Regional Event Fund - Event Development stream

Event Development funding is only open to events that have previously received and completed triennial funding through the Flagship event stream.

To be eligible to apply for any of the three streams of the Regional Event Fund, applicants must agree or warrant that:

• they are the event owner (i.e. own the rights to the event and hold the relevant approvals for the event) at the time of application and contract
• they are financially solvent or financially viable and able to demonstrate that they are likely to remain so over the duration of the funding period
• they have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• they are a sole trader, company, partnership, unincorporated and incorporated associations, or company trust entity
• they own a certificate of currency for at least $20 million public liability insurance, or evidence of ability to secure before entering into a funding agreement
• the recipient must be a legal entity and not a business name.

To be eligible for the Event Development Fund subcategory, your event must:

• take place between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026
• have previously received and completed triennial funding through the Flagship Event stream
• be held in one of the seven Destination Networks.

The Destination Networks include:

• Destination Central West
• Destination Country & Outback NSW
• Destination North Coast incl. Lord Howe Island
• Destination Riverina Murray
• Destination Southern NSW
• Destination Sydney Surrounds North

Please note: the Local Government Areas of Penrith, Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Wollondilly are no longer included in the above Destination Networks. 

View the Destination Networks boundary map.

The Event Development stream provides funding to support initiatives that will have a direct impact on increasing overnight visitation to the event. A clear strategic rationale will be required for all initiatives. Activities that may be eligible for funding include:

• Promotional activities with a measurable overnight visitation outcome (e.g. promotions with a unique call to action)
• Cooperative marketing activities with the tourism industry (e.g. the development and promotion of packages to the event that include accommodation or access to other tourist attractions)
• Costs associated with implementing robust visitor research methodologies
• Infrastructure costs associated with encouraging extended stays (e.g. additional hire costs to extend the event an extra day)
• Costs associated with the delivery of an improved visitor experience (e.g. grandstands, information services, facilities)
• Costs associated with developing broader accommodation options or the delivery of temporary accommodation (e.g. shuttle buses to neighbouring towns, implementation of home hosting programs, creation of temporary camping grounds)
• Consultancy fees for marketing, PR, digital or event management specialists provided there are clear and measurable outcomes that demonstrate an improvement on existing activities.

Event Development funding is not intended to replace previous or other event funding. Grants funds must be expended on the initiatives described in the application. 

Ineligible applicants include:

• Australian, State or Territory Government agencies or entities, including New South Wales Destination Networks
• political parties
• organisations that have not met project requirements for previous funding (including acquittal & reporting) for previous funding received from Destination NSW
• events receiving any other financial support from DNSW (Event Investment and/or any other grant programs including other streams of the Regional Event Fund) per Financial Year, across all programs.

The following event types are not eligible for funding from the Event Development stream:

• events held in Local Government areas not included in a Destination Network region listed in the Eligible Events criteria
• regular (weekly/monthly) community events such as markets and bazaars, local sports meets (home/away games, regional tournaments), club gatherings (RSL, Rotary, Chambers of Commerce), classes, workshops etc.
• one-off events that are not planned to continue after a single year (e.g. anniversary celebrations, concerts, exhibitions, theatre seasons, sporting championships etc.)
• religious events i.e. events that have a religious ceremony as the principal focus such as Easter or Christmas celebrations. Events held over weekends such as Easter may be considered if the religious element is not the focus (for example, a food or music festival)
• community public holiday celebrations such as Anzac Day, Australia Day, King’s Birthday if the holiday is the primary focus. Events held over public holidays will be considered if the holiday is not the focus (e.g. a food or music festival)
• event series such as sporting events, music festivals or exhibitions held in multiple locations across NSW and/or Australia
• touring events such as concert tours, circuses and fun fairs
• promotional events (i.e. where marketing a specific product and/or cause is the principal objective)
• events held in Greater Sydney including Penrith, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Wollondilly
• events whose overnight visitation impact is not immediate i.e.: that promote visitation to a destination at a later date
• business events (e.g. trade shows and exhibitions, conferences, industry meetings)
• consumer events that include a business event as an extension event will not be excluded from the Regional Event Fund provided the consumer event is the primary applicant
• events owned and/or operated by an agency or entity of the Federal Government, or a State or Territory Government including New South Wales.

Event Development Fund stream monies must not be used for:

• existing marketing and promotional activities
• existing infrastructure and operational costs
• purchase of capital equipment and/or permanent infrastructure that could be on-sold
• existing staff costs or expenses, including travel costs
• event launches
• live broadcast or webcast production costs
• prize money, gifts or contributions to charitable groups. (Where some event proceeds go to charity, evidence will be required to show adequate funds are retained for the ongoing operation of the event), or performer/artist fees and travel expenses.
• performer / artist fees and travel expenses
• costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation.

• An event awarded a grant through previous Regional Event Fund rounds that has been deferred to FY2025/26 as a result of exceptional circumstances such as extreme weather is not eligible to apply for additional funding for the same event from the Regional Event Fund in 2025/26.
• A single event may not receive grant funding from more than one stream of the Regional Event Fund program (Incubator, Flagship or Event Development) in the same year.