About the program
Since we first flew out of outback Queensland in 1920, we’ve been committed to driving local economic activity and supporting jobs in Australia’s regional communities.
We recognise regional communities as the root of the spirit of Australia, and with the Qantas Regional Grants program now in its third year, we’re looking to help these communities sustain brighter futures by providing financial, flight and marketing support to charities, organisations, projects and individuals.
Successful grant recipients for 2024
In 2024, 28 regional community groups from around Australia will benefit from a share of $2 million.
Over the past years, the grants have supported more than 80 not-for-profit groups and projects across regional Australia, giving $5 million in grants since the program launched in 2019.
The successful recipients were selected from more than 1,700 applications and will receive a combination of cash, free flights and marketing support, depending on the organisation's needs.
Applications
2024 timings
21 February 2024
Applications open
10 May 2024
Applications closed
May - June
Qantas Regional Grant Panel assess entries
July
Successful applicants announced
Grant inclusions
The Qantas Regional Grants program offered recipients a combination of:
Cash grants
Flights in kind
Marketing support
Applicants had to nominate the value of each grant component required for their work and clearly outline how it would be used to further their regional cause.
Judging criteria
The Qantas Regional Grants judging panel will determine the successful applicants each year. The panel will examine all eligible entries and select applicants that they determine best meet all the criteria below.
- The extent to which the applicant directly services a regional community need and demonstrates a measurable socioeconomic impact.
- The extent to which the applicant can maximise local community benefits in regional Australia with the Qantas Regional Grants Program funding.
- The extent to which the project or activity will celebrate and highlight the work of the applicant and help boost the profile and strength of the applicant for the future.
- The ability of the applicant to demonstrate innovation in their project strategy, goals and mission, and how these align to improving their service offering and increasing regional impact.
Guide to Applying
Keep your answers succinct and within the word limit: The Qantas Regional Grants Program receives thousands of applications each year, and the team of judges are tasked with reading each one of them. Your application should be straight to the point and succinct, so our panel do not miss vital information. To keep track of word limits when applying online, use a separate platform to display word count. To keep track of word limits when filling out a hard copy, draft your responses first before writing on the form.
Be specific, what are you working on. Detail how the grant will directly benefit your community: Use the form to discuss your projects while highlighting the long-term impact. Be as specific as you can when discussing what funding will be used towards, as we want to know it's going to be put to good use.
Save a copy of your application: Applications cannot be saved in draft form. Make sure to save a copy of your submission elsewhere for future reference and in case of technical difficulties.
Provide all necessary information within the answer sections: Unfortunately, additional material such as websites or linked information packs cannot be considered. Be sure to include all information you want reviewed within the word limit.
Write persuasively: We want to hear why you need a grant, so the application should be persuasive and give us a good understanding of your group or organisation, the need for funding and why the project or work is worthy of a share of $2 million.
Have someone else look over your application: Editing and reviewing are important to make sure your points are cohesive and succinct. It is also an effective way to check hyperlinks and remove duplicate information.
Review all available information, including the application of a previous Qantas Regional Grant winner 2023: Eat Up Australia
Applications - frequently asked questions
Who is eligible? If you are an individual, group or not-for-profit organisation seeking funds to contribute positively to your regional community, you are eligible to apply for the Qantas Regional Grants Program.
What is the maximum amount that any one applicant can receive? There is no maximum or minimum allocation – this is entirely at the discretion of the panel.
How is the $2 million divided between marketing support, flights and cash? $750,000 in marketing support. $1,250,000 in cash and flight contra (split depending on requirements of applications).
Examples of eligible applicants:
- A teacher applying for funds to create a playground at the local school.
- A sporting club looking for flight funding to support a domestic trip to a competitive competition.
- An event organiser applying to promote their event to a broader audience in collaboration with Qantas.
- A charity looking to expand their program into regional areas (eg breast cancer trucks visiting regional towns).
Will the entire yearly allocation be distributed? We intend to distribute the entire allocation; this will of course depend on the number and calibre of applications and how we can best distribute the funds.
Is there a limit per state? No.
Are individuals able to apply? Yes.
What is required of successful applicants after receiving grant funds? Successful recipients are required to report at 6 and 12 months after receiving a grant how they have utilised the allocation.
Are applicants living in non-Qantas ports eligible to apply? Yes.
Are applicants living in non-regional locations eligible to apply? Yes – if they are applying for a program of work that directly benefits regional Australia, the grant applicant does not need to live in regional Australia. Applicants not looking to further causes that service regional Australia can apply for funds via the sponsorship portal on the Qantas website.
What is classified as ‘regional’ Australia? Regional Australia includes all the towns, small cities and areas that lie beyond the major capital cities and outside of metropolitan areas. Darwin is included as an eligible recipient of grant funding.
Previous recipients
We’re proud to have supported 54 community groups across Australia since the program first took flight.
In 2023, 32 applications were awarded funding, selected from a record breaking 1,600 applications from across Australia.
In 2019, 20 grants were distributed to causes ranging from farming assistance and mental health services to a local gymnastics club and a community ensemble.