Qantas is inviting regional community groups across Australia to apply for a share of $10 million as part of its grants program, which opened today.

The Qantas Regional Grants program will provide a total of $10 million in grants over five years – $2 million each year – to support Australian based not-for-profit community groups and projects that benefit regional areas.

The grants include a combination of flights, cash and marketing support, and will be determined by a panel made up of Qantas management and community group representatives.

QantasLink Chief Operating Officer Petrea Bradford, who was in Dubbo for the announcement, said the national carrier was inundated with expressions of interest after it announced last December that the regional grants program would return in 2023 following a three-year pause during the pandemic.

“When we announced that we were relaunching and doubling the size of the grants program, more than 1,500 community groups across Australia registered their interest,” said Ms Bradford.

“There are so many great organisations helping their communities in all sorts of innovative ways and we’re proud to help support them in their mission.

“As an airline born in regional Australia, we know how important it is to give back to the communities we serve. After the extremely challenging years of the pandemic, it’s great to be in a position again where we can invest in communities right across Australia.”

Federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, and the member for Eden Monaro, the Hon Kristy McBain MP, said the Qantas Regional Grants program would help drive positive change in regional communities.

“We have so many amazing individuals, not-for-profit community groups, and organisations in regional Australia that are working hard to enhance the lives of their communities,” Minister McBain said.

“With Qantas’ help, their innovative and uplifting projects will be able to be delivered.

“I look forward to seeing how this joined-up approach between private sector and community efforts creates benefits to regional communities.”

Interested organisations can apply at qantas.com/regionalgrants.

Applications open today and will close on 9 May 2023. Successful recipients will be announced in June 2023.

Qantas Regional Grants program was launched in 2019, with the first year of funding distributed among 20 community groups from every state and territory from more than 1,200 applications. The program was paused when the airline was effectively grounded by the pandemic.

Some of the previous recipients included:

• Lifeline Central West (NSW) which supports individuals and communities across the Central West region by providing them with access to online, phone and face-to-face crisis support and suicide prevention services.
• Country to Canberra (ACT) which empowers young rural women to reach their leadership potential and provides advocacy and education opportunities.
• Fair Game Australia (WA) which collects and distributes pre-loved sports equipment, along with providing health and fitness education to young people in Australia’s most remote communities.
• Red Dust Role Models (NT) which works with remote Indigenous communities to create stronger futures for youth and their families.
• AgBiz Assist Ltd (VIC) which provides financial counselling to farmers, fishing enterprises, forestry growers and small rural-related businesses experiencing financial hardship.
• Outback Watersports Club Inc (Outback Paddle Regatta Festival) (QLD) which partnered with their local community to bring the Outback Paddle Regatta Festival to life again in 2020. The event showcases the outback Queensland and the Thomson River.
• Ten Days on the Island Ltd (TAS) which is Tasmania’s biennial international arts festival, presenting new work from Tasmania’s leading artists alongside the work of the world’s most exciting creative practitioners.

Details of all the previous grant recipients can be found here.

Qantas is Australia’s largest regional airline, connecting more than 50 regional communities with capital cities. Since the start of the pandemic, Qantas has launched 38 new regional routes providing even more tourism and economic opportunities for regional Australia.

The Qantas Regional Grants program complements a broader range of initiatives the national carrier provides to regional Australia. This includes capping fares from eight flood affected communities and year-round discounts for residents in 16 regional and remote towns to make air travel more accessible.