Deadline: 13 December 2019

The Australian Government is seeking applications via a targeted competitive process to apply for funding under the Regional Agricultural Show Development Grants Program.

The Regional Agricultural Show Development Grants Program is designed to provide funding for the maintenance and upgrade of existing infrastructure and the building, purchasing and construction of new infrastructure related to the running of an agricultural show on regional showgrounds.

Agricultural shows provide an authentic and accessible showcase of Australian farming. They are at the very heart of regional communities, bring rural and urban communities together, showcase new technology, and promote competition and improvement in agricultural sectors.

Objectives

The objectives of the Regional Agricultural Show Development Grants Program are to help:

• keep agricultural shows running
• bring communities together
• bridge the divide between country and city

Outcomes

Outcomes from the program are expected to include:

• improved amenity of showground infrastructure to improve the experience of showground users and visitors. The amenities can include but are not limited to, for example, new and/or improved exhibiting and seating facilities, upgrading existing buildings to meet contemporary accessibility standards, building new or upgrading existing roads and buildings
• improved flexibility of use of showground infrastructure to increase the opportunity for it to be used for other events that bring the community together through the year
• use of modern construction methods and materials that reduce on-going maintenance and repair of infrastructure
• reduced operational costs for events conducted at and using showground facilities
• greater variety of attractions to improve shows’ ability to attract visitors

Categories

This grant opportunity will provide funding under five categories, called program ‘streams’. Each stream intends to fund a specific type of activity. The streams are:

• Small grants for small shows
• Small grants for large shows
• Large grants for small shows
• Large grants for large shows
• State-wide grants

Grant Information

• The Australian Government has announced $20 million (GST exclusive) in funding for the Regional Agricultural Show Development Grants program.
• The value of money awarded under this grant opportunity cannot exceed the total funding available.
• The maximum grant amount will be $500,000.
• No additional grant funding will be available if a project comes in over budget. The successful grantee must manage this risk to ensure the grant activity is completed in full.

Eligibility criteria

• To be eligible the applicant should:
  • have a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • be registered for the purposes of GST
  • have an account with an Australian financial institution
• To be eligible applicant must be one of the following entity types:
  • Indigenous Corporation
  • Company
  • Cooperative
  • Incorporated Association
  • Statutory Entity
  • Partnership
  • Unincorporated Association
• To be eligible applicant must be a regional agricultural show society who is:
  • a member of Agricultural Shows Australia (ASA)
  • a member of a state and territory regional agricultural show society that is a member of ASA
  • a regional agricultural show society intending to become a member of ASA or a state and territory regional agricultural show society that is a member of ASA.
• To be eligible applicant must be able to meet the following conditions:
  • The regional agricultural show society must conduct a regular agricultural show at a showground located in a defined regional area (note: special consideration may be given if a regular agricultural show was not held in 2017, 2018 or 2019 owing to exceptional circumstances, but it is intended a show will be held in 2020 and/or subsequent years).
  • The regional agricultural show society can provide evidence that the entity with responsibility for the relevant showground and related showground infrastructure affected by the proposed project supports the application. The responsible entity may be, for example, a trust or other constituted body responsible for the management of Crown land, a local council, or a user or tenant of the showground.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply via given website.

For more information, please visit https://www.communitygrants.gov.au/grants/regional-agricultural-show-sevelopment-grants-program