• The NSW Catholic Block Grant Authority (CBGA) needs to delegate responsibility for projects to the relevant Diocesan, Parish or School Authority who will act as the Delegated Approved Authority (DAA).
• The person carrying out the roles of the DAA is nominated in the CBGA Membership Agreement between the Diocesan School System, Religious Institute, or Independent Catholic School.
• The Delegated Approved Authority is responsible for the receipt, expenditure and accountability of and for the grant. Because public monies are involved in the payment of capital grants, the Delegated Approved Authority is required to comply with general conditions of funding that are applicable to both NSW Government grants and Australian Government grants.

• The DAA must confirm in writing either acceptance or rejection of the Final Grant Offer within 14 days. The DAA needs to complete the Acceptance of Final Grant Offer form. This can be found here.
• Grant monies must be spent on the approved project only as agreed at the time of recommendation to the relevant Minister. Funding authorities can undertake spot checks on project to ensure compliance with this condition.
• The final offer of a grant is based on the tendered works presented to the CBGA, and usually results in an increased local contribution, as will be indicated in the final offer. Where the final cost of the approved project is less than the estimated cost upon which the grant offer is based, that is the initial offer, the grant amount will be reduced by the amount of the saving thus affected.
• The DAA is required to provide full recognition of funding sources for all projects that have been funded by contributions from the Australian and/or NSW Governments.

Where the appropriate sign/plaque has not been erected or has been removed prematurely, further payments of the grant may be withheld pending the provision of satisfactory recognition of Australian Government and/or NSW Government assistance.

Where the grant recipient fails to undertake a recognition ceremony without the express approval of the funding government department, the entire grant amount may need to be refunded.

A commitment means:

• in the case of construction/refurbishing projects, a legal commitment in the form of a signed contract or of a letter of intent to sign a contract;
• in the case of furniture and equipment projects, satisfactory written evidence that goods have been ordered and an explanation for their non-receipt;
• in the case of land and/or building purchase projects, provision of a completed Contract of Sale or a solicitor’s letter indicating that a Contract of Sale is being prepared;
• in the case of planning projects, evidence of satisfactory progress made in the development of the planning project.

If the DAA does not enter into a commitment by the due date, then government approval (both State and Commonwealth) could be withdrawn. Furthermore, the CBGA will be unable to reallocate those funds to another school project. Any anticipated delay in entering into a contract must be notified to the CBGA well before 31 December. Proposed action at any stage after the Final Offer has been accepted that could vary the number, type or area of the facilities proposed in the approved project must be referred in advance to the CBGA for consideration of approval prior to implementation.

Grants will usually be paid in the year(s) specified in the final offer letter from the CBGA. However, the DAA must provide satisfactory evidence of actual expenditure or commitments being made that are equal or greater than the grant payment.

Satisfactory evidence means providing the CBGA with the notification of Commencement of Project and Execution of Contract form. This form can be found here. Payment of the grant is also subject to the CBGA receiving sufficient funding from the State or Commonwealth Governments.

Payment of grants to projects may be delayed should Monthly Progressive Expenditure Statements to the CBGA not be received by the first week of each month from the time the project commences until the time of project is completed. The Monthly Progressive Expenditure Statement form can be found here

Yes. The account should be for either the school or the Parish concerned. A Diocesan development fund account is permissible. The account must be the subject of regular audit and cannot be used for general recurrent purposes.

Approved Purpose in relation to an asset means the use of the asset as a school or part of a school or for the purposes of a school being a school that, or a school that is part of a school system that, in respect of its recurrent expenditure in a year is entitled to receive payments from a State for this expenditure pursuant to the Australian Education Act 2013 and/or the NSW Education Act 1990 and any other legislation varying or replacing that Act/s or that subsequently comes into force and that makes provisions of a similar nature to that Act/s in relation to recurrent expenditure.