The Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days program will provide operational support for agricultural shows societies and organisers of agricultural field days that cancel their scheduled event in 2020 because of COVID-19.
The program will help relieve cash flow pressures. It will provide one-off payments to eligible agricultural show societies and agricultural field day organisers to reimburse their 2020 fixed expenses for cancelled shows and field day events.
Agricultural shows and field days contribute more than $1 billion to the economy each year. They attract more than 6 million patrons and are supported by more than 50,000 volunteers. This program will help to ensure the sustainability of:
- agricultural show societies and the agricultural shows they conduct
- the organisers of agricultural field days and the agricultural field days they conduct.
This fund supports regions, communities and industry sectors disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Eligibility
Only registered agricultural show societies and Australian agricultural field day organisers are eligible.
All agricultural shows and agricultural field days cancelled in 2020 because of COVID-19 will receive assistance.
You may be reimbursed for:
- bank fees
- utilities
- rates
- insurance
- fire alarms and equipment
- cleaning supplies
- telecommunications
- IT system licensing costs
- website costs
- state or national show body affiliation fees and rent.
This program complements the Regional Agricultural Show Development Grants program.
How to apply
Click the link: Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days
Applications close 9 October 2020.
Royal show societies
Operational support will be available for eligible capital city Royal Agricultural Show societies.
These funds will reimburse:
- 2020 fixed expenses
- some unrecoverable costs incurred while preparing for a cancelled show.
Funding does not include any salary or wage costs covered by the government’s JobKeeper package.
Rural and regional show societies and Agricultural Field Days
Operational support will be available for eligible non-capital city show societies. Agricultural Shows Australia has estimated the fixed costs of small, medium, and large shows. The size is based on the show’s attendance in 2019.
These funds will reimburse for fixed expenses:
- up to $10,000 for small shows/field days (attendance was less than 2,000)
- up to $15,000 for medium shows/field days (attendance was between 2,000 and 4,999)
- up to $70,000 for large shows/field days (attendance was over 5,000).
Rural Ambassador Program
$100,000 will be available in operational support for Agricultural Shows Australia’s Rural Ambassador Program. This program highlights and celebrates young people who have a genuine interest in rural and regional Australia. It will identify and recognise the next generation of leaders who have a strong commitment to agricultural industries and an involvement and or a genuine interest for the Agricultural Show movement either at the local, State or National level.
Association of Agricultural Field Days Australasia (AAFDA)
$100,000 will be available in operational support to the Association of Agricultural Field Days Australasia to support is annual conference scheduled for 30 April 2021 to 2 May 2021. It will also provide training and assistance for members on recovery management planning.