The Victorian Government has announced they are offering COVID-19 Vaccination Enhancement Grants to pharmacies and general practices interested in maximising their capacity to deliver vaccines across identified geographic areas at higher risk of COVID-19.
This opportunity is only available to primary care providers already authorised and administering COVID-19 vaccines.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Enhancement Grants are designed to support primary care providers to utilise their full vaccine allocations and to confidently promote access in their local communities, with the grants to fund additional workforce or operational costs associated with maximising COVID-19 vaccine administration in communities where vaccination rates are currently low and where there are significant risks associated with COVID-19 transmission.
It is envisaged that the grants will support primary care providers to deliver innovative large-scale vaccination sessions which can be actively promoted to the local community and may include walk-up opportunities where feasible and appropriate.
Grant Information
The grants are designed to boost vaccination uptake in the weeks commencing 4 and 11 October and to target first doses, although providers can and should continue to administer second doses concurrently.
120 tranche 1 Grants of $4,000 will be made available to general practices and pharmacies who respond to the Expression of Interest.
Up to 10 grants may be increased to $10,000 if providers can demonstrate that they have significant additional capacity to deliver vaccines.
Requirements
- Providers should be located within the in-scope LGAs (please see below). Providers located outside but close to these LGA boundaries may be considered on a case by case basis and are invited to submit an expression of interest (EOI) which should include a rationale for why they should be included (in ‘other information’ section).
- Providers must commit to ordering and administering their full available allocation of vaccine from the Commonwealth in the weeks commencing 4 and 11 October and are invited to provide information about how much additional vaccine they would be able to administer over these two weeks, if it was available. There is no guarantee that additional vaccine supply will be made available as part of the COVID-19 Vaccination Enhancement Grants.
- Providers must have the infrastructure and workforce available to maximise delivery of available vaccine supply in the weeks commencing 4 and 11 October 2021.
- Consistent with the Australian Government’s commitment that the vaccine will be free, providers will not be permitted to charge co-payments for vaccine administration.
- Bookings should be managed in accordance with the providers usual system, and walk-ups should also be permitted if feasible and safe to do so.
Completing the Expression of Interest
To complete an expression of interest, please fill out this online form.
An EOI should be completed for each pharmacy or general practice, or group of pharmacies and general practices. Each application should identify which LGA(s) they can service, and multiple LGAs may be selected.
Each response should identify availability on the dates provided.
The EOI must be completed by 12pm on Friday 3 October via the online form.
Successful providers will be notified by 9am on Monday 4 October, and invited to a briefing on Monday 4 October from 6.00-6.45pm. Funding will released as soon as practical thereafter.
Priority Local Government Areas
The in-scope Local Government Areas (LGAs) for tranche 1 are listed below. A second tranche of regional locations will be released shortly.
- City of Brimbank
- Cardinia Shire
- City of Casey
- City of Darebin
- City of Greater Dandenong
- City of Hobsons Bay
- City of Hume
- City of Melton
- City of Moreland
- City of Whittlesea
- City of Wyndham
Should you have any questions or need any help, please reach out to our team at Rose Partners and we will do our best to assist.
Stay safe.
The Team at Rose Partners
