Australian Bushland Program – New Indigenous Protected Areas
Tender ID: 603759
Tender Details
Tender Description
The Australian Government is inviting applications via a targeted process to apply to deliver services under Program 2.1 Conserve, protect and sustainably manage Australia's natural environment through a nature positive approach. The Australian Bushland Program – New Indigenous Protected Areas will run over 2 years from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028.
This program is funded as part of the $250 million Australian Bushland Program (ABP) Budget measure. The ABP supports implementation of the National 30 by 30 Roadmap, to protect and conserve 30% of Australia’s land by 2030 (30 by 30). Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are the largest contributor to the 30 by 30 target on land.
The program objective is to strengthen the conservation and protection of Australia’s environmental and cultural values through establishing and managing IPAs. The program also contributes to social and economic benefits for First Nations people.
The expected outcomes of the program are:
- Australia’s National Reserve System (NRS) has increased and the condition of Australia’s environment across land and sea has improved
- First Nations people are empowered to fulfil their custodial obligations over land and sea Country and achieve environmental, cultural, social, and economic benefits
- enhanced collaboration between First Nations people and partners and strengthened governance for the protection, conservation and sustainable management of Australia’s land and seascapes.
Eligibility:
To be eligible to apply for this grant opportunity you must satisfy all the eligibility criteria outlined in sections 4.1 and 4.2 of the Grant Opportunity Guidelines.
Grant Activity Timeframe:
Assessment of applications - May 2026
Approval of outcomes of selection process - June 2026
Notification to applicants - July 2026
Negotiations and award of grant agreements - July 2026
Earliest start date of grant activity - August 2026
End date of grant activity - 30 June 2028.
Instructions for Application Submission:
To apply, you must:
- meet the eligibility criteria (see section 4)
- complete the online application form on GrantConnect
- provide all the information requested
- address all eligibility criteria and assessment criteria
- include all necessary attachments
- submit your application/s to the Community Grants Hub by 9:00 pm AEDT on 11 March 2026.
Location
New South Wales : Central West : Far North Coast : Far West : Hunter : Illawarra : Mid North Coast : Murray : New England : Orana : Riverina : Southern Highlands : Sydney
Queensland : Cairns & Far North Queensland : Gladstone : Mackay Whitsunday Region : Mount Isa & North West Region : Rockhampton : South East Queensland : South West & Darling Downs : The Central West : Townsville : Wide Bay Burnett
Victoria : Barwon South West : Gippsland : Grampians : Hume : Loddon Mallee : Melbourne
South Australia : Adelaide : Eyre & Western : Far North : Fleurieu & Kangaroo Island : Limestone Coast : Murray & Mallee : York & Mid North
Northern Territory : Barkly : Big Rivers : Central Australia : East Arnhem : Greater Darwin : Top End
Australian Capital Territory
Tasmania