New grants available to support better care in aged care homes

Healthy North Coast is proud to announce that expressions of interest for a new grants program are now open.

Healthy North Coast’s Residential Aged Care – Enhanced Primary Care Access Grants enable innovative local responses to improve access for residents in aged care homes located in ‘thin markets’ – where limited service availability acts as a barrier to timely and appropriate care.

Our identified thin markets are in the LGAs of:

1. Port Macquarie-Hastings
2. Kempsey
3. Nambucca Valley
4. Coffs Harbour
5. Clarence Valley
6. Ballina

Grants of up to $90,000 per project are available to Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs) and primary care providers (including allied health) in regions where GP shortages affect older people’s health and wellbeing.

The program funds innovative, locally co-designed solutions that either expand primary care capacity for residents or strengthen the ability of aged care homes to meet evolving care needs.

Expressions of interest are now open and will close at 9am on 31 October 2025. Eligible applicants can propose place-based care models (virtual, hybrid, multidisciplinary) or capacity-building initiatives tailored to community needs. Projects must show collaboration, co-design, cultural safety, and long-term sustainability.

Apply now via Tenderlink to help build a more accessible aged care system on the North Coast.