Guidelines to the. RTO Contestable Grant Scheme

Transcription

1 Guidelines to the RTO Contestable Grant Scheme

2 Contents 1 Background 2 Overview and objectives 3 Eligibility 4 Application process 5 Assistance with preparing applications 6 Verification of new local government funds 7 Assessment of grant applications 8 Announcement and implementation 9 Payments and monitoring 10 Acquittal and audit of grant projects 11 Amendments to grant projects 12 Key Performance Indicators 13 Timeframes and responsibilities 14 Right to Information 15 Further information

3 1 Background The State Government objectives for the community include: We will grow a four pillar economy by doubling tourist expenditure in Queensland by The key action plan signed at the DestinationQ forum in June 2012 provides for structured partnership agreements to be developed between Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) including a $7 million funding allocation for RTOs, and agreed KPIs linking to the 2020 industry growth targets. Partnership Agreements were established in and between TEQ and each RTO. In February 2014 the Queensland Government launched Destination Success: the 20-year plan for Queensland tourism, which recognises the many facets of tourism and focuses on generating growth in tourism that directly contributes to the economic, social and environmental future of Queensland. The RTO Funding Model provides $3.0 million (excluding GST) in a contestable funding pool in , with a key focus on incentivising and leveraging partner contributions. The funding will be administered by TEQ and delivered by a contestable, incentivised process. This document outlines the guidelines for the round of the RTO Contestable Grant Scheme and should be used to assist in completing the Application Form for funding. The guidelines were developed in consultation with the DestinationQ post forum working group and the contestable grants assessment committee comprising representatives from TEQ, the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, the Local Government Association of Queensland, the Australian Regional Tourism Network and the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games. 2 Overview and Objectives The objective of the RTO contestable grant funding is to maximise tourism outcomes by: Encouraging and incentivising partner contributions; Encouraging RTOs to collaborate with each other, local government, TEQ and other partners to maximise the impact of the funding; Prioritising activity that links to the 2020 industry growth targets with outcomes that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely; and Achieving value-for-money for state government funding. Queensland RTOs can apply individually or together and must demonstrate in their application a link to the 2020 goals at both a state and destination level. RTOs are encouraged to work together on projects of a similar nature, where possible, to maximise the impact of the funding. Funds will be allocated on a contestable basis to support activity that aligns with priorities identified in the Destination Tourism Planning process, DestinationQ outcomes and Destination Success, and may include cooperative marketing, product and industry development, market intelligence or trade events projects. While contestable grant funds can only be awarded for projects that will be completed in , RTOs are encouraged to consider long term priorities for their destinations when compiling grant submissions. To deliver on longer-term, strategic priorities, RTOs are welcome to outline in their application the activity that might be undertaken beyond , should they be successful in future funding rounds. RTOs are welcome to indicate the total investment that would be required

4 to continue implementation (including an estimate of the RTO contestable grant funds which would be sought in future years). Please note, however, the availability of grant funding for future year s activity beyond cannot be guaranteed. Local government contributions Under the RTO Funding Model , all RTOs will receive up to $300,000 in in a fee for service which recognises the important role RTOs play in creating a robust tourism and events network in Queensland. For this RTO Core Grant, the Queensland Government will match the contributions made by local government, up to $300,000, for each RTO in Please note that local government funding which is secured to match the RTO Core grant funds in may not be used to seek matching funds under the RTO contestable grant scheme - separate local government contributions must be secured in order for RTOs to seek matching grant funds from the separate RTO Core and RTO Contestable grant programs. Matching contributions RTOs are encouraged to leverage their own cash contributions with those from partners, including local government, local tourism organisations, industry and other partners. Partner contributions refer to cash and contra contributions which meet the Eligible Income criteria (refer section 3 of these guidelines) and are able to be invoiced. In general, a successful application will receive a 1:1 matching state grant allocation for cash contributions secured from partners. An incentive of 1.5:1 matching for new local government funds has been introduced to make the program attractive to local governments and to grow local governments contribution to tourism and events related programs and projects. Where the destination cash contribution includes genuinely new local government contributions (i.e. local government funds over and above what was provided to the RTO for tourism and events related projects in the previous financial year), these contributions may be matched with $1.50 of grant funds for every $1.00 of new local government funds contributed. For example: RTO A, together with industry and council, develops an application for RTO contestable grant funding, supported by $500k cash contribution: RTO - $100k co-operative marketing contribution from members - $100k existing council contribution - $100k new council contribution - $200k *These council contributions are in addition to council funding which has been secured to match the RTO Core Grant for The application is viewed favorably, and matched with $600k made up of: $300k general 1:1 matching of the $300k contribution from the RTO, cooperative marketing and existing council funds $300k incentivised 1.5:1 matching of the $200k new council contribution Therefore the project is leveraged from $500,000 to $1.1 million. 1 An exemption has been given to the Outback Queensland Tourism Association (OQTA), due to the low population base in the Outback and limited access to additional marketing funds. OQTA will receive $300,000 in Core Grant funds in without requiring matching funds from local government.

