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NSW Regional Event Fund – Flagship Event stream

NSW Regional Event Fund – Flagship Event stream

  • Applications will remain open until 9 April 2024.
  • Total budget $750,000 will be allocated to the Flagship Event stream.
  • The Flagship Event stream offers the following subcategories:
    • Annual grant – $20,000 (ex. GST)
    • Triennial grant – $30,000 (ex. GST) per annum for three years

The Flagship Event stream of the Regional Event Fund in New South Wales provides support to well-established events that have been running for over two years. Through this stream, grants are offered to assist in marketing activities aimed at promoting overnight visitation from individuals outside the event's Local Government Area.

The Regional Event Fund consists of three distinct funding streams, offering a developmental pathway for events from their inception to becoming established tourism attractions in Regional NSW.

The Regional Event Fund comprises three distinct streams:

-Incubator Event stream – to support the establishment of new events
-Flagship Event stream – to support the marketing of emerging events to increase their profile and encourage visitation; and
-Event Development stream – to support the strategic development of established events as drivers of tourism.

Each of the three streams in the Regional Event Fund has unique eligibility, selection criteria, and assessment processes. Management of applications for the three streams is conducted separately.

Key Requirements

The Flagship Event stream operates as an open and competitive grants program. Applications will undergo evaluation based on the eligibility criteria and assessment criteria specified in these Guidelines. Eligible applications are assessed on their comparative merits against the nominated criteria.

All eligible applications will undergo assessment by a panel convened by Destination NSW. This panel comprises experienced representatives in events and regional tourism. Each application is assessed by a minimum of three different members of the assessment panel.

The Panel will base its recommendations for allocating grants from the Flagship Event stream on the following principles of the fund:

  • the Flagship Event stream represents a collaborative partnership between Destination NSW and the regional event.
  • the Flagship Event stream is a grant program supported by Destination NSW, aimed at promoting selected regional events to drive tourism outcomes that benefit regional NSW.
  • the Flagship Event stream is dedicated to promoting events that significantly contribute to the distinctive identity of the tourism regions within the State. These events are carefully selected based on their potential to serve as ‘flagships’ for their respective regions.
  • destination NSW aims to support at least one event in each of the seven Destination Network regions, although this is not guaranteed and depends on the quality of the applications received. Destination NSW reserves the discretion to withhold funding in any region if the applications are deemed to lack sufficient merit by the Panel.
  • receipt of a grant through the Regional Event Fund in a previous year does not guarantee the success of a current application. The Panel will assess future funding based solely on the merits of each event’s application for that specific year.
  • as part of the assessment process, Destination NSW may gather further insights regarding the tourism potential of events applying for funding from the Destination Networks, to help inform its decision-making.

Based on the assessments, a formal recommendation will be articulated in writing and presented to the Decision-Maker. The Decision-Maker will grant final approval for the event’s funding and determine the funding amount.

What is eligible for funding?

To qualify for the Flagship Event Annual event subcategory, your event must:

  • occur from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
  • must have a minimum of two (2) years of operation before applying for funding.
  • being held in one of the following seven Destination Network regions listed below:
    • Destination Central West
    • Destination Country & Outback NSW
    • Destination North Coast incl. Lord Howe Island
    • Destination Riverina Murray
    • Destination Southern NSW
    • Destination Sydney Surrounds North
    • Destination Sydney Surrounds South

(Please note: the Local Government Areas of Penrith, Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Wollondilly are no longer included in the above Destination Networks

To qualify for the Flagship Event Triennial event subcategory, your event must:

  • fulfil the Eligible Events criteria mentioned earlier for the Flagship Event Annual subcategory, and
  • have already received three Flagship Event Annual event grants.

What companies are eligible for funding?

To qualify to apply for any of the three streams of the Regional Event Fund, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Hold ownership of the event (i.e., possess the rights to the event and secure the necessary approvals)
  • Maintain financial solvency
  • Possess an Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • Operate as a sole trader, company, incorporated association, or trust entity
  • Provide a certificate of currency for public liability insurance of at least $20 million, or demonstrate the capability to obtain it before entering into a funding agreement.

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.