We are seeking health organisations across the Northern Territory to apply for funding to develop and deliver COVID-19 and other vaccinations to our vulnerable populations.

Grants of up to $20,000 is available to support these efforts.

We encourage you to apply for the grant funding through this Expression of Interest (EOI) if you are providing a service to any of the following vulnerable groups: 

• rural and remote communities
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
• people with a disability or frail people that cannot leave home (homebound)
• elderly people
• culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse people especially asylum seekers and refugees
• those who do not have a Medicare card or are not eligible for Medicare
• people experiencing homelessness
• children aged 5-11 who have complex needs, who are not captured by another suitable vaccination channel
• other vulnerable groups identified as requiring dedicated support to access vaccinations. 

Funding coverage 

Funding will be prioritised for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to increase their outreach care to vulnerable cohorts in need and/or Quality Improvement activities to strengthen practice data quality via data cleansing, updating patient records and proactive patient recalls, ensuring that high-risk vulnerable populations people do not slip through the gaps and miss their vaccinations.

These targeted, short-term local activities should supplement existing activities and arrangements, not to replace or duplicate them. We encourage health services to be creative.

Some examples to achieve this include: 

• Employing additional clinical or administration staff dedicated to delivery of immunisations or data cleansing, identifying those patients booked/not booked in without vaccination recorded and to review current appointment systems.
• Promote vaccination via SMS alerts, phone messages, posters, pamphlets and designated vaccination days in clinic for at risk and vulnerable groups.
• Supplement costs for a pop-up clinic or a mobile vaccination unit.
• Staff training or up-skilling to support vaccination efforts.
• Eliminate barriers around staff becoming accredited immunisers by having a dedicated immunisation champion that can mentor and support newly accredited staff.
• Funding could be utilised to eliminate barriers to reaching clinics for vaccination, for example subsidised transportation.
• Encouragement to attend clinics, such as meals and other complimentary services may also be considered. Your staff travel and delivery costs of the program may also be covered.
• Reasonable financial support to facilitate travel to homebound individuals and disability supported accommodation to provide vaccination services. 

Funding cannot be utilised for:

• Activities under existing funding mechanisms, e.g. MBS and other funding avenues.
• Capital asset purchases (small asset purchases allowed, to a limit of $500 to conduct pop-up/outreach clinic).
• In-home vaccinations will only be provided where an individual is unable to attend a vaccine provider. There must be a genuine need, not just convenience.
• Funding for incentives, including gift-cards, vouchers, staff bonuses and cash-like products.
• Petrol or vehicle hire for general business not related to vaccine roll-out activities. 

Assessment Process 

There is a limited amount of funding available for this activity and NT PHN will consider the following criteria in the assessment of applications: 

• Population size and demographics
• Degree to which proposed activities will meet community vaccination needs
• Capacity to deliver activities before 31 December 2024.