Grants to create new jobs through the new Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) program are available to eligible employers.
Current grant round opening and closing dates are:
- Round 1: 11 December 2024 until 2pm (AEDT) 3 February 2025.
- Round 2: 4 February 2025 until 2pm (AEST) 7 April 2025.
Visit GrantConnect to apply today.
Am I eligible?
To be an eligible organisation to apply for an RJED program grant, you must be:
- operating or intend to operate in a Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES) region(s) – currently known as Community Development Program (CDP) region(s)
- one of the following entity types:
- an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act)
- a company incorporated in Australia under the Corporations Act 2001
- an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
- an incorporated association or an incorporated cooperative (incorporated under state/territory legislation, commonly have 'Association' or 'Incorporated' or 'Inc' in their legal name)
- a partnership
- a joint venture (consortia) application with a lead organisation that satisfies the entity type
- a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation
- an Australian local government body, including Regional Councils and Local Aboriginal Councils
- a Corporate Commonwealth entity or Commonwealth Company established under the Prime Minister and Cabinet Portfolio which can demonstrate strong alignment with RJED objectives and engages in place-based service delivery in an RAES regions(s) (e.g. Outback Stores Pty Ltd and the Northern Territory Land Councils)
- an individual or sole trader seeking to employ another individual (i.e. you may not apply for a job for yourself)
For a full description of eligibility criteria, please refer to the Grant Opportunity Guidelines on GrantConnect.
What a grant can pay for
A grant through the RJED program can fund:
- an employee’s wages, up to the relevant award or minimum wage rate (whichever is applicable), plus relevant conditions, such as superannuation and leave. This is referred to as the ‘Job Creation’ stream.
- equipment, infrastructure, capacity building, on-costs and overheads (e.g. uniforms, a shed, on-the-job training, insurances or operating expenses). This is referred to as the ‘Community Jobs and Business Fund (CJBF)’ stream. Please note: This funding can only be applied for in combination with the Job Creation stream, not on its own.
How to apply
Interested employers have more time to apply for a grant as the closing date for RJED Round 2 has been extended until 7 April 2025.
Visit the GrantConnect website to view the Grant Opportunity Guidelines and other supporting documents and submit your application.
Get help
If you have questions about the RJED Grant Opportunity Guidelines, a helpdesk is available while grants are open.
There is also grant writing support available to support small organisations with their applications.
Call the RJED Grant Opportunity Helpdesk on 1800 939 500 or email REAS@niaa.gov.au
Operating hours are between 9am-5pm AEDT Monday to Friday, with some exceptions.
Resources
You can download these resources to learn more about the Remote Jobs and Economic Development program and share with your community.
- Factsheet: What is the Remote Jobs and Economic Development program?
- Factsheet: Remote Australia Employment Service
- Factsheet: Bringing back the best parts of the Community Development Employment Projects
- Poster: What is the Remote Jobs and Economic Development program?
- Poster: Apply for a grant under the Remote Jobs and Economic Development program
- Social media tiles: Promote the Remote Jobs and Economic Development program on your social media
- Conversation guide: A conversation about creating jobs in your community
- Infographic: New jobs program in remote communities
Find out more
- Visit www.niaa.gov.au/remote-jobs
- E-mail remote.jobs@niaa.gov.au
- Call your local NIAA regional office on 1800 079 098
- Subscribe to our remote employment e-newsletter