The National Expansion of the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) Program supports the scaled implementation of a proven approach to help primary schools recognise and respond to student mental health and wellbeing needs across Australia. This grant opportunity, administered by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, will fund the establishment of a national coordination office and the development of a tailored place-based strategy for regional, rural, and remote schools, rather than funding delivery of the existing MHiPS program itself.

Overview

The program aims to support jurisdictional readiness, strengthen coordination and capability, and generate national evidence to inform future policy and investment. In the short term, jurisdictions will be better prepared to implement MHiPS; over time, the program will be adapted for place-based contexts and implemented with greater consistency and quality. The grant will fund activities across all states and territories: ACT, NSW, VIC, SA, WA, QLD, NT, and TAS.

Activities

• Establishment of a national coordination office to guide consistent but flexible implementation of MHiPS across jurisdictions
• Development of a tailored, place-based strategy for regional, rural and remote schools to test models suited to communities with fewer services and higher needs
• Scoping and design work for national scale-up, engagement with state and territory governments to support readiness for potential statewide rollout, and work with jurisdictions to identify local needs while maintaining national consistency
• Creation of accessible resources, tailored implementation proposals, and partnership building across sectors
• Sharing lessons from jurisdictions already piloting or delivering MHiPS
• Community-led co-design with First Nations communities, CALD communities and local stakeholders, in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, experts and community members to ensure inclusive and culturally safe approaches
• Data collection, evaluation and reporting, including an interim report to the department by the end of August 2027

Funding and Benefits

Total Amount Available (AUD): $4,500,000.00

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must be the listed organisation and have received an invitation to apply from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. The eligible organisation is:

• Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (ABN: 21 0065 669 72)

The eligible organisation was determined based on demonstrated capability to deliver the grant activities, supported by existing infrastructure, governance, and stakeholder relationships, as well as a proven track record of delivering similar projects effectively. A closed non-competitive selection process was chosen to ensure continuity, minimise duplication, and maximise the impact of public investment by leveraging the expertise, infrastructure, and performance history of the most suitable provider.

Application Process

Instructions for Application Submission: Submit the completed application form and all necessary attachments by the closing date and time via the red Submit Application button on the left-hand side of the GrantConnect opportunity page. Applicants should keep a copy of the application and any supporting documents. Registered users will receive an automated email notification acknowledging receipt of the submission. If no automated email notification is received within 24 hours of submission, contact Grant.ATM@health.gov.au.

Other Instructions: Filenames must not exceed 100 characters. Any file type can be submitted to GrantConnect. Refrain from using special characters, including colon, forward and back slash, question marks, and en or em dash. A maximum of five separate files can be submitted at one time. Do not include macros or password-protect applications or attachments.

Deadline and Timeline

Close Date & Time: 30-Jul-2026 2:00 pm (ACT Local Time)

Publish Date: 9-Jul-2026

Internal Reference ID: P9122

Contact Information

Health Grants Team
Email: Grant.ATM@health.gov.au

For technical assistance when submitting an application through GrantConnect, contact the GrantConnect Helpdesk:
Phone: 1300 484 145
Email: GrantConnect@finance.gov.au