Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) – Overview

This program seeks to support the Australian government’s commitment to create jobs, drive economic growth and build stronger regional communities into the future. It will fund projects in regional Australia outside the major capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra. This supersedes the National Stronger Regions Fund (NSRF).

The program is designed to achieve the following outcomes in regional and remote communities:
- Create jobs
- Have a positive impact on economic activity, including Indigenous economic participation through employment and supplier-use outcomes
- Enhance community facilities
- Enhance leadership capacity
- Encourage community cohesion and sense of identity

There are two streams of funding available under the program:
1. Infrastructure projects
- Grants between $20,000 and $10 million are available.
- For most projects grant funding will be up to 50% or up to 75% of the eligible project costs.

2. Community investments
- Grants between $5,000 and $1 million to cover 50% or more of eligible project costs.
- A total funding pool of $200 million is available, with $100 million dedicated to tourism-related infrastructure projects.

A total funding pool of $$1.04 billion is available over seven years from 2017-18 to 2023-24.

Please refer to the individual streams for the specific eligibility requirements.

Please refer to the individual Guidelines of each stream for the specific eligible projects/activities.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the specific assessment criteria of each stream.

Please refer to the individual Guidelines of each stream for the specific ineligible projects/activities.