The Market Adjustment Program grant opportunity supports residential aged care providers and Support at Home providers facing financial viability concerns.

Overview

The Market Adjustment Program builds upon the Government’s existing Market Adjustment Program. The program provides funding, including ‘critical failure’ funding, to avoid premature aged care provider closures. Furthermore, it aims to support orderly exits and service or provider consolidation. The program may also fund initiatives designed to improve business capability, thereby reducing the likelihood of deteriorating performance. The overarching intent of the program is to reduce the risk to the safety of care recipients from disorderly closures or financial failure.

The grant opportunity is designed to safeguard the continuity of care for care recipients by supporting providers that are in most need of funding assistance, are strategically important (including those in thin markets), and require support to improve business capability and operations.

Funding Streams

The Market Adjustment Program grant opportunity provides grant funding through three distinct streams:

• Stream 1: Improvement of Business Operations
• Stream 2: Sale or Closure
• Stream 3: Critical Failure

Grant amounts and the applicable funding stream will be determined by the Department of Health and Aged Care on a case-by-case basis, based on the department’s assessment of the provider’s risk profile and value for money. Applicants may only apply for the Stream for which the department issues an Invitation to Apply.

Eligibility

To be eligible, an applicant must be a registered residential aged care provider and/or Support at Home provider that meets the following criteria:

• Has received an invitation to apply (per an assigned stream) from the department.
• Has been identified by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and/or the department as a provider at risk.
• Has operational residential aged care facilities in Australia, including all National Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care (NATSIFAC) residential providers, and local Government residential providers (for Streams 1, 2 and 3), or is a Support at Home provider (for Stream 2 & 3 only).

The Market Adjustment Program is a closed, non-competitive, invitation-only grant opportunity. Eligibility is determined by assessment of financial viability and strategic importance. To be eligible, the provider must be identified by the Commission or the department as being at risk and must undergo a financial assessment by the Commission before being referred to the department for funding consideration.

Application Process and Timeline

Selection Process: Closed Non-Competitive

Total Amount Available (AUD): $31,000,000.00

Deadline: 30-May-2026 2:00 pm (ACT Local Time)

Applicants must have received an invitation to apply from the department for this grant opportunity. A notification from GrantConnect regarding this opportunity does not constitute an invitation to apply from the Department.

Submission of the completed application form and all necessary attachments must occur by the closing date and time via the Online Application Form link provided in the invitation. Applicants should retain the original invitation for reference. If an automated confirmation is not received, the applicant should contact the department.

Contact Information:

• Department: Health Department
• Email: (Not specified)