5 For destinations where multiple councils are contributing to a grant application, the amount of new local government funds is determined on a council by council basis (i.e. funds over and above what was provided from each local government in the previous financial year) rather than as a collective sum across contributing councils. In-kind support secured for the project may be acknowledged in the application but cannot be used to seek matching contestable grant funds. Similarly, State government grant contributions (including but not limited to TEQ base, TEQ Regional Development Program, and RTO core grants) cannot be used to seek matching funds under the RTO contestable grant scheme. 3 Eligibility Eligible entities Queensland RTOs can apply individually or together. Eligible projects Eligible projects include initiatives that: Have a focus on tourism and/or events marketing and development outcomes; Have a demonstrated link to the industry 2020 goals at both a state and destination level; Link to DestinationQ outcomes and Destination Success; Will increase regional visitor expenditure; Deliver on the priorities in the Destination Tourism Plan; Have clear and measurable KPIs (measures and targets) and deliverables; Have a completion date by 30 June 2015; and Include cash contributions from the RTO, local government, local tourism organisations, tourism industry and/or other partners. Eligible projects may also include initiatives that Contribute to, or form part of, a larger project being implemented with TEQ or another organisation; and/or Form part of a long-term strategy or project for the region. Ineligible projects Funds from the $3.1 million contestable grant allocation are not to be used for projects which don t focus on tourism and events marketing and development outcomes, or to fund activity which has already commenced or occurred. Eligible income Partner contributions refer to cash contributions or contra deals which are able to be invoiced. Cash contributions can be sourced from the RTO s own resources or through contributions from other parties as identified, and must be available to be spent on the project at the start of the project (with the exception of local government funds where the budget may not have been confirmed at the time of project commencement). All cash contributions from partners must be received by the RTO as direct income in order to be eligible for matching funding from the contestable grant. That is, the RTO must be able to show, if requested for acquittal and/or if the project is selected for audit, all project income received from partners appearing in the RTO s financial statements.

6 If there is a contra deal it should: be directly relevant to the project be invoiced through a tax invoice (including GST), and be valued at fair market value. With regards to invoicing for contra deals (i.e. for acquittal purposes): the supplier should invoice the RTO for services provided at fair market value, and the RTO should invoice the supplier for the project contribution of the same amount. It is not strictly necessary that the above be settled in cash however there should be GST on the invoices and those settled through the BAS statement. Accordingly, entries in the RTO s general ledger should reflect the receipt of a project contribution and the project expense (for the service provided). Ineligible income The following contributions may not be used to seek matching contestable grant funds: Any money already spent on the project Partners in-kind contributions Partners cash contributions which are paid directly to suppliers or third parties (i.e. not as direct income through the RTO s financial system) State government grant contributions (including but not limited to TEQ base, TEQ Regional Development Program and RTO core grant funding) Local government contributions which are used to match RTO Core Grant funds for Eligible expenditure items Eligible expenditure items include but are not limited to: Reasonable project administration costs as part of the project (not more than 10% of the total project budget) and An additional 5% of the total project budget may be allocated to pay relevant contestable grant expenses related to staff delivering RTO projects, where the RTO can demonstrate the staff have specifically worked on the project. Ineligible expenditure items Items that are ineligible for funding include but are not limited to: Gifts Property, plant or equipment (leased or purchased) Any maintenance or repair costs Activity which has already commenced or been completed Audit costs As administrators of the program, TEQ will arrange for a random selection of contestable grant projects to be audited each year. RTOs are not required to budget for an independent audit on project completion, but should be prepared to provide relevant documentation (see section 10 below) to TEQ should their project be selected as part of the audit.

