Overview
The NBN-Enabled Education and Skills Services (NBN-EESS) Program is a new Australian Government initiative aimed at supporting the development and trialing of online education and skills services that take advantage of the high speed broadband connections being made available through the National Broadband Network (NBN).
The four-year, $27.2 million program seeks to develop and trial services that have the potential to provide more interactive and effective learning opportunities for all Australians, no matter where they live. It will leverage the potential of ubiquitous access, made possible by the NBN, together with the efficiencies achieved using online and interactive education, to reach students and trainees in new and innovative ways. This includes delivering the program in regional or remote locations.
The Program will focus on proposals that conduct NBN enabled projects within, connecting to, or preferably between NBN early release sites.
The program has the following elements:
- Project Development – supporting the development of innovative ideas that have the potential to realise significant service benefits from the NBN.
- Deployment Trials – supporting the implementation of sustainable, scalable and robust trials that demonstrate new or improved models of service delivery made possible by the NBN.
The program is part of a broader package of Digital Productivity initiatives announced as part of the National Digital Economy Strategy.
A call for proposals for the NBN-EESS Program was announced on 01 December 2011.
Program Guidelines
The Program Guidelines provide further information about the program.
Applying for Funding under the Program
The Call for Proposals for the program closed on 10 February 2012. All applications received by the closing date will be assessed for eligibility and evaluated against the program’s selection criteria.
We expect Ministers will announce successful projects before end June 2012.
Eligibility
Applicants for funding under the Program must be legal entities representing either:
- a recognised provider of education, training or skills services;
- a body representing recognised providers of education, training or skills services; or
- a not-for-profit organisation that provides education, training or skills services.
Recognised providers of education, training or skills services include educational institutions, such as:
“Not-for-profit organisations” include, but are not necessarily limited to:
- State or local government bodies; and
- Professional, industry or community associations.
Further information on eligible applicants was provided in the program guidelines.
Key Dates
- Draft program guidelines released for public consultation 2 September 2011 to 12 September 2011.
- Registration for the program commenced 10 November 2011.
- The finalised program guidelines released 01 December 2011.
- The call for proposals (with finalised program guidelines) opened on 01 December and closed on 10 February 2012 at 5:00 pm (AEDT).
- Following announcement of successful proposals projects are expected to start in 2012.
The above dates may be subject to review. Please check this website periodically for any updates or alternatively email the NBNEducationandSkills@deewr.gov.au to be added to our mailing list.