Tourism Grants for Indigenous Business Program

Indigenous Tourism Fund Grant: Round 2

Closing at 12.00pm AEST on 14 June 2022

(Round 3 is expected to open later in the 2022-23 financial year, Round 4 is expected to open in the 2023-24 financial year)

The Indigenous Tourism Fund (ITF) was developed in consultation with the Indigenous tourism sector and includes business support and grants for Indigenous-owned tourism businesses. The ITF will deliver complementary programs to grow the size and number of Indigenous owned tourism businesses across Australia.

The Tourism Grants for Indigenous Business Program will provide up to $12 million over four years in small grants to help individual Indigenous-owned businesses and community organisations invest in developing new products, equipment, business planning and marketing in the tourism sector. Grants are capped at $50,000 for a privately owned business and $100,000 for community organisations.

Outcomes from the first round of the Tourism Grants for Indigenous Business Program were announced in July 2021.The large number of high quality applications reflects the strong interest from Indigenous Australians to develop their tourism operations.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency will also host online information sessions to provide further assistance with the application process. Invitations to attend an online information session can be requested by emailing tourism@niaa.gov.au.

Grant Specifics:

The grant is to be used for items that support development of Indigenous business and Indigenous community organisations in the tourism sector. Funded activities will contribute to building supply, boosting product development and ensuring a sustained demand by supporting the marketing and distribution of Indigenous-owned tourism products.

Eligible grant activities may include:

• The acquisition of small plant and equipment items; such as tourism-related asset or equipment items that are transportable or relocatable.
• Minor capital works; such as small-scale constructions, alterations, upgrades, extensions or restorations to an existing asset or space that improves accessibility or the capacity to deliver tourism related activities.
• Tourism product development; for example the development of a cultural tour, experience, event of other cultural product or service. 
• IT equipment, software and software development.
• Production of marketing and promotion activities materials linked to a tourism experience.

Grants are capped up to $50,000 for Indigenous-owned tourism businesses and up to $100,000 for Indigenous community organisations.

Eligibility:

Grant recipients must be a 50 per cent or more Indigenous-owned business or community organisation, which is currently operating in the tourism sector or supply chain.   To be eligible for the Indigenous community organisation level of funding (up to $100,000) you must be endorsed in writing by the Regional Manager of the NIAA region in which your organisation is located as an Indigenous community organisation.

Up to $50,000 will be available for Indigenous-owned tourism businesses and up to $100,000 will be available for Indigenous-owned community organisations.

To be eligible you must:

• be an organisation with 50 per cent or more Indigenous ownership
• be an Indigenous organisation which is currently operating in the tourism sector or supply chain
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• where relevant, be registered for the purposes of GST
• if an Indigenous individual, be a permanent resident of Australia; and have an account with an Australian financial institution.

AND be one of the following entity types:

• an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
• a company incorporated in Australia under the Corporations Act 2001
• an incorporated association (incorporated under state/territory legislation, commonly have 'Association' or 'Incorporated' or 'Inc' in their legal name)
• an incorporated cooperative (incorporated under state/territory legislation, commonly have ’Cooperative' in their legal name)
• an organisation established through a specific piece of Commonwealth or state/territory legislation including public benevolent institutions, churches and universities
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trusts
• a partnership
• a joint (consortia) application with a lead organisation that satisfies the entity type
• a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation;
• or an individual Indigenous person, operating as a sole trader.

Incorporation requirements

Subject to certain exceptions, under the Strengthening Organisational Governance Policy, all organisations that receive grant funding totalling $500,000 or more (GST exclusive) in any single financial year from IAS funding are required to:

• Incorporate under Commonwealth legislation—Indigenous organisations will be required to incorporate under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 and other organisations will be required to incorporate under the Corporations Act 2001
• Maintain these arrangements while they continue to receive any IAS funding.

Indigenous organisations already incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 do not have to change their incorporation status. However, all other Indigenous organisations must be incorporated under the Corperations (Aborgional and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 so they can access the assistance and support available under the Act.

You can find out more about how to become an incorperated organisation here

Who is not eligible to apply for a grant?

Even if you meet the criteria in Section 4.1, you are not eligible to apply if you are:

• an organisation with less than 50 per cent Indigenous ownership
• a successful grant recipient from Round 1 of this TGIB program
• receiving funding from another government source for the same specific purpose
• an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s website on the list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme
• an unincorporated association
• subject to the Agency’s sole discretion, an overseas resident
• an organisation or individual not included in the eligibilty section above
• declared bankrupt or subject to insolvency proceedings—as relevant to the entity type
• named as currently non-compliant under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012
• a Commonwealth, state, territory or local government agency or entity (including government business enterprises), or
• an Australian public company.

All applicants must be able to demonstrate that they intend to, and can demonstrate they will be able to comply with all applicable laws if their application is successful. This includes maintaining all qualifications, permits, registrations and licences required for the lawful performance of the activity or service they will provide. This also includes, where relevant, mandatory requirements for:

• Working with Children checks and/or Working with Vulnerable People registration (as required by the jurisdiction in which the activity will take place)
• Industry licenses or registration, or
• Australian Skills Quality Authority accreditation

What the grant can be used for

The Tourism Grant for Indigenous Business grant is to be used for items that support development of Indigenous business and Indigenous community organisations in the tourism sector.

Eligible grant activities may include:

• The acquisition of small plant and equipment6; such as tourism-related asset or equipment items that are transportable or relocatable
• Minor capital worksto be completed within the period of expenditure timeframe specified
• Tourism product development; for example the development of a cultural tour, experience, event of other cultural product/service
• IT equipment, software and software development
• Production of marketing and promotion activities materials linked to a tourism experience.

What the grant cannot be used for

Grant funding cannot be used for a purpose that does not directly contribute to the outcomes of the grant activity, so cannot generally be used for items such as payment of fines or loans, purchase of gifts, personal debts, or sitting fees.

You cannot use the grant for the following activities:

• Activities that do not clearly align to the identified outcomes of the TGIB program
• Purposes that do not directly contribute to the outcomes of the activity, typically including (but not limited to) the payment of wages or salaries, overseas travel, retrospective costs, or any general ongoing administration of an organisation, such as electricity, phone and rent
• Costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation unless specifically agreed with the Agency
• Activities for which other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government bodies have primary responsibility
• Expenses for which other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government bodies have primary responsibility to provide the source of funding, unless otherwise specifically agreed with the Agency
• Items that do not support business development of Indigenous business and Indigenous community organisations in the tourism sector, are unrelated to supporting development, or which are used to generate primary income
• The purchase of land, any capital works or expenditure not considered minor
• Activities the NIAA deems may bring it into disrepute

The assessment criteria

You must address all of the following assessment criteria in your application.

Criterion
1: Need and economic benefit: You should demonstrate this by	Outlining your target market	Demonstrating a need or demand for the product or service	Describing how the activity will assist your business to start up, stabilise or grow within the tourism sector.
2: Capability: You should demonstrate this by describing how	Your resources and capability will support you to deliver high quality activities	You have delivered this or a similar activity to a high standard	The risks associated with the proposed activity, including work, health and safety risks, will be managed.
3: Delivering Outcomes: You should demonstrate this by	Providing evidence of how the funding will be expended to deliver the intended outcomes	Describing how the outcome/s of the proposed activity can be sustained into the future	If appropriate, provide evidence your business is able to work without restriction on country, with appropriate permissions, as necessary, from Traditional Owners (see glossary on Grant Connect).