7 4 Application Process How to apply 1. Ensure the proposed initiatives are discussed and agreed with all partners, and partner support for the project is secured prior to submitting the application (both financial and human resource support). 2. Complete a separate Application Form for each grant submission, outlining the project summary, description and completing the project overview checklist. 3. Outline how the project addresses each of the four assessment criteria (in 800 words or less per criterion) and complete the Key Performance Indicators table as part of Criterion List all project partners on separate rows in the table and for each partner, indicate if a letter of support or commitment for the project is included with the application. 5. Complete the Project Timing and Draft Project Milestones sections. Further information regarding the payment schedule and grant acquittals is provided in sections 9 and 10 of these guidelines. 6. Provide a breakdown of the partner contributions secured and the expenditure for which funding is sought in the Budget Breakdown section. i. Project Income - please show the cash contribution secured from each partner on separate rows in the relevant table. The application form will automatically calculate the total amounts being contributed from each category of partners. ii. Expenditure Items please provide as much detail as possible regarding budgeted items, noting the amount of regional cash contributions and contestable grant funds to be allocated to each expenditure item. iii. Ensure the amount shown at TOTAL INCOME equals that shown at TOTAL EXPENSES. iv. Other contributions please list any additional contra and/or in-kind contributions which have been secured for the project. The amounts entered in this table should reflect the agreed market value of the contributions secured and will not be used to seek matching grant funds. v. Additional investment please complete this table if the grant project will contribute to, or form part of, a larger project being implemented with either TEQ or another organisation. 7. Where applicable, ensure all letters of commitment from the CEOs of the relevant Council/s are included with the application to verify all proposed contributions of new local government funds. 8. Certify the application by checking the relevant box, dating the form and entering details of the person certifying the application. 9. Submit completed applications to Kelly Reynolds, TEQ Business Analyst, by 5.00pm Tuesday 22 April 2014 (kelly.reynolds@queensland.com). Applications may be submitted by either pressing the Submit button at the top right-hand side of the Application Form and then follow the prompts, or by ing the Application Form as an attachment.

8 Accompanying documentation All proposed contributions of new local government funding for the grant application must be supported with a letter of commitment from the CEO of the relevant Council/s (as outlined in section 6 of these guidelines). While it is not mandatory to provide letter/s of support from other project partners, or to verify other funds being contributed to the project, RTOs are strongly encouraged to source these letters to accompany the application where possible. Please ensure all accompanying documentation (e.g. letters of commitment and/or support from project partners) is submitted at the same time as the application form. All accompanying documentation should be collated into a single electronic document and ed to kelly.reynolds@queensland.com. Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted. Once submitted, grant applications cannot be amended or revised. 5 Assistance with preparing applications The 2011 Grants Guide, developed by Tourism and Events Queensland, provides useful information and advice on writing grant applications and is available at The following guidance has been developed to provide greater clarity on the assistance which can be provided to RTOs in the preparation of grant applications. Members of the contestable grants assessment committee cannot be involved in any grant discussions with RTOs or other TEQ staff. TEQ Destination Directors and/or specialist staff who are not involved in the assessment process are available to assist in preparing applications. Where assistance is sought, TEQ staff should be engaged early in the process and can assist in scoping the overall concept for the project, defining appropriate costs and timings, and setting the KPIs, however the final preparation of the application is to be completed by the RTO. TEQ staff may provide general advice and guidance regarding elements of the submission but are not available to write or re-write grant submissions for their RTO partners. The exception to this is for RTOs where Destination Partnerships staff are employed by the RTO (e.g. Gold Coast Tourism, Fraser Coast Opportunities and Tourism Tropical North Queensland) and their responsibility within the RTO may require them to prepare the contestable grant submission/s.

