Visitor First Experience Fund
Supporting the development of new and enhanced products and experiences in Queensland.
The $3 million Visitor First Experience (VFE) Fund supports the Queensland Government’s Towards Tourism 2032 strategy, a plan to deliver uniquely Queensland experiences to meet the needs of visitors, communities, and the environment.
The aim of the fund is to strengthen Queensland’s tourism industry and deliver economic benefits through enhancing the state’s tourism offerings by bringing forward the delivery of new and enhanced tourism-related projects.
Priority will be given to projects that can demonstrate:
- alignment to the key priorities of the Towards Tourism 2032 strategy such as tech wonderment, nature-based tourism, regenerative tourism and authentic culture
- advanced planning and project completion by June 2024 as a priority and by no later than June 2025
- access to or secured co-funding contribution, at the time of application.
Grant details
The Visitor First Experience Fund has a total funding pool of $3 million will be offered over one round.
The minimum grant available is $250,000 (excluding GST) and the maximum grant available is $1,000,000 (excluding GST) per project.
Projects, with a value of between $1 million and $4 million or greater, should be implementation ready and ready to commence within three months of funding approval.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for funding an organisation must be an established private sector tourism-related business operating in Queensland and meet the applicant eligibility and project eligibility criteria as set out in the Program Guidelines
Projects must be strongly aligned to key tourism strategies and priorities aimed at growing Queensland’s tourism industry. Projects that link to other government strategies and priorities, such as the Year of Accessible Tourism and First Nations tourism will be highly regarded.
Projects that comprise a standalone element or individual stage of a larger project, that can be delivered ahead of the completion of a larger project within the eligible grant guidelines, will also be considered.
Apply for funding
The Visitor First Experience Fund Guidelines contain more information regarding eligibility criteria, the application and assessment process, and other key information.
Applications will be invited under a two-stage process, with Expressions of Interest (EOI) open to eligible applicants for a 4 week period. After a review and assessment of eligibility, selected applicants may be invited to submit a Full Business Case (FBC) detailing the project. Applicants will then have up to 6 weeks to prepare and submit a FBC application.
Applications are now open and must be submitted through the DTIS SmartyGrants portal.
Key dates
These dates are indicative only and subject to change as required.
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Expression of Interest applications open | 23 March 2023 |
| Expression of Interest applications close | 24 April 2023 |
| Full Business Case invitations open from | 15 May 2023 |
| Full Business Case submissions close | 26 June 2023 |
| Outcome of applications advised | August 2023 |
More information
For more information, email the team.
Last updated: 22 Feb 2023