Capital Program

The Capital Program allocates funds to support Queensland Independent Schools in constructing educational spaces and related facilities, boarding and distance education facilities. The funds can also be used to refurbish or convert existing buildings to make them suitable for their intended purposes and to build internal site infrastructure.

The QIS BGA’s Learning Spaces and Associated Facilities: Functional Areas and Construction Costs document provides a comprehensive understanding of the type of educational spaces and related facilities and internal site infrastructure that is eligible to be funded.

Facilities such as swimming pools, ovals and places of worships are not funded under the Program.

The following provides a summary of the Capital Program’s key elements.  For a comprehensive understanding of the Capital Program, please refer to the QIS BGA Learning Spaces and Places document.

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Funding sources

The Australian Government Capital Grants Program (CGP) and Queensland State Government Capital Assistance Scheme (SCAS) provides funding to eligible independent schools to construct, convert, refurbish and upgrade school facilities.

Each Program/Scheme has its own set of guidelines.  While different, each has a similar intent concerning focus and eligibility.

There are instances where either Commonwealth or State guidelines will dictate how capital assistance will be allocated. An example of difference is the requirement that the purchase of land is only possible under CGP.

Key contacts

Please contact Gary or Rod regarding the Capital Program

Gary Adsett

General Manager

Rod Morris

Executive Officer - Finance

Eligibility

Funding eligibility is based on a school:

  • Receipt of Australian Government recurrent funds

    Being in receipt of Australian Government recurrent funds for the levels of education to which the proposed project relates.

  • Having entered into a QIS BGA Participation Agreement

    Find out more about the agreement here

  • Through its application being able to demonstrate:

    • That the project will contribute to funding guideline objectives and address other Government priorities and objectives for schooling. These objectives and priorities will be highlighted in each funding round.
    • That the proposed project is consistent with sound educational planning, especially in relation to cost, size and use of facilities to be funded.
    • That once the project is completed the school remains financially solvent.
    • A financial need for capital assistance. 
    • That the school has an appropriate maintenance plan in place.
    • That the school has adequate insurance cover.
    • That is own the land or has a lease for the land and/or buildings that is at least 22 years from the date of the application.
Eligible project types
  • Planning, erection, alteration, extension, demolition or refurbishment of a building, part of a building or other facility
  • Development or preparation of land for building or other purposes
  • Installation or upgrade of water, electricity or any other services
  • Provision of furniture and/or equipment which is part of a broader capital project, unless special circumstances exist
  • Providing library materials and goods for cataloguing a library
  • Purchase of land with buildings or parts of buildings, or in special circumstances, without buildings.
Ineligible projects
  • Facilities which have religious worship as the principal purpose
  • Facilities in a co-educational school which are not equally available to male and female students
  • Projects to be undertaken solely by parents and friends
  • Facilities where the majority of use will be by full fee paying overseas students, or other unfunded students attending a 'for profit' section of a school
  • Facilities that are principally for pre-primary education (for example, an Early Learning Centre attached to a school)
  • Projects where a contract has been entered into, or construction including site works, has commenced prior to Ministerial approval, i.e.. where retrospective approval is sought.

Application and assessment timeline

TIMELINE L 01
Make an application

Applications for the 2025 round Capital Grant Program are now closed.  Applications for the 2026 round will be available in November 2025.     

The application is an Excel-based document and provided by QIS BGA on request from the applicant school and will be accessed via the online Grant Management System.


Important dates
Applications open:  Monday 18th November 2024
Application Section 1 closes: Monday 3rd March 2025
Application Section 2 closes Monday 31st March 2025

A range of information will be gathered during the application process.  Click here to view the QIS BGA Privacy Policy and Collection Notice.

Assessment principles and fundamentals


Principles

QIS BGA ensures the assessment of capital applications is in line with the legislation and guidelines provided by the State and Commonwealth Government.   

  • Educational need

    A robust examination of an applicant school's existing facilities, as well as future facility requirements, is applied to identify the educational need. This hinges on the school's circumstances, as demonstrated by the enrolment numbers and facilities usage data submitted, together with anecdotal evidence given within the contexts of an existing or new school. It is the elements of the school's current and future situation which applicants should focus on when providing the educational justification for the proposed project, i.e.:

    • Enrolment growth requiring additional learning spaces o changes in student population characteristics
    • Curriculum change resulting from internal strategic decisions or external authority requirements
    • Curriculum expansion, reflecting student demand for different or additional learning
    • How the pedagogical needs of the school will be met by the educational facilities for the next 5–10 years? 
    • Pedagogical change, including who was included in the change process and how it was led
    • Facilities no longer fit for purpose, but not at end of life
    • Changes in community expectations regarding facility standards and characteristics
    • The design process and how the users of the proposed new facility were engaged
    • The type of professional learning support available to teachers using the educational facilities
    • The measures to be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational and architectural design briefs.

