THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANTS POLICY REVIEW (Referred from Planning and Environment Committee dated 8 August 2023 - Item 5.3) · Report

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                            14 AUGUST 2023


commercial profit of business.

A summary of all successful grant applications throughout the life of the program form Attachment
4.

Scope of Review
The review focused on investigating the reasons for low application numbers, including:
   •    the barriers to application; and
   •    a review of other local government business/economic development grant programs.
The aim of the review was to establish what changes were required to the current policy and
guidelines to deliver better outcomes.
Information was gathered through face-to-face interviews with key Council staff and local Chambers
of Commerce and business associations.
A Councillor Workshop was also held with Councillors. Other grant program research was
conducted via desktop research.

Comparative Analysis – Grants Programs
No similar competitive grants programs were identified in other local government area. Other grant
funding was mainly disaster, topical (such as sustainability or shopfront) or economic hardship
related.

Key Issues
The review identified the key issues as:
   •    Process of application is too arduous;
   •    Voluntary and resource poor nature of Chambers and Business Groups;
   •    Strategic projects are rare, especially relative to the grant funding amounts available;
   •    Lack of flexibility in projects that qualify.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO POLICY

Consistent with Noosa Council’s commitment to the Small Business Friendly Charter, to simplify
government processes, the recommended changes to the current Policy are summarised below:
   •    Removal of three tiers of grant categories to one category of grant application.
   •    Creation of an Assessment Panel to include representatives of Economic Development and
        from another area of Council;
   •    Criteria to include tactical and placemaking initiatives as opposed to strategic initiatives;
   •    Addition of Human Rights Compatibility Statement, as advised by Corporate Governance;
   •    Other minor wording changes to the Policy to maintain consistency with other Council Grants
        Policies.


CURRENT PROGRAM                PROPOSED CHANGES                      RATIONALE

    •   Quick Response      One category of grants with a  Simplify the grants process, the
        Grant               minimum of $1000 and a maximum three tiers seem to confuse
                            of $5000 per grant             potential applicants and the Multi
    •   Project Partnership                                Year Program has attracted zero
        Grant                                              applications since inception. We
                                                           have a sponsorship and funding