Developing regional tourism through grants
Are you prepared for the funding opportunity available to regional tourism?
There is regular federal, state and local government funding available to support regional tourism development, ranging from arts and Indigenous grants to event and infrastructure grants.
Get shovel-ready with a business case
Developing a business case for your project even if the ideal grant is not currently open means you’ll be ready to seize the right opportunity when it does arise (The window for grant applications from when they open until when they close tend to be not very long).
Don’t just get excited about the idea of getting ‘free’ money, because you can get into a pickle. The certainty provided by a business case will also benefit you - you’ll know that your project is likely to succeed.
An effective business case provides rationale to potential funding partners on why your project should be undertaken, helping them understand
your project’s economic value
its longterm viability
why a private or public partner should invest in it
why it represents a worthy expenditure of public funds
It will outline
the concept overview including project elements
rationale
expected outcomes if the investment support is provided – economic, marketing and social benefits
opportunity cost if the project does not go ahead
capital required
budget and financial projections
timelines
capacity to deliver - to establish credibility to deliver project and sustain it as a successful business
how outcomes will be measured
alignment with strategic business plans of your organisation and the wider region/industry
risk mitigation plans
How to write a grant application
Now I am going to share with you some of the practical tips our team has learnt over the years doing many grant applications for our clients…
Read the guidelines and the objectives the grant is aiming to support - several times
Don’t try to fit your round project into a square funding program - you will waste everyone's time!
Look for a good fit with a grant program that is aiming for outcomes your project will achieve.
If you have any questions, call and talk with the grant provider
If you are unsure about anything in the guidelines or application form, reach out and ask for clarification. Don't be afraid to keep calling as more questions arise.
Gather supporting documentation early
Take note of any documents you need to gather and get started on gathering or producing those EARLY - this will usually take longer than you think.
Gather as many letters of support as you can, especially from those who wouldn’t directly benefit if you secured the funding for your project. Examples include your Council, your local and regional tourism organisations, your local Regional Development Australia (RDA) branch, your business chamber or progress association, and people who use your services or would use your services if your project could go ahead.
Get the finances right
Make sure your budget is balanced, with income and in-kind contributions in the right places. Explain budget items and ensure they match the project's intent.
In most cases you will also want to show forecasted cash flow and projections.
Answer questions using hard data and evidence
Brainstorm notes on how you will answer each of the the grant application questions. You might like to involve others in your organisation at this point to get their ideas. Think about what will reinforce your project.
Remember, the assessing panel don’t live in your community, so explain the context to them.
Cover the Who, What, When, Why + How.
Review thoroughly
Write your answers completely. Once you have written your answer to a question, re-read the question and ask yourself if you have really answered it.
Keep the grant provider's objectives in mind .
Ask for feedback
Be sure to complete your draft early enough so that you have time to send a draft of your application to as many people as you can to get feedback to improve your draft. Consider asking your local RDA, someone at your Council like the Economic Development Manager, and a relevant state body (such as the state organisation for your sport if you are applying for a sports grant).
Where to find suitable grants
Find out about open grants by looking through these grant finders (subscribe for their email updates)
Funding Centre for not-for-profits
Your state will also have a grants portal.
Sign up for industry newsletters from your state and regional tourism organisations and local Regional Development Australia branch - these often promote open rounds of relevant grants.
How Tilma Group can help you
We write grant applications that are often successful (one of our federal grant applications received the highest score of the round; and we’ve secure grants from $20,000 to $3.9 million for tourism development for clients).
We write business cases for projects and new event development plans - read a case study on a business plan we developed for Heifer Station Winery