Deadline: March 06, 2026
The Aboriginal Tourism Grant Program Round 9 offers funding to help Northern Territory-based majority-owned Aboriginal businesses and organisations develop Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences and tourism products that inspire visitors to connect with Aboriginal culture and sustain the sector for future generations.
The focus areas include developing and activating Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences and tourism product, building stronger tourism experiences that encourage visitors to travel to the Northern Territory and stay longer, new product development that activates a bookable product, upgrade improvements and/or new infrastructure for tourism visitor experiences, infrastructure to support sustainability and/or accessibility and inclusion objectives, interpretative signage, interpretation planning and guiding manuals, implementation of new technology to improve the on-ground visitor experience, and engaging expert and specialist professionals to support the development and delivery of these activities.
This program provides non-competitive funding totaling $500,000 (excluding GST), with grants available from a minimum of $30,000 up to a maximum of $100,000 (excluding GST). Eligible applicants must be Aboriginal-owned or majority-owned businesses or organisations located and operating within the Northern Territory, legally constituted and registered in Australia, and have the relevant approvals from Land Councils or land management authorities. Eligible activities encompass the development of new products that encourage tourism, infrastructure improvements to support visitor experiences including sustainability, accessibility, technology upgrades, and expert professional engagement. The program excludes activities that do not clearly demonstrate an Aboriginal cultural experience or visitor benefit, repairs and maintenance, administration costs, mobile or portable asset purchases, real estate, marketing of existing products by active businesses, wages, and hospitality expenses.
Applications close on 6 March 2026, with projects expected to be completed by 15 May 2026. Approved funding will be paid in two installments, the first upon acceptance of the funding offer and submission of the first supplier invoice, and the second upon project acquittal with required documentation. Applicants are encouraged to engage early with the Tourism NT Aboriginal tourism team for guidance. The program aligns with the Northern Territory Aboriginal Tourism Strategy 2020-2030, aiming to deliver benefits that inspire visitors and strengthen the Aboriginal tourism sector for future sustainability.
For more information, visit Tourism NT.