9 6 Verification of new local government funds While the precise timing of local government budget approvals for is not known, TEQ acknowledges there is a strong likelihood that some grant projects, if successful, would be waiting for final confirmation of new local government funds as at 30 June In order for successful grants to be announced by 30 June 2014, a number of elements have been introduced to the grant application process for to verify the proposed contributions of new local government funding. Firstly, for grant application/s where new local government funds are proposed to be contributed to the project, RTOs are required to submit a letter of commitment of funds to the project as part of the grant application/s. Secondly, once the local government budget for is approved, RTOs are required to source a letter of confirmation of the funds being contributed to the grant project/s for submission to TEQ. If the local government s budget is approved prior to the grant application being submitted, the RTO only needs to include a letter of confirmation of the new funds being contributed to the project as part of the application. The payment schedule for contestable grant payments (as defined in section 9 of these guidelines and the Terms and Conditions of the TEQ-RTO Partnership Agreement) has been updated so that Payment 2 (i.e. 50% of the total grant amount) will not be made until all new local government funding contributions to the project are approved in the budget and confirmed in writing to TEQ. All letters of commitment and/or confirmation to verify the local government s new funding contributions must: Be addressed from the office of the CEO Specify the title of the grant project/s for which the new funding is being contributed State the amount of new funds being contributed to each project Specify that the contribution represents new funding (i.e. funding which is over and above the funds provided to the RTO for tourism and events projects in the previous financial year), and State that the contribution is either (1) committed, subject to budget approvals, or (2) confirmed in the budget, as appropriate. Please note, where numerous councils are contributing to a particular grant application, it is important the RTO specifies the amount of funds being contributed by each organisation within the application. 7 Assessment of grant applications Assessment criteria Grant applications will be evaluated against the following assessment criteria. Guidance is provided within the Application Form and the table below on the key elements required in response to each criteria. All criteria will have equal weighting in the assessment process so please fully answer all four parts in 800 words (or less) per criterion. Please ensure your responses to the assessment criteria provide sufficient context and background for panel members that may not have an in-depth knowledge of the destination priorities and strategies. There may be no opportunity for panel

10 members to seek clarification or further information on aspects stated in the grant applications. Criteria Alignment with industry priorities and strategies and the 2020 industry growth targets Guidance to applicants Please demonstrate how the project aligns with industry priorities and strategies and delivers on DestinationQ outcomes and the 2020 industry growth targets. You may consider including information which: Describes how the project links to the 2020 strategic priorities and goals and contributes a long-term benefit for the state and region Demonstrates how the project links to priorities in the Destination Tourism Plan and DestinationQ actions Describes how the project will increase regional visitor expenditure Details the outcomes this project will generate such as visitor numbers, length of stay, yield, employment and/or visitor spend. Capacity to deliver the project Please demonstrate how the project will be implemented if the grant application is successful. The assessment panel will be looking for evidence that the RTO has the ability to deliver the project on time and within budget, and that the project activity and methodology is sound. You may consider including information which: Shows how the project fits into the RTO s business plan and destination priorities, including longer-term strategies or projects Describes similar projects (and outcomes) the project team has delivered and/or the relevant skills and experience of people working on the project Refers to the budget and milestones, including rationale for the project timing where relevant e.g. to grow visitation in shoulder seasons Details the available resources that will assist in undertaking the project, from within the RTO and also from other partners Describes the support which has been committed from all stakeholders for this project (both cash commitment and/or resource support) Describes the extent of collaboration which has been undertaken with regional and/or local tourism organisations and other partners in preparing the application, and the anticipated involvement of all parties in delivering the project Level of innovation/ new ideas Please demonstrate how the project is innovative or brings new ideas to the region, or extends new ideas or programs which have been introduced recently. You may consider including information which: Demonstrates the need for the project Identifies proposed target markets and explains how the project will fill a gap in the market (if relevant) Identifies what, why and how the project is improving or innovating Details how the project is bringing new ideas to the region, or extending new ideas or programs which have been introduced recently