  • Minimum viable project

    It is the responsibility of the BGA to determine the minimum viable project which will satisfy the identified educational need for a proposed project. If the proposed project is in excess of that which has been established as the minimum viable project, QIS BGA will be unable to recommend any funds towards the excess floor area of spaces. Establishing the minimum viable project involves a detailed examination of the application data provided for the following indicators:

    • Number of learning spaces
    • Room occupancy rates – primary, secondary and combined
    • Rloors areas for learnings spaces and associated facilities, boarding and distance education facilities. QIS BGA generally accepted learnings spaces and associated facilities, and their default square metre area, are described in the QIS BGA document: Learning Spaces and Associated Facilities – Areas and Construction Rates.

  • Total project cost

    The identification of the minimum viable project may result in the total cost of the proposed project being less than the amount request via the application process. Project costs from the following areas will be examined when determining the eligible total project cost:

    • Construction costs, as driven by the floor area of the established minimum viable project
    • Site development 
    • Fire services
    • Special service requirements
    • Furniture and equipment allowances
    • Professional and local authority fees
    • Any other costs relevant to the project, and
    • A locality allowance, where applicable.

  • Maximum financial contribution

    When determining the financial need of a school, in relation to the established minimum viable project, QIS BGA will establish the maximum amount a school can contribute towards the proposed project from its own resources. The two primary sources of funds available to schools for capital purposes are usually loans raised and fees charged. In establishing the maximum contribution able to be made, QIS BGA will consider such issues as:

    • The school’s debt position
    • The school’s income
    • The school’s costs of operation. QIS BGA is obliged to consider a school’s total income and any capacity it may have to contribute further to the cost of a capital project.

  • The management capacity of the school

    QIS BGA must be convinced of the future solvency of a school before making a recommendation to the Minister/s for a capital grant. It is recognised that what may be regarded as an appropriate, finance based benchmark will vary from school to school, so a range of criteria have been developed that enable broad finance based indicators to be established. The Finance Capital Advisory Committee has the responsibility of advising the QIS BGA Board of Directors on such matters. 

  • Value for money

    Please use this link for a value for money definition.

Fundamentals

The following documents will need to be provided by a school when it applies for capital funding:

Document Requirements    
  2025 2026 2027
Site Master Plan (any) Desirable Acceptable  
Site Master Plan
(based on QIS BGA Guide)		   Highly Desirable Mandatory
Sustainability Strategy*   Mandatory Mandatory
Impact Report Encouraged Encouraged Encouraged

* Required when a school is seeking funding for sustainability elements within a proposed capital project.

Key documents and presentations

There are many documents and resources available to assist applicant schools to complete the application for a capital grant. Understanding the application process can also benefit the accuracy and quality of information provided by the school through the application process.

Grant administration

  • Recipient school agreement

    An agreement will be forwarded to the Approved Authority by QIS BGA through the GMS Client Portal immediately after the advice of Ministerial approval.

  • Funding claims

    All Capital Grants will be paid upon receipt of a series of Claim Forms via the GMS Client Portal at the following milestones:

    • Payment of 50% of grant amount at 25% completion (in terms of value)
    • Payment of 40% of grant amount at 50% completion (in terms of value)
    • Payment of 10% of grant at practical completion.

  • Accountability

    Once the final claim is made, schools will complete documentation provided by the BGA via the GMS Client Portal, where external project supervisors and accountants confirm the project was completed in a manner that conforms to the approved project description, the approved plans and that grant monies were spent only on the approved project.

  • Recognition

    Schools are required to have a formal opening of the project. Requirements related to Commonwealth or State Funding are as follows:

    • Commonwealth
    • State

New School Program

Purpose

Capital Program funds can be used to establish new schools or campuses. New schools or campuses are broken into three categories:

  1. Mid to large schools
  2. Small schools
  3. Schools accredited as Special Assistance Schools, Special Schools or Majority Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Schools.

 

Contacts

Before commencing any work on a new school feasibility, Approved Authorities are strongly encouraged to contact Gary and Rod.  They will help Approved Authorities gain a strong understanding of the funding and assessment approach used for each type of new school.

Gary Adsett, General Manager

Rod Morris, Executive Officer

 

Funding framework

As new schools are funded under the Capital Program, QIS BGA apply the same arrangement as the Capital Program for the following areas:

  • Funding Sources 
  • Eligibility 
  • Application and Assessment Timeline 
  • Assessment Principles and Fundamentals 
  • Grant Administration 

The QIS BGA New School Policy provides direction on Approved Authorities apply for funding and how these applications are assessed.

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