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QLD Growing Future Tourism (GFT)

Expression of interest (EOI) opened until: 11 September 2023
Grants: between $1 million and $4 million

Round 1 of the Growing Future Tourism (GFT) program aims to provide financial support for the development and delivery of new and enhanced tourism infrastructure or experiences in the priority areas of coastal and marine tourism, heritage and cultural tourism, ecotourism, and sustainability. The program’s objective is to enable and leverage private sector investment in these areas. Eligible Queensland tourism operators, not-for-profit organisations and local governments planning significant infrastructure or experience projects are invited to apply.

Key Requirements

Under the program, eligible applicants can receive funding between $1 million and $4 million (GST exclusive) for eligible projects. Funding is provided on a 1:1 co-contribution basis, with applicants required to contribute at least 50% of the total eligible project costs (GST exclusive). For instance, a minimum grant of $1 million (GST exclusive) would result in an infrastructure/experience project with $2 million (GST exclusive) in eligible project costs, while a maximum grant of $4 million (GST exclusive) would result in a project with a minimum value of $8 million (GST exclusive) in eligible costs.

Preference is given to projects where the applicant’s private investment exceeds the matched funding component for eligible project costs.

The program will be offered through a two-stage application process. The first stage is an Expression of Interest (EOI), which will be open to eligible applicants for five weeks. After reviewing and assessing the EOIs, selected applicants may be invited to submit a Full Business Case (FBC) detailing their project. Applicants will have six weeks to prepare and submit their FBC application.

Applications are subject to competitive assessment, and submitting an EOI or FBC application does not guarantee funding approval. Unsuccessful applicants may be offered non-financial government support to develop potential projects.

What is eligible for funding?

To be considered for funding, a project must meet the following criteria:

Be located on freehold or leasehold land with the owner’s consent to develop and operate tourism infrastructure or experience.
Have appropriate zoning that permits tourism infrastructure or experience.
Have received in-principle support from local government and Traditional Owners, if necessary.
Have made significant progress towards obtaining, or have already obtained, all relevant approvals from local, state, and Australian Government authorities, if applicable.
Have made significant progress towards obtaining Development Approval.
Have made significant progress towards completing Detailed Design for new tourism infrastructure.
Begin within six months of receiving funding approval and be completed by 30 June 2026.

The GFT Program aims to support the development of new or improved tourism infrastructure products and experiences in the areas of coastal and marine tourism, heritage and cultural tourism, and ecotourism and sustainability.

Eligible project costs may include offsite construction costs, technology enhancements, capital construction costs, final design production costs, construction-related labour costs, project management costs, project implementation progress recording costs, and vehicle leasing or hiring costs directly associated with the construction of the project.

Examples of the types of projects proposed to be supported could include the following as a guide only:

Tech overlay – online, digital, virtual and augmented reality capability enhancement of a destination, tourism infrastructure product or experience
Tourism / resort accommodation
Marine tourism terminals / pontoons / jetties
Agritourism infrastructure product / experience
Nature-based tourism infrastructure or experience
Paleo tourism infrastructure product / experience
First Nations tourism infrastructure product / experience
Ecotourism infrastructure and products that develop or enhances existing tourism experience.

What companies are eligible for funding?

To be considered for funding, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

Be an established tourism operator in Queensland, or a new operator or an operator from another Australian jurisdiction who can demonstrate active establishment of tourism operations in Queensland with significant tourism benefits to the state.
Hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be registered for GST.

Under the program, not-for-profit organisations and Queensland Local Government Authorities that offer tourism services or experiences are eligible to apply for funding.

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.

This grant has expired

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