Northern Territory Aboriginal owned businesses can now access funding for technology and infrastructure

June 25, 2025

Culture / Environment / Finance / Tourism /

The Northern Territory Government’s Aboriginal Tourism Grant Program Round 9 has opened allowing Teritory Aboriginal owned businesses to access funding to develop or enhance tourism products, technology and infrastructure.

The program can support projects such as new product development that activates a bookable product (eg. accommodation and Aboriginal cultural engagement including night-time and evening experiences), upgrade improvements and/or new infrastructure for tourism visitor experiences, infrastructure to support sustainability and/or accessibility and inclusion (eg. solar power generation, access ramps, improved pathways and audio tours) and interpretative signage, interpretation planning and guiding manuals.

The Aboriginal Tourism Grant Program Round 9 (ATGPR9) encourages investment into Aboriginal tourism, enhancing opportunities for visitors to connect with one of the world’s oldest cultures.

About 4 in 5 international travellers seek out Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences and 4 in 5 of the Australian travelling population associate the NT as a place to connect with Aboriginal cultures. This presents opportunities for the NT, with the grant program to enhance the Territory as the destination to connect with Aboriginal cultures.

The program also helps to sustain the Aboriginal tourism sector for future generations.

The Aboriginal Tourism Grant Program Round 9, is 50% co-funded under the Federal Funding Agreement’s Strategic Indigenous Tourism Program (SITP) co-investment arrangements with successful recipients receiving a one-off grant of between $30,000 to $100,000.

The ATGPR9 opened on 24th June 2025 and will close on 6th March 2026 or sooner if the allocated budget is exhausted.

ATGP rounds 1 to 8 supported 64 Aboriginal tourism businesses with a total of $3.209 million in grant funding being awarded.

Previously awarded projects have included construction of Seven Emu Station campground ablution facilities, Standley Chasm tours pathway upgrades supporting accessibility considerations and Larrakia Cultural Centre tourism activation and product development

The Aboriginal Tourism Product Distribution Grant Program to support online booking systems to promote and sell tourism products and to access expert distribution advice including pricing structures and rate sheets will open at the end of July.

To stay up to date or find out more about the suite Aboriginal Tourism Grant Programs head to www.tourismnt.com.au/industry-toolkit/grants-funding/aboriginal-tourism-grant-program

7th June 2025 - Funding boost for developing Aboriginal tourism ventures in Northern Territory

4th June 2025 - Lead architectural team sought to design Aboriginal Cultural Centre overlooking Perth’s Swan River

5th May 2025 - Northern Territory Government investment aims for significant impact on Aboriginal cricket participation

25th January 2025 - Expressions of Interest open for Aboriginal Heritage Advisory

10th January 2025 - Byron Bay Lighthouse Aboriginal Walking Tour offers alternative perspective of popular tourism attraction

24th December 2024 - Tourism NT enhances Aboriginal tourism opportunities along popular drive routes

25th September 2024 - Tourism NT looks to strengthen connection between Aboriginal Territorians and tourism industry

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