What is the Queensland Destination Events Program (QDEP)?
The Queensland Destination Events Program (QDEP) is a grant opportunity to help event organisers with the costs of staging events in Queensland.
Background
The Queensland Destination Events Program (QDEP), formerly the Regional Development Program (RDP), seeks to leverage the crucial link between events and the destinations in which they are staged, extending the flow of the economic, marketing and social benefits of events throughout metropolitan and regional Queensland.
Within this context, the aims and objectives of the QDEP are as follows:
- Generate local economic activity and development in the host destination
- Attract external visitation to the destination
- Drive social and community outcomes for the host destination, noting the important link between community outcomes and economic benefits
- Enhance the profile and appeal of the host destination
Funding
The Queensland Destination Events Program (QDEP) offers two funding options for regional events:
- Destination event funding – single year funding for developing events seeking growth ($10,000 – $25,000 per year)
- Significant event funding – single year or up to three years of funding for events that can demonstrate a strong track record of growth or growth potential ($25,000 – $100,000 per year)
Eligible Projects
Funding can be used for:
- Marketing costs
- Strategic plan development
- Engagement of short-term specialised personnel
- Hire of temporary infrastructure
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible to apply for funding through the Queensland Destination Events Program, an event must meet the following key objectives:
Destination event funding
- The event must take place wholly within Queensland
- The applicant must be able to demonstrate the historical size of the event in terms of:
- Audience
- Spectator numbers
- Participant numbers, and/or
- Media profile
- The applicant must be able to demonstrate the event’s capacity to grow against the baseline
Significant event funding
In addition to the criteria for destination event funding, events seeking significant event funding must meet the following criteria:
- Your event is in (at a minimum) its third year
- Proposed events date fall within the funding round
- All relevant supporting documents have been provided
- The event must have received a minimum of one year of destination event support and have met all the requirements as outlined in the contract
- Funding of no more than 25 per cent of the total event cash expense budget may be applied for
- The event must provide a recent report showing evidence of the total number of event attendees (including participants and spectators), specifically detailing the breakdown and number of visitors from outside the region; this information must be independently gathered and reported, or independently verified
- The event must present a strong opportunity for Queensland and demonstrate extensive recognition outside the region in which it is held in terms of visitation and/or media profile
Please note, from Round 6 onward significant event funding applications will only be accepted following invitation by TEQ.
Timing
Applications close 01 June 2022.
