Frequently asked questions: General Practice Innovation Grant Program

The grant can support a range of dementia-related services and activities including:

• Additional staff time for contacting patients and booking appointments
• Care coordination, such as responding to patient, family and carer queries, managing referrals and navigation of services
• Secondary consultation time for general practitioners and practice nurses not covered under the Medical Benefit Schedule (MBS)
• Participation in a training and learning network to build skills and expertise for this program
• Proactively identifying patients using Patient Management Software, including dedicated time and resources
• Program-related administrative tasks, such as updating patient records and addressing gaps and inadequacies in patient records and information
• Purchase of software, add-ons, or updates to patient management systems
• Purchase of dementia or cognitive impairment assessment tools and resources to strengthen service delivery

Grant funds cannot be used for:

• Items covered by Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) such as nurse and GP patient consultations, or gap fees
• Screening or care for patients with an existing dementia or mild cognitive impairment diagnosis, or for patients already undergoing assessment
• Retrospective funding for activities that have already started or resources that have already been purchased.

Eligible general practices may apply for $45,000 (excluding GST) in grant funding. Funds will be paid in two instalments, subject to demonstrating satisfactory progress and meeting reporting requirements:

• The first instalment of $22,500 (excluding GST) will be paid upon execution of the funding agreement, to your nominated bank account in February 2026 - March 2026 (estimated),
• The second instalment of $22,500 (excluding GST) will be paid to your nominated bank account in October 2026 (estimated), subject to meeting funding agreement conditions and approval of the required progress report.

Note: GST is paid in addition to grant funds, for organisations registered for GST.

Where the grant recipient is registered for GST, the grant will be increased by an amount equal to any GST payable with respect to the taxable supply.

Recipients who are not GST registered will receive the grant as stipulated in the grant funding agreement.

The Department does not provide advice on the implications of GST for grant recipients.

The Department will issue a recipient created tax invoice (RCTI) for payments provided in this program.

Successful GST registered organisations must agree to a Recipient Created Tax Invoice arrangement to participate in the program.

If your application is successful, your practice must develop or maintain the capacity and staffing required to deliver the dementia Model of Care over the 12-month grant period. To do so, the practice must implement the following measures during the grant period:

• one full-time AHPRA-registered General Practitioner (GP)
• one AHPRA-registered practice nurse with at least 0.3 FTE (approximately 11 hours per week) allocated to the program
• commit to full implementation of the Model of Care as outlined in the program guidelines and commit to at least 8 in person screenings per month over the 12-month program period
• engage in the training and learning network specific to this program and ensure relevant clinical staff members attend training as outlined in Section 2.2.3 of the guidelines
• use or plan to upgrade the practice patient management software, as outlined in Section 2.2.2 of the guidelines, to proactively identify and screen the target patient cohort as outlined in Section 2.2.1 of the guidelines
• undertake required reporting as outlined in Section 4.1 of the guidelines.

Funding is limited, and not all eligible applications will be successful. The Victorian Department of Health has the absolute discretion over final grant funding decisions and will consider the equitable distribution of funds based on overall state need.

To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate they have the organisational structure, clinical capacity and commitment required to deliver the dementia Model of Care. In doing so, practices must meet all of the following criteria:

• hold an active Australian Business Number (ABN), an Australian Company Number (ACN) or an Incorporated Association Number (IAN) (if applicable), and be registered with the Australian Business Register (ABR) under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) code of 85110 – General Practice Medical Services
• hold a valid WorkCover Certificate of Currency issued by WorkSafe Victoria
• operate from a physical location in Victoria
• be accredited against the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Standards for General Practice 5th ed.
• predominately deliver in person care
• maintain appropriate public liability and medical indemnity insurance
• currently has at least one full time equivalent (FTE) Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registered general practitioner (GP) working at the practice.

