Applications open for Regional Events Funding Scheme (Australia)

Tourism WA aims to position Western Australia as the premier destination for Aboriginal cultural tourism in Australia. This is achieved by respectfully empowering and promoting WA’s Aboriginal cultural tourism sector in ways that deliver economic, social and cultural benefits for Aboriginal people.

Objectives

• The objectives of RES are:
  • Visitation – Bring additional visitation and expenditure to regions, including during offpeak and shoulder seasons.
  • Economic – Support economic growth in the region, including through local job creation, career and capability development.
  • Media – Raise the profile of the region through event promotion and media coverage.
  • Social – Promote inclusive and sustainable event practices and improve the vibrancy, social amenity and community wellbeing in regional Western Australia.

Funding Information

• Applicants can apply for between $5,000 and $40,000 per event, per financial year from a total available funding pool of $1.4 million.

Eligible Costs

• Some examples of acceptable costs include:
  • Paid marketing and media.
  • Live music and performances.
  • Prestigious talent/hero names.
  • Arts and cultural activities.
  • Workshops.
  • Temporary event infrastructure.
  • Event operational costs such as traffic management and licensing.
  • Event staff (event/project specific).
  • Waste and recycling management.
  • Access and inclusion measures.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for RAES funding, the Event must also have:
  • More than 50% of its program consisting of Aboriginal activities or experiences.
  • Involvement of Aboriginal people in the leadership, coordination and delivery of the Event Program, which may also relate to performers, food and beverage offerings or the production and selling of merchandise.
• Tourism WA will only enter into sponsorship agreements with the following types of applicants:
  • Local Government Authority.
  • Incorporated Entity.
  • Pty Ltd Company.
  • Natural Person.
• To be eligible for multi-year funding, the Event must have received single-year funding through the RES within the last three funding rounds.

Ineligible Costs

• RES and RAES funding cannot be used for the following expenditure items:
  • Capital works (permanent infrastructure);
  • Existing, ongoing or recurrent organisational costs (i.e. employee salaries and employment costs, insurance, lease or rental payments, uniforms, administration expenses);
  • Purchase of capital equipment or assets (i.e. computers, photocopiers and vehicles);
  • Venue hire or rental fees for the applicant organisation’s own venue or assets;
  • Prize money or gifts;
  • Expenses from previous or future events (outside of the funding period).

Ineligibility Criteria

• The following applications are ineligible to receive RES funding:
  • Events held in the Perth metropolitan area or outside of Western Australia.
  • Business or industry events including, but not limited to, conferences, conventions, symposia, congresses, incentive group events, marketing events, special celebrations, seminars, courses, public or trade shows, product launches, exhibitions, company general meetings, corporate retreats, study tours or training programs (funding for business events may be available through Business Events Perth).
  • Tourism products including, but not limited to, transport, attractions, accommodation, catering, natural resources, entertainment, experiences and other facilities and services.
  • Events that are already in receipt of Tourism WA funding for the funding period.
  • Agricultural shows, which have the primary purpose of showcasing agriculture, machinery, trade and/or animal husbandry.
  • Auspice arrangements (where the contracted organisation is not the organisation delivering the contractual obligations).

For more information, visit Tourism WA.