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Rural Economic Development Grants

The Rural Economic Development (RED) Grants offered up to $250,000 in co-contribution grants to agribusiness projects to strengthen primary production sectors and bolster rural communities.

People working in avocado factory

The Rural Economic Development (RED) Grants program offered emerging agribusiness projects up to $250,000 in co-contributions to build industry and grow employment opportunities across the agricultural sector. The $10 million grant program provided three funding rounds over a three-year period ending 2020.

The RED Grant program has now closed.

Across the three rounds of the RED Grant program, a total of 43 agricultural businesses received funding towards economic development projects worth $40.8 million and estimated to create 1,897 new direct and indirect jobs over the lifetime of these projects.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

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  • To bolster primary production related economic development and job creation in regional and remote areas by providing co-contribution grants of up to $250,000 to fund eligible projects. 

  • Yes, an application for assistance under the scheme can be made jointly by 2 or more applicants. In these cases, only 1 applicant needs to demonstrate the ability to provide the 50% cash contribution and have adequate experience and/or qualifications to give the applicant a reasonable prospect of success in carrying out the activity. All applicants must meet the other eligibility criteria. 

  • You may submit more than one application for different projects, or in future rounds of funding. However, you may not receive more than one Rural Economic Development Grant for a substantially similar project activity. 

  • The 50% cash contribution may be provided in the form of a bank loan, your own funds, project partner funds or a combination of these. Government assistance of any kind cannot be used to make up the 50% contribution. 

  • Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) One Stop Service for Agriculture Planning and Development  

    Department of State Development, Tourism and Innovation 

    Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ)  

    Australian Government Industry Website 

The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) administer the RED Grant Scheme on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

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