11 Value for money Please detail how the project provides value for money including the need for funding (i.e. the project will not proceed without the grant, or would not proceed to the same standard or in the proposed timeframe) and any additional investment committed to the project. The assessment panel will be looking for the extent to which the grant will contribute to outcomes that are additional to those that are likely to occur regardless of whether the application is successful, and to ensure the proposed deliverables are relevant and directly attributable to the project, and are measurable. You may consider including information which: Demonstrates the strategic and collaborative value of the project for your region Details the anticipated deliverables and outcomes of the project Shows that contestable grant funds are needed for the project to proceed Demonstrates the efficient, effective and economic use of resources (i.e. ROI for State government funding) Outlines how the KPIs will provide a good return on investment for the State government funding Demonstrates the KPIs (measures and targets) are directly attributed to the project, are realistic, achievable and measurable It is important to note this is a highly competitive, merit-based grants program, and meeting the eligibility and assessment criteria does not guarantee the application will be successful to receive grant funding. Assessment process An assessment panel led by TEQ will be formed with representatives from the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, Local Government Association of Queensland, Australian Regional Tourism Network and the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games. Applications for grant funding will be assessed against the criteria to ensure public accountability and to maximise program outcomes. Applications received by the published deadline will undergo an initial eligibility review conducted by TEQ s Business Analyst. This review will ensure applications have been completed in full, are duly authorised and meet the project eligibility requirements. Any ineligible applications may be removed from the application process at this time and TEQ will advise those applicants as soon as practicable that their application is ineligible. Provided an application meets the eligibility criteria it will be evaluated against the assessment criteria set out in these guidelines. The criteria will be equally weighted and there is no discretion to waive or amend the published criteria during the assessment and/or decision making process. Panel members will individually evaluate each grant application against the assessment criteria, with each application considered independently of other submissions. A scoring system is used to assist the evaluation process wherein scores are assigned against each criterion and are then aggregated across a number of reviewers. Finally, the assessment committee will come together to discuss the merits of each application and determine the strongest applications (as measured against the assessment criteria) for recommendation to the Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games.

12 To address the risk that grants are weighted to smaller or larger RTOs, grants will be awarded to at least two of the following RTOs: Townsville Enterprise Limited Mackay Tourism Limited Capricorn Enterprise Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Limited Bundaberg North Burnett Tourism Fraser Coast Opportunities Southern Queensland Country Tourism Outback Queensland Tourism Association and two of the following RTOs: Tourism Tropical North Queensland Whitsundays Marketing and Development Sunshine Coast Destination Limited Brisbane Marketing Gold Coast Tourism. There is no requirement for grants to be awarded to every RTO that submits an application for funding. A Reserve List will be established and funding may be offered to applications on this list where successful applicants do not take up the offered grant. Assessment panel The assessment panel appointed to evaluate applications for the round of the RTO contestable grant scheme comprises: Sandra Passaro Director Business and Strategic Events, Tourism and Events Queensland Chris Chambers Director Digital Marketing, Tourism and Events Queensland David Morgans Director Destination and Experience Development, Tourism and Events Queensland Daniel Gschwind Chief Executive, Queensland Tourism Industry Council David Sheldon Chair, Australian Regional Tourism Network Paul Martyn Deputy Director-General, Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Neal Muller General Manager Industry Development, Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Angela Quain Principal Advisor Regional & Economic Development, Local Government Association of Queensland Panel members cannot be consulted for advice or assistance regarding grant applications and cannot be involved in any grant discussions with RTOs or other TEQ staff. All assessment panel members will complete a Conflict of Interest declaration in relation to the program.

13 8 Announcement and implementation It is anticipated the Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games will announce the successful grant recipients by 30 June The decision of the grants assessment committee is final and there is no appeals process to review the committee s decisions. RTOs whose submissions are unsuccessful will be advised by TEQ. RTOs may request detailed feedback from TEQ on their submissions after the grants have been announced. Once awarded, contestable grant projects will be included within the TEQ/RTO Partnership Agreement action plan for , to be delivered with all other agreed activity for the destination. 9 Payments and monitoring As defined in the Terms and Conditions (part three of the TEQ-RTO Partnership Agreement), lead representatives for each of the partners will meet quarterly to evaluate the progress of grant projects and results available to date. Decisions and agreed actions must be kept as a record of the quarterly review meeting. Progress of grant projects will be monitored and documented as part of the quarterly performance review. Areas of focus for this review include but are not limited to: any proposed changes to the project; the status of partner s cash contributions toward the project; progress regarding KPI measurement and achievement - to identify and address any potential issues and risks with not achieving the KPIs; and the timing for project implementation and acquittal. The payment of funds is in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the TEQ- RTO Partnership Agreement, and the agreed project milestones and KPIs, including project completion by 30 June Payment 1 equal to 25% of the total grant and based on: a. Formal awarding of the grants by the Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games; and b. Completed and signed Annual Action Plan and Terms and Conditions; and c. Receipt by TEQ of a valid invoice for the payment amount. Payment 2 equal to 50% of the total grant and based on: a. Receipt by TEQ of written confirmation from each local government for all new local government funding being contributed to the project; and b. The project s first agreed deliverable being achieved; and c. Receipt by TEQ of a valid invoice for the payment amount. Payment 3 equal to 25% of the total grant and based on: a. A progress discussion being held and both TEQ and the RTO agreeing the project is on track to successfully achieve its objectives on time and on budget; and b. Both the RTO and TEQ agreeing that at least 75% of the project has been competed; and c. Receipt by TEQ of a valid invoice for the payment amount. Agreement that the payment milestones have been achieved must be documented with written correspondence between the partners prior to each payment.

