The objective of the Rural Economic Development Grants Scheme is to strengthen primary production sectors and bolster rural communities.

The scheme will achieve its objective by assisting eligible applicants to carry out projects which will create employment relating to primary production value chains in rural areas

Available funding

• Grants are available up to $200,000 as a co-contribution to be matched by applicants.
• Applicants can only receive one grant per round and the funded purposes must be significantly different to projects the applicant has received in past or future rounds.
• An amount of up to $3,900,000 has been made available to fund grants
• Grants are subject to the availability of funding and applying for a grant is no guarantee funding will be approved.

How funding may be used

Grants may be used for activities including, but not limited to:

• capital expenditure on buildings, plant and equipment for the exclusive use of the project
• new or used plant and equipment for the exclusive use of the project
• consumables used for the project
• travel and accommodation where supported by a full itinerary and travel outcomes
• training costs and technical support that are project specific
• salary and on-costs for staff and professionals working solely on activities for the funded project.

Applicant criteria:

You can apply for a grant if you are one of the following: 

• a medium sized business
• an association incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981
• a cooperative registered under the Cooperatives Act 1997
• an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cwlth)
• a primary producer 
• an entity established to represent either: 
  • primary producers, or
  • primary production enterprises 
• a university in Queensland 
• a tertiary education institution, or another institution or organisation that provides vocational training in Queensland
• a local government under the Local Government Act 2009
• a combination of the above.

To be eligible applicants must also:

• be able provide an equal cash contribution to the grant requested 
• have adequate experience or qualifications and have reasonable prospects of successfully carrying out the project 
• demonstrate sound prospects for long term commercial viability 
• have not received other government funding (local, state or federal) for the project activities
• have not previously received a Rural Economic Development Grant for a substantially similar project activity

Project eligibility criteria

To be eligible for funding projects must:

• generate jobs, provide value for money and significant economic benefit to a rural area
• be related to primary production value chains.

How funding may not be used

Grants may not be used for the following activities: 

• funding a project activity which has already commenced
• repairing or replacing existing capital infrastructure 
• making payments towards debt
• purchasing land 
• undertaking training and paying professional costs which are not related to the eligible project activity being applied for
• conducting feasibility studies
• paying administration costs.

• Phone: 1800 623 946
• Email: redgrants@qrida.qld.gov.au
• Website: www.qrida.qld.gov.au/