Better Schools for Our Kids

Summary
Forms & Procedures

Program Summary

The ACT Government’s Better Schools for Our Kids: Non-Government School Infrastructure Upgrades Program (BSK) provides funding to assist non-government preschool, primary and secondary school communities to improve capital infrastructure where they otherwise may not have access to sufficient capital resources.

Objective

The primary objective of the BSK program is to improve overall non-government schools’ infrastructure for Preschool to Year 12 students in the Australian Capital Territory, including accessibility of services to disadvantaged groups.

Eligibility For Funding

To be eligible to apply for funding, a non-government school must:

  • be a participant, or prospective participant, in the ACTBGA;
  • be registered as a non-government school or be eligible to be licensed to operate as a non-government preschool in the ACT;
  • be able to demonstrate to the ACTBGA that the school is financially viable;
  • demonstrate to the ACTBGA that the project will contribute to the objectives of the program;
  • demonstrate to the ACTBGA that the school has an appropriate maintenance plan in place;
  • demonstrate to the ACTBGA that adequate insurance is held over its buildings;
  • provide all information requested by the ACTBGA to assess fairly and adequately the eligibility and priority of grant applications; and,
  • be proposing a project that will not adversely affect the condition of a place in the Register of the National Estate in terms of the provisions of the Australian Heritage Council Act 2003.

Funds are not available for facilities:

  • which have religious worship as a principal purpose;
  • where a co-educational non-government school’s facilities will not, as far as practicable, be equally available to male and female students; or
  • where retrospective approval is sought.

Assessment of Applications

BSK funds are limited and not all applications will be successful. The ACTBGA is required by the ACT Education Directorate to assess the eligibility of all applications received against the program agreement.

Eligible projects will then be placed in order of priority for funding on the basis of:

  • the relative educational disadvantage of the student population of the school;
  • projects that increase capacity;
  • projects that provide value for money and maximise outcomes from available funding;
  • the readiness of the school to commence construction;
  • the school’s financial viability to complete the project;
  • the school’s need for financial assistance to contribute towards or fund the project;
  • projects that improve the amenity of non-government schools in respect of compliance of facilities with government requirement and/or supporting advances in school pedagogy.

Funding of grant applications is not guaranteed and a maximum grant of $1,000,000 is available to any one school.  For projects that are for the establishment of new schools, new campuses, or new education levels, a maximum grant of up to $1,500,000 will be considered in any grant round.

Information on program eligibility and the current grant assessment round is available in the following documents:

Information to Assist Applicants:  View PDF

Program Procedures (BSK):  View PDF