14 10 Acquittal and audit of grant projects RTOs are responsible for ensuring the grant funding is appropriately acquitted for each project and that the project delivers on the agreed KPIs. A Grant Acquittal Statement must be completed at the conclusion of each project, by the date specified in the project milestones, and submitted to TEQ. Information to be provided in the Grant Acquittal Statement includes: A breakdown of all RTO and partner s cash contributions received for the project A summary of all expenses incurred for the project, broken down by expense category Actual results to reflect the project s performance against KPIs, and Certification that the information provided is true and complete; that the grant funds have been expended in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Partnership Agreement and the RTO Contestable Grant Scheme Guidelines; that all funds received have been used solely for the project as specified; that actual results reflect a true and accurate performance of the project; and that the RTO has maintained appropriate financial records and evidence of transactions for the funds received and amounts expended for the project. TEQ will audit a random selection of contestable grant projects each year. For all projects selected as part of the audit, RTOs will be required, and should be prepared, to provide: general ledger extracts from their finance system, or, at a minimum, a complete transaction listing of all income received and expenses paid for the grant project; a sample of invoices as selected by TEQ or TEQ s independent auditor; supporting documentation to verify the achievement and credibility of KPIs as reported in the Grant Acquittal Statement; documentation to support any variations to the project including project scope, KPIs, timing or budget; and documentation to support the delivery of project deliverables. All Grant Acquittal Statements should be provided to TEQ as soon as final results against KPIs are available for the project and not later than Monday 15 September All contestable grant projects must be acquitted before the RTO-TEQ Partnership Agreement Action Plan can be acquitted. Further details regarding the grant acquittal process and requirements will be outlined in the RTO Contestable Grant Acquittal Guidelines Successful project completion and acquittal will be taken into consideration for future rounds of contestable grant funding.

15 11 Amendments to grant projects In general, grant projects must be implemented as outlined in the approved project application and in accordance with the project milestones and KPIs agreed in the TEQ-RTO Partnership Agreement action plan Throughout the course of implementing the project, if changes are required to any aspect of the project, including the project scope, KPIs, project partners, partner contributions, budget items and expenses, milestones and/or timing, these must be requested and supported by written correspondence between TEQ and the RTO. Correspondence should outline the nature of the change/s proposed and the reason for the changes being requested. Changes which are deemed to be significant in nature will be referred to the grants assessment committee for approval. All amendments should be requested as soon as the need for change is identified, and not left until the next quarterly review of the Partnership Agreement action plan to be discussed. If an amendment to the project results in a reduction to the grant amount the RTO is eligible to receive for that project, the RTO will be required to refund the grant funds accordingly. Any proposed changes which would ultimately alter the original intent of the awarded grant project and/or the KPIs and outcomes of the project, will not be approved. Eligibility for matching grant funds It is the RTO s responsibility to ensure it receives all partner contributions as outlined in the grant application, and remains eligible for the full amount of the contestable grant funds awarded. In the event that anticipated partner s cash contributions are not received for the project, and the loss of that income affects the RTO s eligibility for the grant funds awarded (due to matching funds), a number of options are available for RTOs including: The RTO could source alternative funding from additional partner/s to compensate for the shortfall in anticipated cash contributions, to ensure they remain eligible for the full grant funds awarded; and/or Depending on the amount of the shortfall in anticipated partner s cash contributions, the RTO may request minor changes to the project based on the confirmed partner cash contributions and the corresponding revised grant allocation the RTO is eligible to receive. The difference between the grant funds originally awarded and the revised matching grant allocation must be returned to TEQ. Please note the latter option would be dependent upon approval of the proposed amendment/s by TEQ and the grants assessment committee if necessary. Any proposed changes which would ultimately alter the original intent of the awarded project and/or the KPIs and outcomes of the project will not be approved. As outlined above, any changes to contestable grant projects, including funding arrangements, must be notified in writing to TEQ as soon as practicable.

