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Flagship Projects

The Aged Care Collaborative Flagship Projects will test scalable, evidence-based innovations in diverse aged care settings across Australia.

Closing date

We know it’s a particularly busy time, so we are extending the closing date for applications for the Flagship Projects by two weeks until 5:00pm ACST Thursday, 8 May 2025.

 

The Aged Care Collaborative Flagship Projects, funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care through ARIIA, provide a unique opportunity for aged care providers to work together to address complex issues and enact meaningful change across the sector. In a time of unprecedented transformation, the Flagship Projects have been designed to empower aged care providers and workers with the structures and capabilities to be flexible, agile and innovative in response to change.

The Flagship Projects have been scoped to address two key workforce challenges by embracing co-design, building workforce capability and implementing evidence-based interventions. The projects will be led by ARIIA as the evaluation and project implementation partner, supported by embedded subject matter experts and the Aged Care Collaborative Advisory Group.

Spanning twelve months from July 2025 to June 2026, both Flagship Projects will begin with six months of workshops, consultation and co-design to identify challenges and opportunities, and to plan an evidence-based intervention that is specifically tailored to each participating site. In the following six months, each site will implement and evaluate its tailored intervention with ongoing support from ARIIA and subject matter experts.

Throughout the projects, participating organisations will come together in a series of facilitated online sessions and workshops to learn together, discuss progress and challenges, and share outcomes.

On completion, the Flagship Projects will provide valuable evidence and learnings for the broader sector on how to implement evidence-based solutions in a variety of aged care contexts at scale, and provide the sector with an understanding of the factors that influence acceptability, adaptability and sustainability.

Flagship Project 1: Enhancing Role Clarity, Communication and Career Pathways with a Flexible Leadership Model

Flagship Project 2: Empowering Data Literacy and Capability to Drive Quality Care

If you’re an aged care provider that is excited by this unique opportunity to implement a workforce solution while collaborating with like-minded organisations, apply now!

A recording of ARIIA’s Flagship Project online information session is available to watch here.
The recording is divided into chapters so you can easily navigate to the information most relevant to you.
 

ARIIA is seeking applications from Australian aged care providers who would like one of their residential aged care facilities or home care regions to participate as an implementation site.

  • Applications will be accepted from aged care providers to be a participating implementation site only. Applications from pre-formed consortia or partnerships will not be accepted. 
  • There is a separate application process for each Flagship Project.
  • Providers can apply for both Flagship Projects but will be required to submit a separate application for each. 
  • Up to 6 providers will be selected to participate in Flagship Project 1, and up to 8 providers will be selected to participate in Flagship Project 2.
  • Applications will be assessed with an emphasis on ensuring representation across diverse aged care contexts, including residential and home care; metropolitan and regional, rural and remote; small and large; for-profit and not-for-profit organisations. 
  • The selected providers will receive up to $120,000 ex GST to implement the 12-month project in defined project stages. Matched co-contribution is required (cash and/or in-kind). 
  • Applications close Thursday 8 May 2025, 5pm ACST.

Find out more about each project and download the application documents at the links below:

Flagship Project 1: Enhancing Role Clarity, Communication and Career Pathways with a Flexible Leadership Model

Flagship Project 2: Empowering Data Literacy and Capability to Drive Quality Care

Collaborating, sharing knowledge and learning together are fundamental to the success of the Flagship Projects. Participating organisations will need to share this commitment to collaborate and be active participants in regular meetings with project participants and subject matter experts. All Flagship Project participants will be expected to follow these Collaboration Principles:

  • Trust - Foster mutual trust through open communication and respecting confidentiality.
  • Courage - Embrace new approaches and balance risks.
  • Inclusive - Seek and value diverse perspectives, keep an open mind.
  • Person-centred – Align the approach with person-centred principles.
  • Collective learning – Openly share best practices and lessons learned.
  • Measurable national impact – Be proactive and inquisitive in measuring results and unpacking learnings beyond an individual organisation’s context.
  • Purpose driven – Contribute towards a better future for aged care.

General Questions

Q: Who is eligible to apply for the projects?
Australian aged care providers who would like one of their residential aged care homes or home care regions to participate as an implementation site.

Q: What is the timeline for the application and project implementation?
The application period opened on March 17, 2025, and closes on May 8, 2025. The project implementation is anticipated to run from July 2025 to June 2026.

Q: What is the project timeline?
Projects will run for 12 months from July 2025 to June 2026, with four defined phases. Phases 1 to 3 will run from July to December 2025, involving workshops, capability building and co-design to identify challenges, opportunities and plan a tailored intervention for each organisation. Phase 4 will run from January to June 2026, which will comprise the implementation and evaluation of the interventions with ARIIA support. 

Q: How much funding is available per project?
Each selected aged care provider will receive up to $120,000 to implement the 12-month project ($50,000 for Project Phases 1-3 and up to $70,000 for Phase 4).

Q: What is the co-contribution requirement?
A minimum 1:1 matched co-contribution is required, which can be cash, in-kind, or a combination. 

Q: How do the Flagship Project differ from typical grant opportunities?
Unlike typical grants where recipients manage and evaluate their own projects independently, ARIIA will provide centralised project management, implementation support, and evaluation by ARIIA and embedded subject matter experts. This ensures consistency, expert guidance, and a collaborative approach throughout the projects.

Q: What kind of support can we expect from ARIIA during the project?
ARIIA will facilitate support throughout the project, including project management, workshops for co-design and mapping activities, and ongoing coaching and mentoring from SMEs. This support is designed to help organisations navigate each phase of the project effectively and achieve the desired outcomes.

Q: What are the benefits of the collaborative approach of this grant opportunity?
The collaborative approach fosters knowledge sharing and collective learning among participating aged care providers. Organisations work as part of a consortium, regularly meeting to discuss progress, challenges, and best practices. This collaboration helps address complex workforce challenges that are difficult to tackle in isolation, and will generate valuable evidence for the broader aged care sector.

Q: Can organisations apply for both Flagship projects?
Yes, providers can apply for both Flagship projects, but must submit separate applications for each.

Q: Will both residential and home care providers be selected?
Yes, ARIIA is looking to ensure representation across diverse contexts including both residential and home care, metropolitan and regional/rural/remote, small and large organisations, and for-profit and not-for-profit.

Q: Are pre-formed consortia eligible to apply?
No, applications from pre-formed consortia or partnerships aren't eligible. 
 


Flagship Project 1 Questions

Q: What is the focus of Flagship Project 1?
Enhancing role clarity, communication, and career pathways with a flexible leadership model to optimise workforce utilisation in residential and home care through the co-design of a flexible role matrix.

Q: How many aged care providers will be selected for Flagship Project 1?
Up to six providers will be selected.

Q: What outcomes are expected from implementing Project 1?
Clearer accountabilities and roles, improved communication channels, more efficient task allocation, improved staff satisfaction, reduced stress, enhanced career opportunities, and stronger workplace culture.
 


Flagship Project 2 Questions

Q: What is the focus of Flagship Project 2?
Empowering workers with data literacy and capability to drive quality care by enhancing the use of routinely collected data focused on pressure injuries and wound care.

Q: How many aged care providers will be selected for Flagship Project 2?
Up to eight implementation sites will be selected.

Q: Can we focus on data besides pressure injuries and wound care?
The project will specifically focus on routinely collected pressure injury and wound care data, but the learnings are intended to be transferable to other data collected within the organisation.

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