When applying, you must provide the following information and documentation:

• Practice details – name and address.
• ABN, ACN or IAN (if applicable) and associated entity name.
• Authorised representatives – the name, position and email addresses of two business representatives (unless a sole trader or sole director). These representatives must:
  • be authorised to enter into a funding agreement with the Victorian Government if successful, and
  • be listed as associates on the ABR.
• WorkCover Certificate of Currency issued by WorkSafe Victoria.
• Workforce information – FTE (full-time equivalent) of current GPs and nursing staff.
• Patient activity – number of patients currently screened for dementia per month.
• ANZSIC code – must be listed as 85110 – General Practice Medical Services on the ABR.

A WorkCover Certificate of Currency is a document that confirms you are registered for WorkCover insurance. You can request a Certificate of Currency for your WorkCover insurance from the WorkSafe Victoria website.

An associate on the Australian Business Register (ABR) typically refers to individuals who hold a position within a business entity. This can include:

• Office bearers of clubs or associations
• Partners in partnerships, which can be individuals or companies
• Directors and officers of companies
• Trustees of trusts, which can be individuals or companies
• Associates and authorised representatives of the business can check and update ABR details.

Instructions on checking or updating your Associate details on the ABR can be found on the Australian Business Register website.

Your Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) code is linked to your Australian Business Number (ABN). To check go to the ABR website.

For this program, your business must be registered under ANZSIC code 85110 (or commonly just 8511) – General Practice Medical Services as your primary business activity.

If your ANZSIC code does not match one of the eligible classes for this program, your business will not be eligible for funding.

You are eligible to apply for multiple practice locations in Victoria, but a separate application will be required for each practice location. Each application and its associated location will be assessed independently of each other.

Please contact the General Practice Innovation Grant Program Team at gp.innovation@grants.vic.gov.au to confirm which application you would like us to progress.

If your application is in draft or incomplete after the application close date, it will not be assessed.

Make sure you fully complete and submit your application before the close date (4pm, Tuesday 16 December 2025).

Late applications will not be accepted.

You should contact the General Practice Innovation Grant Program Team at gp.innovation@grants.vic.gov.au.

Support is available Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm (excluding public holidays). We aim to respond within five business days.

There are no partial grants offered under this program. Successful applicants will receive the full funding amount of $45,000 (excluding GST), subject to meeting the conditions outlined in the funding agreement.

You must not commence the project or expend any grant funds until both parties have executed (signed) the funding agreement. Once the funding agreement has been executed, you will receive your first payment instalment and must commence implementing the Model of Care within the agreed timeframe.

Application outcome notifications are expected to be sent during February 2026 (estimated), and payments will follow the execution of the funding agreement.

If your application is successful, we will:

• notify your nominated funding agreement signatories
• issue all nominated signatories a funding agreement for consideration
• require all nominated signatories to return the signed funding agreement within 10 business days.

The Victorian Government reserves the right to withdraw the offer if the funding agreement is not signed and returned within this timeframe.

The funding agreement becomes binding after both you and the Department representative have executed (signed) it. The funding agreement specifies all funding obligations and conditions including payments, funding use, deliverables, payment instalments, reporting, acquittal, audit and termination conditions.

You may not be paid the full grant funding, or you may be asked to return grant funding.

Please notify the General Practice Innovation Grant Program Team as soon as possible via gp.innovation@grants.vic.gov.au.

Please notify the General Practice Innovation Grant Program Team in advance of any sale or closure of the practice via gp.innovation@grants.vic.gov.au.

Yes. Please contact the General Practice Innovation Grant Program Team via email at gp.innovation@grants.vic.gov.au to request an update.

Further identity and authorisation checks may apply. You may be asked to provide additional evidence to confirm the bank account is associated with your business and you have the authority to update bank account information.

Processing may take up to 15 business days.

This may delay payment while verification is completed. The General Practice Innovation Grant Program team will contact you if clarification or additional documentation is required.

No. Grant funds will only be paid to the entity listed in the funding agreement.

Grant payments can be made to accounts held in the legal name of the business or trust.

Please ensure the account details match the information provided in your application.

For further information, please read the program guidelines or email gp.innovation@grants.vic.gov.au.

Support is available Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm (excluding public holidays). We aim to respond within five business days.

You can lodge a complaint or provide feedback by contacting the General Practice Innovation Program Team at gp.innovation@grants.vic.gov.au.