SAFA provides the required funding to provide the financial assistance to private sector entities. This is delivered through specific designated funds as well as one-off ad hoc projects.
Industry assistance is targeted and focused on opportunities that provide strategic development benefit to the state, including in South Australia's regions.
Tourism Industry Development Fund
The South Australian Government recognises the huge impact that COVID-19 has had on the tourism sector across regional South Australia.
The Tourism Industry Development Fund is designed to support and stimulate private sector investment in new and improved regional accommodation, and the development of quality tourism product and experiences. It aims to assist in the COVID recovery of regional tourism by encouraging regional operators to improve and diversify so they can attract more visitors and get a higher return on their offering.
Through the South Australian Tourism Commission, the State Government is committing $20 million to the Tourism Industry Development Fund over two years to support regional tourism in South Australia.
One of the key priorities highlighted across all regions in the South Australian Visitor Economy Sector Plan 2030, and the aligned South Australian Regional Visitor Strategy, identified that regional development such as new and refurbished accommodation, and improved tourism products and experiences are key strategic pillars to grow regional tourism.
The Tourism Industry Development Fund aims to:
- Improve tourism infrastructure and experiences that appeal to target markets
- Grow economic benefit via increased visitor expenditure
- Create new jobs and develop skills
- Encourage further development by the private sector in infrastructure and visitor facilities
- Encourage businesses to working collaboratively
- Implement sustainable business practices.
The impacts of drought, the 'black summer' bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the urgency for tourism businesses to improve and diversify their offering to remain sustainable and increase visitor demand for their product offering.
Applicants can seek grants from $20,000 to $500,000 (excluding GST) with a maximum of 30 per cent State Government grant of the total project value.
Visit the Tourism Industry Development Fund
Nature-based Tourism Co-Investment Fund
The Nature-based Tourism Co-investment Fund is a pilot grant program designed to assist eligible businesses and organisations to partner with the South Australian Government to deliver sustainable, quality tourism experiences in South Australia.
The $5 million Nature-Based Tourism Co-investment Fund is part of the $130 million Parks 2025 strategy and will provide the stimulus and support that businesses need to activate or build on existing ecologically sensitive tourism offerings in the state’s national parks, reserves, botanic gardens, and Crown land.
For more information on how the state government is actively exploring new partnerships to expand our range of nature-based tourism offerings to help position South Australia as a world-class eco-tourism destination, visit the National Parks and Wildlife Service website.
The Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund
Support for South Australian businesses to collaborate with researchers and universities to solve industrial problems, commercialise new products and services, attract research infrastructure investment into the state; and encourage the establishment and growth of startups.
Visit Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund
The Regional Growth Fund
To build and strengthen regional South Australian communities to pursue new economic opportunities.
Visit Regional Growth Fund
