January 22, 2024

Regional Victoria is an amazing place to live – and visit. And with more regional tourism comes more regional jobs.

That’s why the Victorian Government has announced a new grant fund that will support a strong pipeline of investment-ready tourism infrastructure projects across Victoria to get off the ground.

As part of the $170 million allocated to a Regional Tourism Support Package, the Enabling Tourism Fund 2024 will invest up to $8 million to support regional and rural Victorian tourism infrastructure projects to reach investment-ready status. This package forms part of the $2 billion Commonwealth Games Support Fund that was announced by the Government last year.

Grants of between $20,000 and $500,000 are open to tourism businesses, not-for-profit and Traditional Owner organisations, to create new experiences and projects.

The funding will be guided by five main product priorities as identified in Experience Victoria 2033: First Peoples-led experiences, wellness, arts and culture, food and drink, and nature.

Regional tourism projects attract visitors and jobs, but first they have to attract investment – that’s where this funding comes in.

Successful applicants will be supported via grants to deliver planning activities that include feasibility studies, master planning and design.

The fund will be delivered via 2 grant streams:

  • Stream 1 – Testing the concept: between $20,000 and $500,000 for a project to test the concept of a new infrastructure project, such as a feasibility study, master plan or business case.
  • Stream 2 – Preparing for investment: between $20,000 and $500,000 to prepare a combination of materials to ensure that a project is ready for infrastructure investment.

Applications will close at 5pm on 28 March 2024.

You can review full details of the program here.

Please make sure to read the program guidelines and frequently asked questions (FAQs) before applying.