16 Confirmation of new local government funding following announcement Before the second payment of contestable grant funds can be made, RTOs must provide TEQ with letter/s of confirmation from the relevant local government/s to verify that all contributions of new local government funding for the project have been approved and will be forthcoming. If the proposed amounts of new local government funding for successful grant projects are not approved as anticipated, options available include: RTOs can source additional funding from other partners/rto base funds to maintain eligibility for the grant funds awarded; and/or Depending on the shortfall in anticipated new local government funds, RTOs may request minor changes to the project based on fewer funds and adjust the milestones, deliverables and remaining payments accordingly. It should be noted that requests for significant changes would need to be approved by the grants assessment committee. Any proposed changes which would ultimately alter the original intent of the awarded project and/or the KPIs and outcomes of the project will not be approved; or RTOs may withdraw the project and return the first payment of grant funds to TEQ. Grant amounts cannot be increased There is a finite amount of contestable grant funds which can be allocated each year. If, throughout the course of implementing the project, the partners cash contributions exceed the amount/s outlined in the original grant application, the RTO cannot request to receive an increase on the amount of contestable grant funding awarded for the project. RTOs are required to notify TEQ of any changes in funding arrangements as soon as possible, including if additional partner contributions are received for the project. In these cases, the RTO must also outline the reason for the increase in funding and the corresponding impact the increased funding will have on the project scope, activity and KPIs. Unspent funds In accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Partnership Agreement, unless there is an agreement with TEQ to the contrary, the RTO is required to identify and return any unspent grant funds to TEQ. Once received, TEQ will seek to reallocate all remaining funds to the contestable grants funding pool for the following financial year, where possible, to help fund future contestable grant projects. The proportion of unspent funds to be returned will correlate to the original funding formula of matching grant funds awarded, based on the partner contributions secured for the project. TEQ can assist with calculating the precise amount of grant funds to be returned if required. If unspent funds for a contestable grant project are identified, then prior to submitting the Grant Acquittal Statement for that project, the RTO is required to advise TEQ in writing the full amount of the unspent funds, as well as why the project funds were not fully expended, and the amount of unspent grant funds to be returned to TEQ (based on matching contributions). Requests for reallocating the unspent funds to extend or benefit the contestable grant project may be considered by TEQ and/or the grants assessment committee (depending on the amount of grant funds and the nature of the request), and must be approved in writing before proceeding. All activity for contestable grant projects must be completed by 30 June 2015.

17 RTOs are responsible for returning the relevant proportion/s of unspent funds contributed by project partners to those partners, where applicable, where the project income is not fully expended. 12 Key Performance Indicators The KPI setting process is an important element of any project. A meaningful KPI, which clearly aligns to the project objectives and can be measured using reliable data, is key to facilitating the achievement of project goals and successful outcomes. For all projects awarded funding under the RTO contestable grant scheme, the KPIs and targets will be documented and monitored in the TEQ-RTO Partnership Agreement Action Plan for Key performance indicators (KPIs) comprise measures and targets, where the measure denotes the indicator used to gauge success and the target defines the anticipated result. For example: Project/activity KPI Measure of success Target for Online marketing campaign Website visitation 20,000 unique visitors to the campaign website Promotion of an annual regional event Domestic marketing campaign with retail partner Industry development program Visitation to the regional event Room nights booked Industry satisfaction with program 1,100 visitors to the event (represents a 10% increase on ) 800 room nights 80% Defining KPIs KPIs must be relevant to the project and reflect outcomes which can be directly attributed to the project or activity. KPIs do not comprise measures where the achievement of the target is dependent on, or impacted by, other factors. For example, a marketing campaign may contribute to the overall visitor expenditure in a region, but other factors external to the project or activity will also impact the result; as such, regional visitor expenditure is not a suitable KPI for contestable grant projects. TEQ has developed a performance management framework which specifies a number of measures that can be used when setting KPIs for a variety of project types. Applications for contestable grant funding should comprise at least one KPI which is based on an eligible measure from the agreed framework, where relevant. Eligible measures are listed in the drop-down menu in the application form and include, but are not limited to: Direct cooperative funding (income) Campaign awareness (for campaigns over $500,000 in value) Direct sales (includes room nights, passenger numbers, event attendee numbers, revenue) PR media value (measured by Advertising Value Equivalent) Website visitation (unique or total visitors) Leads to industry

