Regional Event Fund - Incubator Event stream

To be eligible to apply for the Regional Event Fund Incubator Event stream, applicants must:

• be 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
• be financially solvent or be financially viable and able to demonstrate that they are likely to remain so over the duration of the funding period
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be a sole trader, company, partnership, unincorporated and incorporated associations, or company trust entity
• have at least $20 million public liability insurance, or be able to secure before entering into a Funding Agreement
• be a legal entity and not a business name.

To be eligible for the Incubator Event stream, your event must:

• take place between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026
• be held for the first or second year in the year of funding
• be held in one of the following seven Destination Network regions listed below:
  • Destination Central West
  • Destination Country & Outback NSW
  • Destination North Coast including Lord Howe Island
  • Destination Riverina Murray
  • Destination Southern NSW
  • Destination Sydney Surrounds North
  • Destination Sydney Surrounds South.

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 Incubator Event stream offers seed funding for activities that are likely to establish the event as a driver of visitation.

Funding may be used for, but is not limited to the following activities:

• venue hire and other costs specific to the event, determined on a case by case basis
• temporary event infrastructure (marquees, stages etc.) that is likely to improve the visitor experience
• marketing and promotions
• marketing, PR and digital specialist or consultancy fees subject to Destination NSW pre-approval of a brief
• brand design and development
• event and visitor research.

Destination NSW funding is intended to supplement existing expenditure and support the event to deliver a superior visitor experience or raise its profile outside of its immediate area.

The following applicants are ineligible:

• Australian, State or Territory Government agencies or entities, including New South Wales Destination Networks
• political parties
• organisations that have not met project requirements (including acquittal and reporting) for previous funding received from Destination NSW
• events receiving any other financial support from Destination NSW (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 Incubator Event stream:

• Events held in Local Government Areas not included in a Destination Network region mentioned 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 (e.g.: 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 NSW.

Grant funds cannot be used to replace previous or other funding for the Event, such as:

• prize money, gifts, or contributions to charitable groups
• travel expenses
• local Council fees
• purchase of capital equipment and/or permanent infrastructure that could be on-sold
• general administration costs such as staff costs, salaries, administration and services
• 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.