Helping regional projects aim higher and get funding ready.
The Regional Funding Bootcamp Series (RFBS) is a new initiative from RDAIS designed to help local organisations improve their confidence, capability and competitiveness when seeking funding.
Across the Illawarra Shoalhaven, many strong ideas never progress because navigating grants can feel complex, time-consuming or unclear. RFBS seeks to change that. The series supports small businesses, community organisations, not-for-profits and local innovators to better understand the funding landscape, develop well-defined project ideas and submit higher-quality applications.
Importantly, RFBS focuses on long-term grant readiness, not one-off funding bids. The aim is to help organisations build skills, systems and project pipelines that strengthen their funding success over time.
Why this matters for the region
The Illawarra Shoalhaven competes nationally for public, philanthropic and private funding. While many local projects deliver strong community and economic value, they can be held back by limited grant-writing capacity, fragmented information or late engagement with funding opportunities.
The RFBS responds to these challenges by lifting the overall quality of regional funding applications, supporting a pipeline of investment-ready projects and strengthening connections between business, community, service providers and government. The result is stronger projects, more successful grants and increased external investment flowing into local jobs, services, infrastructure and innovation.
What the program includes
The RFBS is delivered through three connected components that work together to support both first-time applicants and more experienced organisations looking to improve their success rate.
Face-to-face workshops will be delivered in Wollongong and Nowra, offering practical, hands-on learning in a supportive environment. These free sessions will cover funding fundamentals, eligibility and assessment criteria, major State and Federal grant programs, project planning, and how to write and strengthen grant submissions. Workshops will also include advice from successful applicants, networking opportunities and guidance on engaging with local Members and requesting Letters of Support.
Registrations are now open for the first two FREE workshops and can be done directly below:
Further sessions and topics will be delivered across the year.
Alongside the workshops, participants will have access to a Funding Bulletin and Regional Grant Information Hub. This service will provide timely grant alerts, major funding announcements and a consolidated regional grant briefing covering State, Federal, philanthropic and sector-specific opportunities. Integration with the RDAIS website will allow organisations to easily browse and plan for relevant grants well ahead of deadlines.
The third component is a growing library of tools, templates and practical resources. These plain-language materials are designed to reduce confusion and improve application quality, and include project scoping and budgeting templates, risk and outcomes planning tools, guidance for Letters of Support, examples of capability statements and a “Little Black Book” of trusted local grant support providers.
Who this series is for
The RFBS is open to anyone involved in developing projects that could benefit the region. This includes small businesses, community groups, not-for-profits, social enterprises, industry bodies, creatives, innovators and emerging leaders. The series also welcomes contributors, speakers and partners who can share insights, expertise or real-world experience.
Local councils, MPs and their offices also play an important role in strengthening regional funding pathways, and RFBS provides opportunities for collaboration, shared learning and better alignment around funding priorities and well-developed local projects.
Get involved
Registrations are now live for the first workshops in Wollongong and Nowra.
If you would like to attend, contribute, or support the RFBS, including sharing insights or presenting at future sessions, please get in touch with RDAIS at admin@rdais.com.au. You can also join the RDAIS mailing list to receive grant alerts, workshop invitations and access to resources as they become available.
The Regional Funding Bootcamp Series is about building confidence, capability and collaboration, and creating stronger pathways for good local ideas to become funded, deliverable projects.
