economies.

Under Round 3, grants will range from $100,000 to $10,000,000 to help businesses create and retain jobs, including for young people and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander individuals and people with disability, to support ongoing economic prosperity in regional NSW.

This round will involve a two-stage application process. The first, an Expression of Interest (EOI) which is to be completed using the SmartyGrants Portal. All EOIs will be assessed against the Eligibility and Assessment criteria and suitable projects will be invited to progress to Stage 2.

Stage 2 of the application process is the completion of a Detailed Application where further project information is required. Only Eligible applicants will be invited to submit a Detailed Application.

Unsuccessful Applicants will be informed in writing from 8 May 2023.

This program is funded and administered by Department of Regional NSW.

Eligibility

Who can apply

To be eligible to apply for funding, applicants must:

have an Australian Business Number (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, to 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. If the application is successful, the lead applicant will enter into the funding deed and be responsible for delivering the project.

The lead applicant must complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) application form and identify all other joint applicants in the application. If invited to submit a Detailed Application, a letter of support from each organisation listed in the grant application is required.

Each letter of support should include:

details of the joint applicant
an overview of how the joint applicant will work with the lead applicant and any other joint applicants (if applicable) involved in the project
an outline of the relevant experience and/or expertise the partner organisation will bring to the project
the roles/responsibilities of the joint applicant and the resources they will contribute
the amount and source of any co-contribution to the project (if applicable)
details of a nominated contact for the joint applicant (at the management level).

Who can’t apply

Ineligible applicants include:

Australian or NSW Government agencies, State Owned Corporations or statutory authorities
Local Government Areas 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 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, a brewery expansion focused 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 an un-serviced or underserviced waste stream, 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 processes 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.

The Department of Regional NSW, at its sole discretion, may take any other factors into account to determine that a business is ineligible for funding. These factors include but are not limited to:

personal or business issues that could cause reputational or other risk to the NSW Government
poor past performance of the applicant or key project personnel.

Types of projects funded under this grant

Eligible projects could include the:

replacement, upgrade or adaptation of 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

What can’t you apply for

Ineligible projects include:

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 an organisation not related to an eligible program or focusing primarily on marketing and promotion of the organisation
projects requiring ongoing funding from the NSW Government
projects not aligned to the objective of the Regional Job Creation Fund
projects that have already received NSW Government or other funding for the same outputs and outcomes.
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.

What your application needs to include

The EOI stage provides an initial entry point for organisations seeking funding under RJCF. Applicants may submit more than one EOI for eligible projects.

Applications to RJCF Round 3 must include the following documents for Stage 1 or Expression of Interest Stage:

organisation eligibility details as listed on page 7 of the Guidelines (PDF 5.85MB), primary activities of the organisation, industry sector, business ownership structure and project contact details
financial statements (trading, profit & 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

All EOIs must be submitted online via the EOI Application Form in the SmartyGrants portal.

EOIs must be submitted with all required documentation prior to the closing date and time specified in these Guidelines (PDF 5.85MB) to be eligible for further assessment. Acceptance of late submissions will be at the sole discretion of DRNSW.

EOIs must meet the Eligibility Criteria and demonstrate compliance with the Assessment Criteria outlined in the guidelines to be considered suitable for progression to the Detailed Application stage.

An EOI that is unable to meet all Eligibility Criteria at the time of application may be considered suitable for progression to the Detailed Application stage at the sole discretion of DRNSW. To be considered, the applicant must be able to provide supporting evidence for why their EOI application should be considered despite being unable to meet the requirements.

Applications for Stage 2, Detailed Application, are by invitation only and will not be accepted if an EOI has not been submitted. Please visit the Guidelines (PDF 5.85MB) for more information on the Detailed Application stage.

Prepare your application with this checklist

RJCF Round 3 applications are a two-stage process. An Expression of Interest followed by a Detailed Application.

Expression of Interest (EOI)

All applicants are required to submit an Expression of Interest using the SmartyGrants portalduring the EOI application period.
Expression of Interest applications open 9am (AEDT) Friday 13 January 2023
Online Information Session for applicants at 2pm (AEDT) Monday 30 January
Expression of Interest applications close 5pm (AEDT) Monday 6 March 2023
An assessment panel will review all EOI applications for eligibility.
The assessment process will take approximately eight weeks from submission
Successful EOI applicants will be invited via email to submit a Detailed Application as part of Stage Two.
Unsuccessful EOI applicants will be notified in writing from 8 May 2023.

