VIC Regional Business Events Grant Program

VIC Business Events Grant Program

  • VIC Business Events Grant Program opens: until 30th June 2025
  • International Incentive Events Program: up to $22,350 available ($150 per delegate, for up to 149 delegates)
  • National Business Events Program: offers two streams for funding:
    • Stream 1: up to $40,000 available ($80 per delegate, for up to 500 delegates)
    • Stream 2: up to $75,000 available ($100 per delegate, for up to 750 delegates)

The Business Events Program aims to attract new business events to Melbourne and regional Victoria. This fund will focus on association conferences, trade exhibitions, corporate meetings, and seminars, as well as international incentive groups.

Key Requirements

International Incentive Events Program – offers funding to host new international incentive events in Victoria that incorporate overnight stays in regional Victoria.

National Business Events Program – offers funding to eligible event organisers to host new business events in regional Victoria.

Grants can be put towards accommodation, venue hire, transport and other event costs, such as marketing and promotion.

What is eligible for funding?

International Incentive Events Program

To be eligible:

  • The incentive must have between 10–149 delegates.
  • All delegates must be from outside Australia (international delegates).
  • The incentive must spend one night of the incentive program in Regional Victoria.

National Business Events Program

To be eligible for stream 1:

  • The event must be a business to business (B2B) event.
  • The full event must take place in regional Victoria.
  • The event must represent new business for regional Victoria that is not yet confirmed, contracted or advertised for regional Victoria.
  • The event must be attended by at least 25 in-person delegates per day.
  • The event must have a minimum two-day business event program, with at least one-night stay.
  • The event must generate a minimum of 20 room nights, or at least 40 per cent of total delegates requiring the use of local accommodation, whichever is the greater.

To be eligible for stream 2:

  • Stream 2 eligibility is similar to stream 1, with the following changes:
    • The event must be attended by at least 50 in-person delegates per day.
    • The event must generate a minimum of 40 room nights, or at least 40 per cent of total delegates requiring the use of local accommodation, whichever is the greater.

The incentive must take place between 1 January 2025 and 31 March 2026.

What companies are eligible for funding?

Applicant organisations must be a valid business organisation or operation either in Australia or overseas, with documented evidence of an appropriate legal structure

Applicants must identify either one or two regions where the event may be held, with regions being:

  • Daylesford and Macedon Ranges
  • Grampians
  • The Murray
  • Great Ocean Road
  • Victoria’s High Country
  • Gippsland
  • Greater Geelong and Bellarine
  • Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges
  • Goldfields – Ballarat and Bendigo
  • Mornington Peninsula
  • Goulburn Regional Tourism
  • Phillip Island

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

  • Industry analysis presentation
  • Competitor Analysis Presentation
  • Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
  • 3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
  • 3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
  • End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
  • CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
  • Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
  • Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.