18 Stakeholder/industry feedback (satisfaction with development programs/workshops) Number of subscribers (to TEQ or RTO databases) If the desired measure is not listed in the drop-down menu, you may specify additional measures in the second table in the application form. KPI requirements KPIs form a significant part of the assessment process, with KPIs and deliverables contributing to the assessment panel s overall evaluation of the project s value for money (assessment criterion 4). For this reason, it is imperative that KPIs set out in the grant application are realistic, achievable and measurable. There is limited opportunity for RTOs to revise project KPIs once a grant has been awarded. It is expected RTOs will develop all KPIs for the project described in the grant application in consultation with key partners, ensuring all parties agree the targets are realistic, achievable and measurable as well as when results will be available. Final results must be available to be reported in the Grant Acquittal Statement prior to submission to TEQ. For grant applications, in addition to defining the measures and targets set for the proposed project, RTOs must specify how each target will be measured (Data source), by whom (Responsibility) and when final results will be available (Reporting). Applications which do not provide complete information regarding the proposed KPIs cannot receive strong scores for the fourth assessment criteria, which will impact the panel s overall evaluation of that submission. Before completing the application, RTOs must be aware if commercial funding arrangements between the RTO and their partner/s could limit or prohibit the disclosure of final results for the project. If results cannot be reported at the end of the project in the Grant Acquittal Statement, the KPI and target should not be included in the grant application form. Where results would be commercial in confidence but still able to be reported in the Grant Acquittal Statement, this should be acknowledged in the grant application form and restated in the Grant Acquittal Statement, to prevent any disclosure of results outside TEQ. Larger projects Where a grant project contributes to, or is implemented as part of a larger project delivered with TEQ or another organisation, it may not be possible to define KPIs which are specifically attributed to the contestable grant component of the project. In these cases, the larger project s KPIs and outcomes may be outlined in the application, rather than a subset which is specifically related to the grant. Please identify in the application if the KPIs listed relate to a wider project (i.e. they are not specifically attributed to the contestable grant funded component of the project). Where KPIs relate to a wider project, these must be specific to the grant year and results against each target must be available to be reported in the Grant Acquittal Statement. RTOs may contact TEQ, via the Destination Director or Specialist, for additional information or assistance with setting and defining KPIs for their contestable grant applications.

19 13 Timeframes and Responsibilities Key milestones, timeframes and roles/responsibilities for the RTO contestable grant process can be summarised in the following diagram. 14 Right to Information Applicants are advised that information provided in the Application Form may be subject to disclosure under the Right to Information Act 2009 (Qld) ( RTI Act ). The RTI Act grants members of the community a statutory right of access to documents in the possession of Queensland Government agencies, with certain exceptions and exemptions. The RTI Act requires that documents be disclosed upon request, unless the documents are exempt and disclosure is contrary to the public interest. If disclosure under the RTI Act would be of substantial concern to an applicant, please advise Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ). TEQ cannot guarantee that any information provided by an applicant will be protected from disclosure under the RTI Act. For more detailed information about the RTI Act, please contact: Legal Counsel Tourism and Events Queensland GPO Box 328, Brisbane, Qld, 4001 Telephone: (07) Lachlan.Trafford-Walker@queensland.com 15 Further Information Please contact your TEQ Destination Director or Destination Specialist for further information or assistance with preparing applications. Applications are due to Kelly Reynolds by 5.00pm on Tuesday 22 April kelly.reynolds@queensland.com Telephone: