First Peoples Tourism Growth Program 2026: Funding of $125,000 – Stage 2 Applications Open Now

Executive Summary (Overview)

The Victorian Government’s First Peoples Tourism Growth Program offers up to $125,000 (GST-exclusive) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses to expand tourism operations across four funding streams: workforce development, industry planning, cultural heritage stewardship, and asset investment. Stage 2 applications close 6 February 2026, with outcomes announced from May 2026. Critical requirement: 51%+ Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander ownership AND you must have been invited from the EOI stage to apply.

At a Glance: Program Snapshot

The “Hard” Eligibility Filter: Who Qualifies (and Who Doesn’t)

Before you invest a single hour into your application, you must pass through these non-negotiable gates. One failure here means instant disqualification.

✅ Must-Haves (Every Box Must Be Ticked)

1. Invitation Status: You received a direct email from DJSIR confirming your EOI was successful and inviting you to submit a Stage 2 application. If you didn’t receive this email by late 2025, you cannot proceed.
2. Ownership Structure: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people must own and operate at least 51% of the business. This isn’t symbolic ownership on paper; funders will verify operational control through governance documents, voting rights, and day-to-day decision-making authority.
3. Victorian Base: Your business must be based in Victoria. Interstate operators cannot apply, even if you service Victorian clients or have plans to expand into the state.
4. Active ABN + GST Registration: You must hold a current Australian Business Number (ABN) and be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST). Sole traders planning to register “soon” are ineligible.
5. Regulatory Compliance: Registration with the responsible federal or state regulator. For example, tour operators may need tourism accreditation, hospitality businesses require food safety compliance, and cultural heritage operators need relevant permits.
6. Child Safety Standards: Full compliance with applicable child safety requirements. If your tourism product involves minors in any capacity (school groups, family tours, cultural education programs), you must demonstrate Working with Children Checks, child-safe policies, and risk management frameworks.
7. Application Alignment: Your Stage 2 application must be “substantially based” on the EOI you submitted. DJSIR reserves the right to reject applications that introduce entirely new projects, different entity structures, or unrelated outcomes. Think of this as a contract: you pitched X in your EOI, now deliver X in your full application.

❌ Dealbreakers (Automatic Rejection)

• You weren’t invited from the EOI stage: No exceptions. The EOI closed 30 July 2025. If you missed it, you’re out until the next program cycle.
• Ownership below 51%: A 49% Aboriginal-owned business with a 51% non-Indigenous partner doesn’t qualify, regardless of how culturally significant the work is.
• Retrospective Funding Requests: Projects completed before receiving a funding approval letter are ineligible. If you’ve already purchased the tour bus, built the cultural centre, or delivered the training, you cannot claim it.
• Duplicate Funding: If your project was previously funded through the First Peoples Tourism Industry Strengthening Program, you’re excluded unless you can demonstrate completely new outcomes. Repackaging an old project won’t pass scrutiny.
• Operational Expenses Disguised as Projects: Salaries for existing staff, ongoing rent, utility bills, and day-to-day running costs are ineligible. The program funds growth initiatives, not keeping the lights on.

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

The Four Funding Streams: What $125,000 Can Actually Buy

The program funds across four distinct activity streams. You can apply for one stream or combine multiple streams in a single application, provided your total request doesn’t exceed $125,000.

Stream A: Workforce Development

This stream is designed for tourism businesses ready to professionalise their operations and upskill their teams. Eligible activities include:

• Accredited Training: Certificate III or IV in Tourism, Hospitality, or Cultural Heritage Management. For example, a Dja Dja Wurrung tour operator could enrol guides in the Certificate IV in Guiding to deliver nationally recognised qualifications.
• Non-Accredited Training: Specialised programs like Indigenous tourism interpretation workshops, customer service excellence courses, or digital marketing for tourism businesses.
• Tourism Certification: Quality Tourism Framework accreditation, Ecotourism Australia certification, or Strive4Sustainability badges. These certifications are increasingly demanded by domestic and international tour wholesalers.
• Memberships: Annual fees for Kinaway Chamber of Commerce, Supply Nation, or Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC). These memberships unlock procurement opportunities, networking, and industry intelligence.

Example Scenario: A Gunaikurnai-owned kayaking business on the Gippsland Lakes secures $18,000 to train four staff in Advanced Whitewater Rescue, obtain Ecotourism certification, and join VTIC. The investment positions them to bid on government and corporate group bookings requiring certified operators.

Stream B: Industry Excellence and Planning

This stream funds strategic planning and product development. If you’re ready to scale, diversify, or prepare for investment, this is your pathway. Eligible activities include:

• Business Case Development: Professional consultants prepare feasibility studies for a new cultural tourism product. For instance, a Wathaurong group exploring a bush tucker restaurant could commission a business case analysing market demand, capital requirements, and five-year revenue projections.
• Product Development: Design fees for interpretive signage at a cultural heritage site, website redevelopment with integrated booking systems, or filming a promotional video showcasing your offering.
• Pre-Feasibility Studies: Technical reports assessing site suitability for a proposed activity (e.g., geotechnical surveys for an eco-lodge, environmental impact assessments for walking trails).
• Tourism Marketing Plans: Comprehensive strategies covering target markets, distribution channels, pricing models, and digital campaigns. Critical for businesses transitioning from word-of-mouth referrals to scalable marketing.

Example Scenario: A Yorta Yorta enterprise receives $42,000 to develop a business case for a riverfront cultural centre, complete with architectural concept designs, visitor projections, and a funding strategy to secure the $2 million construction cost from multiple sources.

Stream C: Cultural Heritage Stewardship

This stream is unique to First Peoples tourism and recognises that cultural practice preservation is both a responsibility and a commercial asset. Eligible activities include:

• Digital Archiving: Digitising elders’ oral histories, traditional songs, and dance recordings. This might involve professional videography, audio engineering, and metadata tagging to create accessible digital libraries.
• Intellectual Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) Strategies: Legal costs for documenting and protecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property. For example, a business creating a Welcome to Country ceremony product could engage IP lawyers to draft licensing agreements preventing unauthorised commercial use.
• Placemaking: Wayfinding signage in language, interpretive panels explaining cultural significance of sites, or public art installations. A Bunurong group might install bilingual signage along the Mornington Peninsula coastal walk explaining pre-colonial land use.
• Cultural Mentorship Programs: Intergenerational knowledge transfer initiatives where elders teach younger community members traditional practices that underpin tourism offerings (e.g., basket weaving workshops that become product demonstrations for tourists).

Example Scenario: A Wurundjeri-owned business allocates $29,000 to digitise 50 hours of elder interviews about sacred sites around Naarm (Melbourne), engage a lawyer to draft ICIP protocols, and produce a short documentary for use in their guided tours.

Stream D: Asset Investment

This stream funds the purchase or lease of fixed assets and equipment essential to delivering or expanding a tourism product. Eligible items include:

• Vehicles: 4WD vehicles for remote tour access, minibuses for group transfers, or boats and kayaks for water-based experiences.
• Hospitality Equipment: Commercial kitchen fit-outs for a bush tucker dining experience, coffee machines for a cultural café, or point-of-sale systems.
• Traditional Instruments and Artefacts: Didgeridoos, clapsticks, or weaving materials for cultural demonstration purposes.
• Outdoor Equipment: Camping gear for multi-day walking tours, safety equipment (e.g., helmets for adventure tourism), or shelters for outdoor cultural workshops.
• Shopfitting and Display: Custom-built display cabinets for artworks, retail shelving for a gift shop, or interpretive lighting for a gallery space.

Critical Condition: Applications over $50,000 in Stream D must include a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) demonstrating how you’ll maintain the asset over its operational life. The SAMP template is provided in the application portal.

Example Scenario: A Boonwurrung business invests $68,000 in a commercial-grade boat for coastal cultural tours around Wilsons Promontory, along with marine safety equipment and a two-year commercial lease for a marina berth. Their SAMP details maintenance schedules, insurance, and replacement funding.

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

The “Application Killer” Section: Three Non-Obvious Reasons Smart Businesses Fail

Application Killer #1: The “Scope Creep” Trap

Here’s what DJSIR explicitly warns: “Applications will be compared to the EOI submitted and the Department reserves the right to not progress an application should it be determined that the application project is not based upon the EOI submitted.”

Translation: If your EOI proposed workforce training for tour guides, your Stage 2 application cannot suddenly pivot to purchasing a $100,000 tour bus. Assessors flag this as evidence you didn’t have a clear plan, raising doubts about your project management capability.

How It Kills Applications: A Gunditjmara business submitted an EOI for $40,000 in cultural mentorship (Stream C). In Stage 2, excited by new opportunities, they expanded to include a $60,000 vehicle purchase and $25,000 in website development (total $125,000 across three streams). DJSIR rejected the application because the EOI had zero mention of vehicles or digital infrastructure. The business lost an entire funding cycle.

The Fix: Your Stage 2 application should read like a detailed execution plan of your EOI, not a brand-new idea. If circumstances have genuinely changed, contact the program officer (darcy.maine@ecodev.vic.gov.au) beforesubmitting to discuss whether a minor scope adjustment is acceptable.

Application Killer #2: The “Invoice Date Trap”

The program guidelines state: “To demonstrate intended use of funds, recent quotations (less than 6 months old) or pricing for proposed goods from suppliers.”

How It Kills Applications: A business applying in January 2026 submits a quote for training dated June 2025, seven months ago. Assessors flag this as stale pricing, questioning whether the supplier still honours those rates or whether the business is genuinely committed (if they were serious, wouldn’t they have updated quotes?).

Worse, some applicants submit invoices dated after the application deadline, or even after receiving the grant. For assets costing $20,000+, this triggers fraud alarm bells. Assessors assume you’re manufacturing justifications post-facto.

The Fix: All quotes must be dated within six months of your 6 February 2026 submission. For large purchases (vehicles, equipment), obtain formal quotes in December 2025 or January 2026. For training, screenshot current course pricing from provider websites and include the URL. For services (consultants, videographers), request updated letters of intent dated January 2026.

Application Killer #3: The “Entity Mismatch” Disaster

Your EOI was submitted under a specific legal entity (e.g., “Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation”). Your Stage 2 application must use the identical entity name and ABN.

How It Kills Applications: A business restructures between EOI and Stage 2, moving from a sole trader ABN to a company structure. The new company has a different ABN and legal name. They submit Stage 2 under the new entity. DJSIR rejects it outright because there’s no audit trail proving the EOI applicant and Stage 2 applicant are the same.

Another scenario: A partnership applies jointly in the EOI, but only one partner submits the Stage 2 application under their individual ABN. Rejected.

The Fix: Freeze your business structure until after the grant is executed (June 2027). If you must restructure (e.g., for tax reasons), contact DJSIR immediately to understand if a novation process is possible. Don’t assume flexibility; grant agreements are legal contracts tied to specific entities.

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

Step-by-Step Submission Guide: Navigating the Portal Like a Pro

Step 1: Confirm Your Invitation

Check your inbox (including spam/junk folders) for an email from DJSIR titled something like “First Peoples Tourism Growth Program – Stage 2 Invitation.” This email contains your unique application portal link. No link = no invitation = no eligibility.

Step 2: Gather Your Core Documents

Before logging into the portal, compile these materials:

• ABN Registration Certificate: Downloaded from ABN Lookup within the past month.
• GST Registration Evidence: ATO Business Portal screenshot showing active GST status.
• Governance Documents: Trust deed, company constitution, or partnership agreement proving Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander ownership is 51%+.
• Quotes: Fresh quotes (dated within 6 months) for all proposed purchases.
• Financial Viability Evidence: For applications over $50,000, two years of financial statements (Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet) audited or prepared by a qualified accountant. DJSIR is assessing if you can sustain operations post-grant.

Step 3: Complete the Mandatory Project Plan Template

The portal provides a downloadable Project Plan template. This is non-negotiable; applications without it are incomplete. The template requires:

• Project Milestones: Break your project into 4–6 sequential phases with completion dates. For example, a vehicle purchase might include: (1) Finalise specifications (Feb 2026), (2) Procure vehicle (Mar 2026), (3) Install equipment (Apr 2026), (4) Staff training (May 2026), (5) Launch tours (Jun 2026).
• Budget Breakdown: Itemised costs matching your quotes. If your quote is $18,000 for training, the budget line must show $18,000 (not a rounded $20,000).
• Risk Register: Identify 3–5 risks and mitigation strategies. For example, “Risk: Supplier delays vehicle delivery. Mitigation: Contract includes penalty clauses; alternative supplier identified.”

Step 4: Upload Supporting Evidence

For Stream D (Asset Investment):

• Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP): Use the downloadable template. Detail maintenance schedules (e.g., annual boat servicing), insurance costs, and how you’ll fund asset replacement in 5–10 years.
• Landlord Consent (if applicable): If installing fixed assets on leased premises (e.g., commercial kitchen in a rented café), upload a signed landlord consent form (template provided) permitting alterations.

For applications over $50,000:

• Financial Statements: Upload PDFs of your most recent two years’ financials. Redact sensitive information (director home addresses), but leave enough detail for assessors to verify revenue, profit margins, and liquidity.

Step 5: Demonstrate Co-Contribution (If Applicable)

While the program doesn’t mandate co-contribution, demonstrating your own investment strengthens applications. For example:

• “We are contributing $15,000 cash from retained earnings to cover 20% of the vehicle purchase, with the grant funding the remaining $60,000.”

Evidence: Upload a bank statement (redacted for privacy) showing the $15,000 balance, plus a board resolution approving the expenditure.

Step 6: Submit Before 5pm AEDT, 6 February 2026

The portal closes at 5pm sharp. Late submissions are rejected, no exceptions. Submit by 3pm on 6 February to allow buffer time for technical issues (server slowdowns, upload errors).

Pro Tip: Save your application as a draft at least 48 hours before the deadline. Log out, log back in, and verify all attachments uploaded correctly. Corrupted PDFs or missing documents trigger “incomplete application” rejections.

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

The Hidden Selection Criteria: What Assessors Are Really Judging

The guidelines state the program is “competitive and assessed on merit,” but what does “merit” mean in practice? Based on similar Victorian tourism grant programs, here’s the scoring rubric:

Criterion 1: Cultural Authenticity and Community Benefit (30%)

Assessors want to see that your project delivers tangible benefits to your community, not just your business. Strong applications include:

• Employment Pathways: “This training will upskill three young Yorta Yorta men aged 18–22, providing them with nationally recognised qualifications and permanent employment in our tour operation.”
• Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer: “Elder Aunty June will mentor emerging guides in traditional plant use, ensuring this knowledge passes to the next generation while enhancing our tour content.”

Criterion 2: Economic Viability and Growth Potential (25%)

Can you prove this investment will generate sustainable revenue? Include:

• Market Evidence: “Tourism Research Australia data shows cultural tourism grew 15% in regional Victoria 2023–2024. Our target market—international visitors seeking authentic Indigenous experiences—spent $1,800 per trip.”
• Revenue Projections: “The new tour bus enables us to increase capacity from 12 to 24 guests per tour. At $150 per guest and 40 tours annually, this generates an additional $72,000 revenue, repaying the $60,000 grant investment within 18 months.”

Criterion 3: Alignment with Experience Victoria 2033 (20%)

The grant is tied to Victoria’s tourism strategy, which identifies First Peoples-led experiences as a key pillar. Reference the strategy explicitly:

• “Our project aligns with Experience Victoria 2033’s commitment to grow First Peoples tourism from $1.3 billion (2023) to $2 billion by 2033.”

Criterion 4: Project Management and Deliverability (15%)

Can you actually execute this? Demonstrate capability through:

• Track Record: “We’ve successfully delivered 600+ tours over the past five years with a 4.8/5 TripAdvisor rating.”
• Partnerships: “We’ve secured a Memorandum of Understanding with Parks Victoria to conduct tours in Wilsons Promontory, providing access to exclusive sites.”

Criterion 5: Value for Money (10%)

Assessors scrutinise budgets for inflated costs. If your $20,000 vehicle quote is 40% above market rate, they’ll question it. Demonstrate competitiveness:

• “We obtained three quotes for the commercial vehicle. Quote A ($58,000) was lowest and includes extended warranty, hence selected.”

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

What Happens After You Submit?

February–April 2026: Assessment Period

DJSIR conducts a multi-stage assessment:

1. Eligibility Check: Automated screening for ABN, ownership structure, invitation status.
2. Due Diligence: Financial checks, ABN verification, regulatory compliance audits.
3. Merit Scoring: Panel of assessors scores applications against the criteria above.
4. Moderation: DJSIR’s senior leadership reviews scores to ensure consistency and fairness.

What “Competitive” Means: If the program receives $10 million in funding requests but only $5 million is available, even high-scoring applications might miss out. It’s not “good enough to win,” it’s “better than other applicants.”

From May 2026: Outcome Notification

Successful applicants receive a Letter of Offer outlining:

• Approved funding amount (may be less than requested if assessors deemed certain costs ineligible).
• Conditions (e.g., “You must achieve Ecotourism certification by December 2026 to receive second milestone payment”).
• Reporting requirements (quarterly progress updates, final acquittal report).

Unsuccessful applicants receive a Letter of Rejection with brief reasoning. You can request detailed feedback by emailing darcy.maine@ecodev.vic.gov.au within 14 days.

June 2026–June 2027: Project Delivery

You sign a Funding Agreement and begin work. Critical: Do not spend a cent until the Agreement is executed. Expenses incurred before signing are ineligible for reimbursement.

Payments typically occur in milestones:

• 50% upfront upon Agreement execution.
• 30% mid-project upon achieving defined milestone (e.g., training 50% complete).
• 20% final payment upon project completion and submission of acquittal report.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is this grant taxable income?

Australian government grants are generally assessable income for tax purposes. Consult a tax accountant, but budget for approximately 25–30% tax on the grant amount if you’re a company, or your marginal tax rate if you’re a sole trader. Some capital purchases (Stream D) may be eligible for depreciation deductions, reducing the tax impact.

Can I apply for multiple grants simultaneously?

Yes, provided you’re not claiming the same expense twice. For example, you could apply for this program for a tour bus and separately apply for the Victorian Government’s Business Growth Programs for marketing. Disclose all other pending or approved funding in your application to avoid fraud allegations.

What if my business is a partnership between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal owners?

Eligible, provided Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander partners collectively own 51%+. For example, a 60% Aboriginal-owned / 40% non-Aboriginal-owned business qualifies. A 50/50 partnership does not.

Can I change my project after being approved?

Minor variations (e.g., substituting one training course for another of equivalent cost) require written approval from DJSIR. Major changes (e.g., swapping a vehicle purchase for building renovations) will likely trigger Agreement termination. The rule: deliver what you promised.

What happens if I don’t finish by June 2027?

You must request an extension before the deadline. Extensions are granted only for circumstances beyond your control (e.g., supplier bankruptcy, natural disaster). Poor planning or cash flow issues are not valid grounds. If you miss the deadline without an approved extension, you must repay the grant.

Is there support for grant writing?

Yes. The program held information sessions in December 2025 (see the Business Victoria website for recordings if available). Additionally, organisations like Kinaway Chamber of Commerce often offer grant-writing workshops for members. You can also engage grant-writing consultants, though their fees are not eligible expenses under this program.

Glossary of Key Terms

ABN (Australian Business Number): A unique 11-digit identifier for businesses operating in Australia. Register free at abr.gov.au.

Acquittal Report: A final report submitted after project completion detailing how grant funds were spent, evidence of outcomes achieved, and lessons learned.

First Peoples: A term encompassing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Often used in preference to “Indigenous” in Victorian government programs.

GST (Goods and Services Tax): A 10% tax on most goods and services in Australia. Businesses with annual turnover over $75,000 must register.

ICIP (Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property): The rights of Indigenous peoples to own and control their cultural knowledge, expressions, and traditional practices.

Milestone Payment: Funds released upon achieving specific project stages (e.g., “50% released after training 10 staff”).

Traditional Owner Corporation: A legal entity representing the Traditional Owners of a specific area, often established under the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 (Vic) or similar legislation.

Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP): An Aboriginal organisation approved under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic) to manage Aboriginal cultural heritage in a specific area.

Internal Resources to Strengthen Your Application

Looking for complementary funding or guidance? Explore these resources:

• Aboriginal Business Grants: Overview of federal and state programs supporting Aboriginal-owned enterprises beyond tourism.
• Funding for Tourism Projects: Analysis of tourism-specific grants across Australia, useful for identifying co-funding opportunities.
• How to Strengthen Your Grant Application: Step-by-step tactics for writing compelling grant narratives, complete with before/after examples.

Unsure of your eligibility? Check Your Eligibility Probability Here.

Final Thought: Invitation Doesn’t Guarantee Funding—Excellence Does

An invitation to apply is a privilege, not a promise. DJSIR is looking for projects that demonstrate cultural integrity, economic viability, and professional execution. Your application isn’t competing against a checklist; it’s competing against other Aboriginal-owned businesses with equally compelling visions.

The difference between success and rejection often comes down to:

1. Evidence: Every claim backed by quotes, financials, or letters of support.
2. Realism: Timelines and budgets that reflect actual market conditions, not wishful thinking.
3. Community Impact: Clear articulation of how this strengthens your community’s cultural preservation and economic self-determination.

This is your final call: applications close 5pm AEDT, 6 February 2026. No extensions, no exceptions.

If your EOI was strong enough to earn an invitation, your Stage 2 application can be strong enough to win. Now execute.