Detailed Application

Detailed applications open by invitation only from Monday 8 May 2023
Successful applicants will be invited to submit a Detailed Application through a SmartyGrants link provided by email from the Regional Job Creation Fund team.
Detailed applications close 5pm (AEST) Monday 26 June 2023
Detailed Applications will be assessed by a dedicated assessment panel
Notification of assessment outcome: Monday 9 October 2023 or as soon as possible after a decision has been made at the NSW Government’s discretion.

Address the eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for funding, applicants must:

have an Australian Business Number (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.

Address the assessment criteria

Applications for RJCF Round Three will be assessed against the following criteria.

Strategic alignment

How strongly the project aligns to relevant NSW Government policies or strategies, including the:

20-Year Economic Vision for Regional NSW
2040 Economic Blueprint treasury
relevant Regional Economic Development Strategy

How strongly the project aligns to the objectives of the RJCF. Considerations include the potential impact on NSW competitors or supply chains.

Job creation and retention

The number and cost-effectiveness of jobs (FTE) created or retained directly within the organisation based in regional NSW for a specified period. Cost-effectiveness will be measured by the grant contribution request per job created or retained, directly employed with the applicant or joint applicants.

Expected return on government investment and economic benefits

The value of the contribution of the project to the NSW economy as determined through a Cost-Benefit Analysis producing a Net Present Value / Investment (NPV/I) and Benefit-to-Cost Ratio (BCR).

The calculation will be conducted or coordinated by the Department of Regional NSW based on the information provided by the applicant. Projects will generally be required to produce a positive NPV/I.

Projects that do not achieve a positive NPV/I may still be considered if unquantifiable benefits are expected to be significant, including if the project:

is expected to produce agglomeration, spillover, or “wider economic benefits” through developing of industry clusters, precincts, or the development of new industries being a benefit that while not quantifiable is expected to be significant
provides a clear improvement in productivity that is not able to be quantified as part of the analysis but is expected to be significant
mitigates a clear and significant issue relating to the supply chain or sovereign risk has a level of importance to the maintenance of an industry sector, local economy or local community and there is a risk of clear and serious impacts (for example, structural dislocation) if the project is not approved.

Deliverability

How strongly an applicant can demonstrate the project will be able to be delivered by May 2025. Key considerations include:

the applicant has demonstrated skills and capacity to deliver the project, as demonstrated through past performance in delivering similar projects, or appropriate expertise available (i.e. external project management service provider)
suitability and experience of the staff or arrangements to deliver the project including consideration of procurement of services from Aboriginal businesses
readiness to commence the project, including status of required regulatory and/or development approvals
the project budget represents value for money for the scope being delivered
suitability of the detailed business plan, business case (if required) feasibility plan, budget, technical plans and/or cost estimates supporting the project
the applicant has assessed delivery risks and included controls for these risks
the applicant has demonstrated they are financially viable and are likely to remain so over the duration of the project.

Affordability

The secured cash co-contribution to the project as a percentage of the total project cost. Co-contributions must be evidenced as committed cash from the applicant, partners, and other non-NSW Government sources. Co-contributions should be at least 50 per cent of the total project cost. Applicants are required to provide supporting evidence for being unable to meet this requirement.

Outcomes for young people, Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander individuals and people with disability

How strongly the project will demonstrably increase employment or business outcomes, and skills and training outcomes for identified priority groups including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities, young people and people with a disability.

View the Program Guidelines

For more information about the Regional Job Creation Fund Round 3, including key dates, eligibility, funding streams and assessment criteria, please see the Program Guidelines. (PDF 5.85MB)

Resources for applicants

For Expression of Interest

RJCF Round 3 Program Guidelines (PDF 5.85MB)
Frequently Asked Questions
Application EOI checklist (DOCX 59.64KB)
An information webinar was held on 30 January at 2.00pm.

Online Information Session

The Department of Regional NSW hosted an Online Information Session for the Regional Job Creation Fund Round Three on Monday 30 January at 2.00PM.

The session included an overview of the Guidelines (PDF 5.85MB), eligibility and assessment criteria and participants were able to ask questions about the program and the application process.

If you would like to revisit any aspects of the presentation, a recording of the session is now available along with a copy of the slides (PDF 978.95KB) used on the day.