What is the Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days Program?
The Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days Program is a grant opportunity to help agricultural show societies and organisers of Agricultural
Field Days deal with cash flow pressures caused by the COVID-19 related cancellations.
Background
The Australian Government is inviting agricultural show societies and field day organisers to apply for a grant to reimburse them for costs they incurred when they had to cancel their scheduled show or agricultural field day in 2020 because of COVID-19.
Cash flow support provided through the program will help to ensure the sustainability of agricultural show societies and the agricultural shows they conduct. It will also support the agricultural field day organisers and the agricultural field days they conduct.
Agricultural shows and field day events are the most authentic and accessible displays of Australian farming and regional life. They help to bring:
- important technology and innovation to agricultural producers
- showcase Australia’s diverse agricultural produce and stock
- underpin a range of activities that support commercial agricultural enterprise and investment opportunities.
Agricultural shows and field days also deliver significant social and economic benefits to the communities in which they are held.
Objective
The objective of the Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days Program is to provide operational support for agricultural show societies and organisers of Agricultural Field Days that cancel their scheduled show or Agricultural Field Days in 2020 because of COVID-19. The intended outcome of the program is to ensure the sustainability of agricultural show societies, the agricultural shows they conduct and the organisers of Agricultural Field Days and the Agricultural Field Days they conduct.
Funding
The Australian Government has announced a total of $39.025 million GST exclusive over one year for the SASFD program. These guidelines refer to three streams being funded through the program:
- Capital City Royal Shows
- Local Shows
- Agricultural Field Days.
Please follow the relevant parts of the guidelines that relate to your funding stream.
Note that the total value of grants awarded under this program cannot exceed the amount of available funds. Should the value of eligible expenditure claimed exceed the amount of available funds, then each applicant’s claim will be reduced on a pro rata basis to ensure that claims do not exceed the amount of available funds.
Eligible Projects
To be eligible your grant activity must relate to eligible expenditure paid by the applicant for the organisation of an agricultural show or field day that was scheduled to be held in 2020 and cancelled because of COVID-19.
Eligible expenditure will be available for reimbursement for the period 1 July 2019 to 31 December 2020, with a staged application process as detailed in section 3.1 of the guidelines.
Eligible expenditure items are fixed or unrecoverable costs related to:
- rent
- rates
- utilities, including electricity, gas and water
- insurance
- telecommunications
- IT system maintenance and licensing costs
- website costs
- bank fees
- fire alarms and equipment
- cleaning supplies and services
- national and state show body affiliation costs
- audit fees – annual
- audit fees – relating to this grant opportunity
- marketing
- ticketing
- hire of equipment
- contractors
- set-up costs
- security
- other (except for items outlined in section 5.3 of these guidelines)
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible you must be one of the following entity types:
- Indigenous Corporation
- Company
- Cooperative
- Incorporated Association
- Trustee on behalf of a Trust
The program can only accept applications from eligible entities that:
- have cancelled their scheduled agricultural show or field day in 2020 because of COVID-19 and
- are members of Agricultural Shows Australia or
- are members of a state and territory agricultural show society that is a member of Agricultural Shows Australia or
- run Australian agricultural field day events that markets principally to the rural sector with at least 70% of the total exhibit area being agricultural exhibitors (those that have products and services focused at the agricultural and horticultural sectors). The focus of these events must be on commercial agricultural enterprises, investment and innovation.
Timing
Applications close 9 October 2020.
