AISV - Compliance Framework, Australian Government Capital Grants Program

The Australian Government Capital Grants Program provides and improves capital infrastructure, funds refurbishment and capital infrastructure, and supports the National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century and other education objectives

Compliance Directory
Education Authority Accountability
Australian Government Capital Grants Program

AISV Compliance Framework

Australian Government Capital Grants Program

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Do you need to comply?

Yes if you intend applying for, or have received, a capital grant.

Conditions of compliance

Australian Government capital grants supplement funds provided by state governments and by non-government school authorities, which are primarily responsible for establishing, maintaining and upgrading school facilities. The government seeks to improve educational outcomes by helping to provide facilities that contribute to raising students' educational achievement levels.

In addition, the program aims to:

provide and improve school capital infrastructure, particularly for the most educationally disadvantaged students
support refurbishment and upgrading of capital infrastructure for existing and future students.

If you have to comply, what do you have to do?

The following checklist will help Schools and Consultants ensure that all appropriate processes have been completed. It is not intended to replace a reading of all the documents listed on the AISV website nor is it to be taken as a complete guide since different projects may vary from the standard processes.

Read, understand and comply with the Victorian Government's Code of Practice for the Building and Construction Industry. A revised edition of the Code was issued in March 1999 and the major changes include:
- Incorporation of the National Code of Practice for the Construction Industry into the Victorian Code. The industrial relations elements of the National Code will now apply to all Victorian Government funded construction projects in addition to Australian Government funded projects.
- Inclusion of separate sections for the selection of consultants and contractors, which provides consistency with respect to the selection, evaluation and procurement processes.
- Various improvements to the tendering process such as:
  - suggesting a limit on the number of tenders being invited to between three and six
  - inclusion of provisions to encourage innovation
  - tender selection to be on best value rather than lowest price
  - specific prohibition of the practice of trading off tender prices and "bid shopping".
- Establishment of a review process for Code breach allegation findings.
In the case of Major Projects greater than $75,000, or Small Projects of value of less than $75,000 which involve construction works, engage a Principal Consultant registered under the Victorian Government's Registered Building Practitioner Legislation. A Principal Consultant can be either an Architect or a Project Manager.
In the case of Major Projects greater than $75,000, or Small Projects of value of less than $75,000 which involve construction works, engage a Quantity Surveyor for cost advice and control.
Ensure the Principal Consultant is given a copy of this document and direct their compliance.
Projects are presently divided into two categories:
Small Projects - works to the value of $75,000 or less;

Major Projects - works in excess of $75,000.

All projects submitted must be accompanied with full documentation otherwise they will not be processed.
Ensure that the category of project under which the application is being made is confirmed with Victorian Independent Schools Block Grant Authority (VISBGA) and that the procedures to be followed are clear and in keeping with the current process.
Ensure that the information required on education, area, demography and finance are accurate and supportable.
Check if an asbestos audit has been undertaken.
Ensure the School has a Maintenance Plan in place and that the plan conforms with the minimum standards set down in the VISBGA Maintenance Guidelines for Schools (see Appendix 2)

NOTE: Submission of a Maintenance Plan is a condition precedent for obtaining a Grant.
The Minister, and on her behalf VISBGA, will only authorise a School to proceed through the Grant process to eventually enter into a contract, where the application complies with all VISBGA requirements and all agreements have been signed.

NOTE: Project works are NOT to commence until the above conditions have been met.
The Principal Consultant must administer the project during the construction stage and provide the necessary progress reports to VISBGA.
Submit a Close-Out Report at completion of the project to VISBGA.

Use of funds

The types of project that can be considered for funding as set in out in the Australian Government programs for Schools Quadrennial Administrative Guidelines 2005-2008, as follows:

Grants for capital expenditure may be used for the following:

investigation of the need for schools, rural student hostels, buildings, parts of buildings, other facilities or equipment;
the purchase of land, with buildings or parts of buildings, or in special circumstances, without buildings;
the planning, erection, alteration, extension, demolition or refurbishment of a building, part of a building or other facility including student residential accommodation, and attached supervisors' quarters;
the development or preparation of land for building or other purposes;
the installation or upgrading of water, electricity or any other services;
the provision of equipment, library materials and furniture;
the provision of library materials and the goods for cataloguing a library; or
the payment to a block grant authority for its administrative expenses.

Under the guidelines for the Investing in Our Schools Program, small projects valued at $75,000 or less which improve the educational amenity of a school are also allowable. These projects are not generally funded by the Capital Grants Program and include, but are not restricted to, the following:

essential services;
classroom improvements;
library resources;
computer facilities;
air-conditioning and heating;
outdoor shade structures;
playing fields or sporting infrastructure;
play or sporting equipment;
security measures;
music facilities and instruments.
amenity refurbishments; and
small scale extensions or refurbishment of buildings.

Funds are not available for facilities:

which have religious worship as a principal purpose;
in a co-educational school where those facilities will not, as far as practicable, be equally available to male and female students at the school;
which provide staff housing for non-government schools other than supervisors' quarters attached to student boarding facilities
which belong to, or form part of, hostels (under the Investing in Our Schools Program guidelines only).

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Capital Grant, the school and the proposed project must meet eligibility criteria set down in the Australian Government programs for Schools Quadrennial Administrative Guidelines 2005-2008, as follows:

To be eligible to apply for grants for capital expenditure, a non-government school must:

be a participant, or prospective participant, in a VISBGA;
have good prospects of receiving approval for funding under the Australian Government General Recurrent Grants Program in respect of all locations, levels of education and students to which a project relates. Schools may apply for capital funding prior to receiving State or Territory government recognition;
be able to demonstrate to the VISBGA that it is financially viable, that is, the school must remain financially solvent;
for major projects of a value exceeding $75,000, demonstrate to the VISBGA a financial need for the grant, that is, show that it and its supporting community do not have the capacity to meet the total cost of the project;
demonstrate to the VISBGA that the project will contribute to the objectives of the Program;
be proposing a project that is consistent with sound educational planning, within both the school and the environment within which it is operating;
school must demonstrate that the fees they are charging for overseas students cover the full cost of their education at the school, including the cost of capital facilities used by these students;
demonstrate to the VISBGA that the school has an appropriate maintenance plan in place. [Under Clause 4.3(b) of the Administrative Arrangements, the submission of a Maintenance Plan is mandatory if a grant is to be offered. Under Victorian legislation - Essential Services have to be certified by a specially qualified consultant on a strictly regulated basis ];
be proposing a project that does not exceed area or cost standards ;
demonstrate current adequate insurance cover for the partial loss and/or complete replacement of its school buildings;
be proposing a project that will not adversely affect the national estate value of a place in the Register of the National Estate in terms of the provisions of the Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975;
agree not to propose for Australian Government funding, projects which do not comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 as reflected in the Building Code of Australia applying at the time;
a school proposing a project which is to be partly or wholly undertaken by parents and friends must ensure these people have the necessary skills and capacity for the project.

Ineligible applications

facilities which have religious worship as the principal purpose;
projects in a co-educational school where facilities will not be available to both male and female students;
retrospective projects.

What are the consequences if you don't comply?

You may be asked to repay any funding that has been received.

Who will help you?

AISV contact:

Rosslyn Culpitt
Program Officer
Ph. 03 9825 7213
rosslyn.culpitt@ais.vic.edu.au

Click here to go to the AISV website where you can download all relevant documents related to Capital Grants.