Disaster Ready Fund – Round Three 2025-2026

Established by the Commonwealth Government, the Disaster Ready Fund (DRF) is a funding program developed to help communities protect themselves against the impacts of natural hazards across Australia. The Commonwealth Government, via the DRF, has committed to provide up to $1 billion over a period of five years, from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028.

$200 million in Commonwealth funding is available in round three, with up to:

• $138 million of this notionally allocated for infrastructure investment (infrastructure funding stream) encompassing the following primary project activity types:
  • investment in grey infrastructure
  • investment in green-blue infrastructure (including nature-based solutions)
  • investment in social infrastructure
  • investment in natural hazard monitoring infrastructure
• $59 million of this notionally allocated for other eligible project types, and
• $3 million of this notionally allocated for administrative support for Lead Agencies.

The minimum total project value (Commonwealth funding and co-contribution combined) is:

• $0.5 million for infrastructure funding stream projects, and
• no minimum amount for other project types.

There is no maximum grant amount, but grants cannot exceed the total amount of available project funds ($197 million).
 

Queensland State Agencies, non-government organisations, First Nations organisations, peak bodies, local governments and community groups are eligible to apply through QRA by submitting an application form to QRA to be considered for funding.

Lead Agencies submit applications to NEMA on behalf of their jurisdiction.
 

Round Three of the DRF opens on 22 January 2025 and closes on 2 April 2025. 

Project proposals must be submitted to the QRA by completing the online application form available on our website no later than 5pm on Wednesday 2 April 2025. Any project proposals that have not completed all mandatory documentation cannot be submitted.

QRA will review all project proposals against the eligibility criteria and submit up to 60 applications (Queensland’s maximum allowable number of applications) to the Australian Government for final determination. Applications will be submitted by QRA to the National Emergency Management Agency by 5pm on Friday 30 May 2025.

 

Applicants (and any delivery partners) are required to contribute towards each project. The option to apply for a partial or full waiver of the 50 per cent co-contribution requirement has been replaced by a tiered approach to co-contributions that reduces the co-contribution requirement for certain applicant types and project locations. For further information please refer to Section 3.1.1 of the DRF Round Three Guidelines. 

To be eligible projects must:

• have the primary purpose of increasing understanding of disaster impacts, building resilience to future disasters and/or reducing disaster risk, in line with the DRF’s objectives (see section 2 of the Guidelines)
• be risk informed, aligned with plans and priority targeted, in accordance with the DRF’s Investment Principles (see section 2 of the Guidelines)
• target one or more eligible natural hazard types (see section 5.1.1 of the Guidelines).
• involve one or more eligible activity types in the built, social, natural and/or economic domains (see section 5.1.2 of the Guidelines)
• deliver ‘enduring benefits’ (as defined in the Glossary) for a community or communities at risk of being affected by future disasters (see section 2 of the Guidelines), in an eligible location (see section 5.2 of the Guidelines)

Large-scale infrastructure that will deliver enduring disaster risk mitigation, resilience and safety benefits for communities is a key focus for Round Three. This includes projects such as the construction of flood levees, sea walls and drainage basins that seek to significantly reduce disaster risk, impacts and costs (including insurance costs) for communities in the long-term.

Further information on previous rounds of the DRF, including the list of successful Queensland projects and frequently asked questions can be found at:

DRF Round One

DRF Round Two
 

Contingency costs are an eligible expenditure and can account for unforeseen financial circumstances, such as increased labour and supply costs. Contingency can be applied to specific budget items or the overall project, but a clear explanation needs to be provided to justify the contingency amount and inclusion and must be commensurate with the size and complexity of the proposed project.

Contingency costs form part of the entire budget and subsequently are required to be considered when calculating the co-contribution.

The maximum project period is five (5) years for infrastructure stream projects, and three (3) for all other projects. Projects must not commence until written endorsement of the relevant Implementation Plan has been provided by NEMA.

Applications will initially be reviewed against the eligibility criteria in sections 4 and 5 of the funding Guidelines.
Eligible applications will be assessed against the assessment criteria outlined in the funding Guidelines (see section 8 of the Guidelines).

In accordance with the DRF Act, the Minister for Emergency Management is responsible for deciding which projects to fund. In making these decisions, the Minister may take into account the findings of the Panel/s, in conjunction with any other advice or recommendations provided by NEMA.
 

Yes. There is no limit on the number of applications you can submit. Applicants may submit similar proposals through more than one Lead Agency, tailored for delivery in different states and/or territories. 

Please note that QRA is limited to a maximum of 60 submissions for Queensland. Each application will be assessed individually in accordance with the funding Guidelines.
 

No. Project applicants in Queensland must apply through the QRA.  Applications cannot be submitted directly to the Australian Government. 

DRF Round Three 2025-26 successful outcomes are expected to be announced from September 2025 onwards. These dates are indicative and subject to change, at the discretion of the Australian Government.

If you have any questions or need support with your application, please contact your Resilience and Recovery Officer (RRO) or email info@qra.qld.gov.au.