IMG today announced that Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) will be covered under the Australian Government’s Business Events Grants program, which will support Australian businesses by providing grants between $10,000 and $250,000.
Grant funding will cover up to 50 per cent of eligible expenditures incurred by designers participating in AAFW.
Established by the Australian Government, the Business Events Grants program is funded under the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund, which is providing assistance to sectors, regions and communities disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of the global pandemic.
The initiative will empower the business events sector which, due to COVID-19, has seen categorical cancellation of events contributing to a near 100 per cent loss of revenue.
The Business Events Grants program aims to support the broader business community by stimulating high value, multi-day business-to-business events across multiple sectors of the economy.
In the case of Australian designers, this may include production costs for runway shows, digital content and trade showrooms, travel and accommodation expenses for media and buyers, and activation and promotional collateral for participating sponsors.
Grant applications are now open at https://www.business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/business-events-grants.
Applications close at 5pm (AEDST) on 30 March 2021 or earlier if funding is exhausted.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres welcomed the program.
“The Business Events Grants program is a fantastic initiative to help eligible businesses get back on their feet.
"I strongly encourage designers requiring assistance to apply, so that they can secure their place at Australia’s pinnacle fashion event, AAFW, in Sydney, and showcase their incredible work on a global stage.”