Archived Grant Opportunity View - GO3044

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

Funding will be available to eligible regional show societies for the maintenance and upgrade of existing infrastructure and the building, purchase, rent or construction of new infrastructure related to the running of an agricultural show on regional showgrounds.

The objectives of the program are to help:

a) keep agricultural shows running

b) bring communities together

c) bridge the divide between country and city.

Outcomes from the program are expected to include:

a) 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.

b) 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.

c) use of modern construction methods and materials that reduce on-going maintenance and repair of infrastructure.

d) reduced operational costs for events conducted at and using showground facilities.

e) greater variety of attractions to improve shows’ ability to attract visitors.

There are three key eligibility criteria that applicants must satisfy.

1. You must be one of the following entity types:

• Indigenous Corporation
• Company
• Cooperative
• Incorporated Association
• Statutory Entity
• Partnership
• Unincorporated Association.

If you are applying as a Trustee on behalf of a Trust, the Trustee must have an eligible entity type as listed above.

2. You 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.

a) 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).

b) 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.

ASA member state peak bodies representing regional agricultural shows are eligible to apply for state-wide grants for infrastructure or related projects. Applications must provide evidence that the grant funding and co-contributions will be used to benefit regional agricultural shows and show societies.

In addition, you must also have an ABN, be registered for GST and have a bank account with an Australian financial institution. 

To apply go to the application form here.

Applicants applying for this grant must deliver their projects in eligible regional areas. Eligible areas are defined by postcodes in all of Australia, excluding the Urban Centre and Locality (UCL) capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and Darwin, as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) Australian Statistical Geography Standard.

You can find a document listing the postcodes excluded from the program on the Community Grants Hub and GrantConnect websites. If the location of the showground is in one of these postcodes, your grant application will be ineligible. The ABS has a mapping tool that may also help you determine if your postcode lies within an eligible regional area.

Applicants applying for a grant under the state-wide stream are not required to be located in a regional area, but must demonstrate the funding they are applying for will be used to benefit regional agricultural shows.