Equipment and Capital Grants are a $9 million investment over three years by the South Australian Government to build the capability and capacity of TAFE SA, not-for-profit and industry-based providers.
The grants support state-of-the-art training facilities, contemporary infrastructure and technology, and industry-relevant equipment aligned with areas of skill demand and economic priorities in our state, including:
- higher retention and VET completions for South Australian students
- increased access to and delivery of foundation skills training, and improved transitions between ACE and VET
- increased access to training and engagement of Aboriginal students and students living in regional areas
- innovative training products and delivery (including new technologies), particularly in response to local and emerging skill needs.
Applications for 2024-25 grants have now closed.
Why the investment?
The South Australian Government continues to invest in the state’s vocational education and training (VET) system to skill South Australia’s workforce for today and the future.
The South Australian Skills Outlook identified over the next five years an estimated 90,500 VET qualifications will need to be delivered to meet South Australia’s demand for skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applications are invited from providers that meet the following eligibility criteria:
- have a current Funded Activities Agreement (FAA) with Skills SA, AND
- deliver vocational education and training (VET) AND are not-for-profit AND/OR are an industry association AND/OR are Aboriginal Owned OR
- deliver adult community education (ACE), OR
- are TAFE SA.
If you have not received the application link for the grant and your organisation is eligible, please contact Education.SkillsSAProjects@sa.gov.au
Eligible providers can apply for one grant per funding round. Skills SA has set an indicative value of up to $250,000 per grant, to maximise and distribute the available funding.
A link to the application form was emailed to eligible organisations on Tuesday 22 October, by Skills SA. If you have not received the application link for the grant and your organisation is eligible, please contact Education.SkillsSAProjects@sa.gov.au
Yes, you can read the application form before you commence. The application page will allow you to start a submission, preview the form and download preview form.
No, you can move around the application and complete responses in any order. Ensure your application is complete before submitting, including attaching the budget template. Incomplete applications will be disadvantaged in assessment.
Yes, Skills SA can open and send your application back to fix any errors or mistakes. To request your application, contact Education.SkillsSAProjects@sa.gov.au and include your application number. Any corrections must be submitted before applications close.
Eligible applications must identify a financial contribution to the goods and services to be purchased. Applicants may also identify in-kind contributions associated with delivering the project’s outcomes and objectives. The value of co-contribution will be considered as part of assessment and should reflect the benefits being realised.
Yes, this concept would be eligible were it aligns to students studying in the priority industry sectors identified in the recently released South Australia Skills Outlook 2024 and where it also supports the National Skills Agreement directions.
Yes. You should separate and itemise the cost of equipment and associated freight charges in the budget template with your application and any quotes you provide.
Skills SA is seeking to understand what each grant activity is and how long each activity will take. For example, if you are seeking to re-fit a classroom, what are the activities you will undertake to complete the re-fit (e.g. new carpet) and how long will this take.
No, please only attach the approved budget template to the application. This supports a de-identified application process.
The assessment approach for Equipment and Capital Grants is competitive. Applications will be de-identified and assessed against the assessment criteria published in the guidelines, and will be conducted by senior Skills SA staff.
Applicants can partner with other organisations to support the development, supply and/or delivery of project elements as part of an application. In the application, applicants should identify the role and responsibilities of partner organisations, and how they will use the goods and/or services.
All grant activities must be finalised by 30 June 2025. This includes the delivery of all activities, goods and services supported through the grant. Skills SA will work with successful organisations on the format of the grant final report, which may include site visits, an in-person presentation, financial and photographic evidence and/or written reports. Skills SA will seek an acquittal three months after the grant completion date.
If successful, Skills SA will negotiate a Grant Offer with your organisation, which will form the basis of an FAA Project Annexure. The FAA Project Annexure will contain payment and reporting milestones, key project dates, approved equipment and capital purchases and any other contracting requirements. Requests for variations may not be approved but will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Skills SA reserves the right to recover funding that are not used for the purpose of delivering the project.
The invoice/payment for approved equipment must be dated after the FAA has been executed by both parties. The organisation may wish to place an order earlier at their own discretion and risk.
You will be assigned a Skills SA project manager, who will regularly liaise with you about project and milestone activities and be involved in your project governance structure. Skills SA project managers will also support you to coordinate marketing, promotional and media opportunities, including visits by the Minister for Education, Training and Skills.
Skills SA will publish a list of Equipment and Capital Grant projects at skills.sa.gov.au. Grant recipients can market and promote their funded activities in line with Section 22 of your Funded Activities Agreement (FAA). An assigned Skills SA project manager will support you to coordinate marketing, promotional and media activities between your organisation, Skills SA and the Minister for Education, Training and Skills.
Skills SA will undertake an evaluation of Equipment and Capital Grants, which will consider the intended and actual outcomes. The evaluation will draw on qualitative and quantitative information provided by grant recipients, including contracted reporting and the final presentation to Skills SA.
It is anticipated that not applying for a 2024-25 Equipment and Capital Grant would not exclude your organisation from future funding rounds. However, Skills SA may elect to change the scope and prioritisation of activities supported by grants.