Aboriginal Tourism Development Support Grant Program (Round 3) – Australia

Aboriginal Tourism Development Support Grant Program Round 3 (Grant Program) supports the vision by helping Aboriginal owned businesses and organisations to develop Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences and tourism product that encourage visitors to travel to the NT and stay longer.

Tourism NT is providing a non-competitive funding pool of $300,000 (excluding GST) for professional services to support feasibility and business planning. Professional services can also assist to prepare applications to the relevant land council or other land management authority for tourism experiences and tourism product.

Funding Information 

• Applications can be submitted for:
  • A minimum funding value of: $10,000 (excluding GST).
  • Up to a maximum funding value of $30,000 (excluding GST).

Eligible Activities

• As a guide, activities may include engaging expert and specialist professionals to support the development and delivery of:
  • Feasibilities and business planning to develop Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences and product that encourage visitors to travel to the NT and stay longer.
  • Feasibility and business planning for upgrade improvements and/ or new infrastructure that supports the delivery of Aboriginal tourism visitor experiences.
  • Assistance to prepare and lodge applications to the relevant land council or other land management authority for tourism experiences and product development – may be subject to a sound business plan that includes financials and forecasts, targeted marketing and action plan.
• One quote must be provided with the application that outlines the scope of works and delivery timeline milestones.

Ineligible Activities

• As a guide, ineligible activities may include engaging expert and specialist professionals to support the development and delivery of:
  • activities that have commenced before funding is approved.
  • upgrading or developing facilities mostly for local community use or where there is no clearly defined visitor benefit.
  • activities related to regular repairs and maintenance.
  • marketing activities for actively trading Aboriginal tourism businesses and its existing products and experiences.
  • wages or salaries for an applicant’s employees.
• Take care to ensure ineligible activities are not included in the application, as this can preclude further consideration.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Grant Program is designed to primarily support Aboriginal majority owned businesses and organisations. Eligible applicants must:
  • be greater than 50% Aboriginal owned.
  • be an Aboriginal owned business or organisation located and operating in the NT.
  • Aboriginal Corporations and Associations to provide confirmation of intent to lodge a Grant Program application. Evidence could be
    • written advice from minimum of two Directors involved in discussions or approvals or
    • minutes of a duly constituted meeting.
  • be legally constituted.
  • be Australian registered.
  • have no outstanding grant acquittals or unmet funding agreement obligations from any previous funding from Tourism NT
• If the applicants are an active trading Aboriginal tourism business, applicants must:
  • have a current Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) listing or have applied for one at the time of application (if appropriate).
  • be a member of a peak industry body, such as Tourism Top End, Tourism Central Australia or Hospitality NT or have applied for one at the time of application to the grant (if appropriate).
  • employ Territory residents.

For more information, visit business.gov.au.