Claim up to 50% of Fashion Week with the Business Events Grants

On 11 September 2020 the Australian Government announced it would establish the $50 million Business Events Grants program. This program is funded under the $1 billion Relief and Recovery Fund which is providing assistance to sectors, regions and communities disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19.

This initiative will empower the business events sector which, due to COVID-19, has seen cancellation of events contributing to a near 100 per cent loss of revenue.

It will instil confidence back into the business events sector, and support the broader business community by stimulating high value, multi-day business to business events across multiple sectors of the economy.

There are two key Phases involved in the Business Events Grants program:

• Phase 1: Schedule of Approved Business Events (applications still open)
• Phase 2: The Business Events Grants program (opened 4 January 2021)

Grant Funding will cover up to 50% of exhibitors eligible expenditure. Grants from $10,000 to $250,000 per entity are available. 

This means exhibitors and sponsors that take part in the Melbourne Retail Festival & Afterpay Australia Fashion Week trade event can apply for funding under the program to cover up to 50% of their eligible costs of participating, preparing and planning their involvement

Grant applications close 5pm 30th March 2021 or earlier if funding is exhausted. If you are interested in exhibiting at MRF 2021 and wish to take advantage of the funding program, please contact our team ASAP.

Our team can assist you through the grant claiming process. You will need to register as an exhibitor prior to lodging your claim. 

List of priority sectors

Most events on the Schedule of Approved Business Events align with one or more of the below priority sectors. Businesses applying for a grant will also need to demonstrate alignment with a priority sector and that the sector benefits from attendance and participation in the event. The priority sectors are:

• Mining
• Food and agribusiness
• Oil and gas
• Medical products
• Clean energy
• Plastics and waste recycling
• Defence
• Space
• Enabling digital technologies
• Tourism
• Design
• Fashion
• Media

The grants range from between $10,000 - $250,000.

Exhibitors are eligible to claim funding for 50% of the following business activities and costs relating to the event;

Travel, accommodation, exhibitor stand registration fees, design and staff costs.

• Accommodation (e.g. hotel, motel, serviced apartments)
• Airfares, up to 10 delegates exhibiting at the event
• Promotional material, including program sales-collateral, directly related to exhibiting at the event.
• Graphic design
• Publishers and printers (e.g. sales collateral, prospectus, program)
• Translation and interpreting services
• Promotional merchandise
• Digital promotion, including the design of audio visual material, directly related to exhibiting at the event
• Theme and design for digital set up of exhibit
• Digital content for display as part of exhibit
• Graphic design of social media materials for exhibiting at the event (e.g. design, paid social media ads)
• Digital photography/videography/editing
• Website and app development/design
• Digital promotion, including the setup, display and design of audio visual material, cannot exceed 50% of the non-sales-collateral related costs.
• Event and display set up costs, including the design, manufacture and shipping of exhibits, directly related to exhibiting at the event
• Audio visual and information technology (e.g. equipment, production, recording, hybrid)
• Contractor costs directly related to exhibiting at the event
• Specialists/expert that is required to design, create stand and/or liaise with potential buyers/sellers as part of exhibitor stand
• Event stand management (e.g. exhibiting staff and on-costs)
• Hire of the exhibition space and cost of associated delegates as part of the event conference package for exhibition hire (up to a maximum of 10 delegates)
• A maximum applicant cash (not in kind) contribution of $10,000 towards to sponsorship of the event can be matched dollar for dollar under the grant (equating to $20,000 in total)
• Catering for networking activities as part of exhibiting at pre-approved events at the stand or elsewhere

Exhibitors will need to have a minimum forecast spend of $20,000 in total eligible project and business cost expenditure, made up from the above criteria. This can be made up from participating in multiple events listed on the schedule of approved events.

Our team can provide exhibitors with examples (a guide) and assistance on how to meet the criteria for their business. Most exhibitors should be eligible to make a claim, as the scheme includes a range of business costs relating to the preparation for the event later this year that will make up the vast majority of the minimum projected expenditure required to lodge a claim.

Please note, that grant applications close at 5pm (AEDST) on 30 March 2021 or earlier if funding is exhausted.