General Practitioners (GP) grant program

To be eligible for the GP grant, at the time of the application, applicants must:

1. Be enrolled to undertake GP training, by:

• Undertaking GP training in Victoria in 2024 or 2025 and meeting the requirements as per the guidelines. This will involve applying directly to one of the following:
  • Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
  • Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
  • Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS), or
• have applied, enrolled and been accepted on or after 27 November 2022 into a GP training program in Victoria and have commenced training in 2023.

2. Meet the relevant citizenship, visa, qualification, Ahpra registration and training requirements to enter a GP training program.

3. Be successfully accepted into one of the following GP training programs and commence training in Victoria:

• Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program
• Fellowship Support Program (FSP)
• Independent Pathway (IP)
• Practice Experience Program (PEP) – Specialist Stream
• Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS)
• Rural Generalist Training Scheme (RGTS).

4. Undertake training at a location within Victoria or a Victorian border community that is an approved location recognised for GP training by the respective GP college, as part of the eligibility process undertaken by the Administrators.

If an applicant is successful for a grant, the administrator will make the first, second and third instalment payments only if the following conditions are met at the time of the instalment payment:

• secured, commenced and undertaking a training placement/term
• remain enrolled in a GP training program in Victoria
• maintain a valid working visa
• maintain current professional Ahpra registration.

Further eligibility considerations

In special circumstances, assessed on a case-by-case basis, consideration may be given to a successful grant applicant who has had to take a leave of absence from their GP training program. The successful applicant will be responsible for providing sufficient reasons or evidence to be considered as a special case. In such cases, the decision of the administrators on special circumstances will be final.

Ineligible applicants

The following applicants are ineligible for the grant:

• Doctors who have enrolled and were accepted into a GP training program before 27 November 2022 are not eligible. (Grants are only available for doctors who applied, enrolled and were accepted into a GP training program in Victoria on or after 27 November 2022 and commenced training in 2023).
• Doctors who were previously enrolled in a GP training program prior to 2024 and re-enter a GP training program in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
• Doctors who have been accepted and commence a GP training program after 2025.
• Doctors who do not train in Victoria (or a border community that is not an approved location) during their training.
• Doctors undertaking GP training placements during Prevocational years in GP practices.

The total number of grants available is capped at 800 (400 in 2024 and 400 in 2025). Where demand for grants exceeds the number available, the Victorian Government reserves the right to prioritise the award of grants to Australian citizens, Australian medical graduates, doctors training in rural locations and areas of workforce need.

The administrators will undertake the assessment process. The administrators are The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM). Please refer to their websites for more details.

RACGP and ACRRM, as administrators, will administer and distribute the grants. After they have been successfully enrolled into one of the relevant GP training programs, applicants can apply for a grant by submitting an application to the administrators via their websites.

As part of the application process, applicants must agree that they are aware of the requirements of the GP grant program and the terms of the grant agreement. By submitting an application form, applicants agree that if they are successful, they will be bound by a grant agreement between themselves and an administrator.

If the application is successful, applicants will be notified via email. This will form an agreement between the successful applicant and the Administrator on the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement, as comprised in the application form, the Terms and Conditions outlined in the Program Guidelines and other terms as determined by the Administrators.

If an applicant is successful in applying for the GP grant program, the applicant will need to provide their Australian bank account details to their responsible administrator to indicate where they would like the grant paid.

Applicants can only apply for one grant and will receive a maximum amount of $40,000.