"Give Us A Call And We'll Help You Obtain The TQUAL Grant"

Dear Friend,

Interested? These are the Next Steps...

This is a very limited opportunity so Contact Us now to find out how we can help.

Applications closed 11 June, 2009.

To Your Success,

Ross Turetsky MBA, BCom, BInfoSys
Managing Director, Grant Solutions

Program Objectives

• Develop innovative product, services or systems within the tourism industry
• Contribute directly to long-term economic development in the host region
• Develop or support high quality visitor services and experiences.

New in 2009

Through TQUAL Grants, the Australian Government has redesigned the program formerly known as the Australian Tourism Development Program to better position the Australian tourism industry in a highly competitive market.

Funding Available

TQUAL Grants is a highly competitive merit-based grant program. It offers grants, exclusive of GST, for eligible projects—ranging from $5,000 to $500,000—in three categories:

• Category 1: Innovative tourism projects—grants range from $5,000 to $100,000.
• Category 2: Integrated tourism development projects—grants range from $100,000 to $500,000
• Category 3: National or sectoral tourism initiatives—grants range from $25,000 to $500,000.

Eligible Applicant in Category 1

• Private sector businesses
• Non-profit organisations
• Regional tourism or regional economic development organisations
• Local government agencies.

In addition, the applicant has to be 

• Incorporated
• Registered for GST
• Have matching cash

Local government organisations must also demonstrate that the project is additional to activity
that local government would normally be expected to undertake.

Category 1 projects

Category 1 projects should aim to stimulate the development of innovative tourism product, service(s) or system(s) and are divided into three options for:

1 project initiation—grants range from $5,000 to $25,000

For example, undertaking research, testing and/or feasibility studies in order to develop an outline business case for theproposal.

2 project planning—grants range from $40,000 to $75,000

• preparation of architectural drawings and design specifications
• development of a project implementation strategy
• facilitating community consultations and public forums to foster community support for the project and address any concerns or public opposition prior to seeking investment
• complying with local, State/Territory or Federal government planning and developmen requirements

• preparation of investment proposals for presentation to potential private sector investors

3 project implementation—grants range from $50,000 to $100,000.

• proposals to enhance the tourism experience in an area by creating additional innovative tourism attractions
• re-investment in existing infrastructure by upgrading, refurbishing, extending or
• modifying to provide an enhanced and/or novel tourism experience
• proposals to enhance the quality of the visitor experience or product by developing and/or implementing innovative approaches to visitor services or facilities
• any other project that is innovative and has the potential to increase tourism 

Eligible Applicant in Category 2

• regional tourism or regional economic development organisations
• local government agencies
• non-profit organisations.

They must provide evidence that they

• are incorporated
• are registered for goods and services tax (GST)
• can provide to the project a compulsory cash contribution of at least 10 per cent of the value of the grant requested.

Local government organisations must also demonstrate that the project is additional to activity
that local government would normally be expected to undertake.

Category 2 projects

Category 2 projects should aim to enhance the overall tourism appeal of a large area by encouraging inter-regional collaboration to achieve greater tourism benefits

Projects funded under this category will be large scale, collaborative, multi-faceted activities that involve a number of regions. They may include:

• Developing distinctive regional or inter-regional product
• Provision of tourism support infrastructure (such as themed regional entry signs, standard road signs, interpretive facilities, rest stop amenities)
• Industry quality processes, and/or industry planning or management processes
• Product and/or market development specifically aimed at facilitating the development of niche sectors
• Assisting communities and regions to both plan for and manage increased tourism
• Re-branding, or refreshing the existing brand of, an area to better market and promote to the domestic and/or international tourism market.

Eligible Applicant in Category 3

•  national tourism peak bodies
• national tourism industry associations
• national tourism sectoral industry associations.

They must provide evidence that they

• are incorporated
• are registered for goods and services tax (GST)
• can provide to the project a compulsory cash contribution of at least 10 per cent of the value of the grant requested.

 Category 3 projects

Category 3 projects should aim to provide strategic support to the Australian tourism industry by funding national or sectoral peak bodies to develop national projects which offer leadership to industry.
Projects funded under this category must have national benefit or application and advance the industry as a whole.

Projects funded under this category could address:

•  national or sectoral tourism industry policy development needs—including those relating to governance, standards, business improvement and/or quality
• the development of ‘whole of industry’ systems and processes to both prepare for, and react to, external shocks
• the development and implementation of national or sectoral skills development programs
• the development and implementation of sectoral industry quality programs
• the development of industry or sectoral programs which address economic performance, improved efficiency and increased productivity.

Assessment

Each eligible application will be assessed against evaluation criteria and compared to the other applications in the category from across Australia.

Applicantion Deadline: 11 June 2009