COVID-19 National: Business, Non-Profits – Local Recovery Fund

This program aims to support select regions experiencing high unemployment to develop local and tailored projects, to help Australians get back into work and assist communities recover from the economic impact of COVID-19.

It is a key component of the Local Jobs Program which seeks to support tailored approaches to accelerate reskilling, upskilling and employment in 25 regions across Australia. The program aims to ensure the maximum number of people are placed in appropriate employment or training opportunities as quickly as possible to meet employer needs as labour markets recover.

The employment regions included in this program are:
- Sydney South West (NSW)
- Illawarra South Coast (NSW)
- Hunter (NSW)
- New England and North West (NSW)
- Mid North Coast (NSW)
- North Coast (NSW)
- Sydney Greater West (NSW)
- Gold Coast (QLD)
- Cairns (QLD)
- Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast (QLD)
- Townsville (QLD)
- Wivenhoe (QLD)
- Hobart and Southern Tasmania  
- North and North Western Tasmania
- South Eastern Melbourne and Peninsula (VIC)
- Gippsland (VIC)
- Western Melbourne (VIC)
- Inner Metropolitan Melbourne (VIC)
- North Western Melbourne (VIC)
- Adelaide North (SA)
- Murray and South East (SA)
- North West Country (SA)
- South West WA (WA)
- Perth South (WA)
- Darwin and Alice Springs (NT)

Funding between $10,000 and $200,000 are available.

Applicants must contact the program administrator prior to submitting a proposal.

Eligible applicants include employers, employment services and training providers and the community support sector from the 25 selected regions.  

Stakeholders are encouraged to work in collaboration with local Employment Facilitators and Local Jobs and Skills Taskforces to develop proposals that best address the priorities identified in the Jobs Plan for their region.

Eligible activities should be designed to address employment and training priorities and identify opportunities to better skill participants to meet local employer demand.

These may be a discrete activity, or a component of a larger activity, or may fill a gap in an existing activity that is directed to meeting identified priorities. Preference may be given to proposals that reflect one or more of the following:
- Feedback from key local stakeholders.
- Connect directly with multiple priorities of the Jobs Plan for the Employment Region.
- Involve collaboration with key stakeholders and service providers to meet one or more priorities in the Jobs Plan.

All proposals must identify an eligible Employment Services Provider as a Local Jobs Program Activity Partnering Provider.