Marine and Safety Tasmanian (MAST) Small Boating Fund (SBF)

Marine and Safety Tasmanian Small Boating Fund

  • Applications may be submitted at any time during the year, and MAST will evaluate each application against the criteria provided; if approved, the project can commence promptly, pending necessary planning or other required approvals.
  • The total funding pool amounts to $350,000 annually.

Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) transitioned to a funding format with an infrastructure plan in 2021, replacing the 20-year-old Recreational Boating Fund, allowing for a focus on projects and prompt initiation of the sometimes lengthy approval process to ensure infrastructure upgrades are "shovel-ready" when funding becomes available, with allocated funds also directed towards specific safety initiatives to enhance boating safety and enjoyment; the annual expenditure on infrastructure and safety initiatives through this funding totals $1.6 million.

Additionally, MAST allocates $350,000 per annum for smaller projects and safety and navigation initiatives, encouraging applications from the public and facility owners under the Small Boating Fund (SBF), which may include navigation aids, fendering, small walkways or pontoons, ramp overlays, re-decking of walkways, and ramp solar lighting.

Key Requirements

The eligible applicant must meet the main assessment criteria, which include:
  • Demonstrated demand for the boating facility, including its contribution to recreational boating in Tasmania, the region, and the local area
  • Improvement of boating safety and enjoyment
  • Economic viability of the project
  • Funding or in-kind support from other sources
  • Endorsement of the application by the current owner
  • Proximity to other recreational boating facilities that may have undergone upgrades previously
  • Compliance with relevant planning and development regulations
  • Adherence to relevant Australian Standards
  • Ownership status of the facility
  • Anticipated approval processes

What is eligible for funding?

Eligible activities must adhere to the following criteria:
  • project design must comply with relevant Australian Standards and be proportionate to demand, with engineering advice recommended for larger projects;
  • boating facilities must be accessible to the public at all times and exclude public amenities such as toilet blocks, car parking, or access roads;
  • all projects require an owner accountable for ongoing management and maintenance; estimated costs of work should be specified, along with requested amounts from the Small Boating Fund and owner’s or other funding contributions or in-kind support;
  • and projects must demonstrate how infrastructure, services, or amenities will enhance the safety and enjoyment of recreational boating.

What companies are eligible for funding?

The eligible applicants for the grant include:
  • organisation
  • individual
  • registered club
  • statutory body
  • council

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.