The Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) was established in January 2021 to stimulate the city’s economic growth with a focus on attracting investment, growing our visitor economy, increasing the number of people living in the city, marketing the city as a whole and promoting Rundle Mall as Adelaide’s premier shopping destination
AEDA developed a competitive funding program to enable the Agency to partner with other organisations to deliver innovative initiatives that increase economic activity within the City, enhance Adelaide’s brand and contribute to a dynamic city experience. $1,151,000 +GST has been allocated to the program in 2025-26.
Purpose
The Strategic Partnerships Program (City Building Stream) aims to fund proposals that substantially increase economic activity in one or more of the following:
- Increasing the number of people working and living in the city including students
- Supporting existing businesses to grow and attracting new firms
- Leveraging investment in the city’s innovation assets to drive greater economic benefit for the CBD
- Positioning Adelaide as a world class events city
- Driving tourism initiatives that attract regional, national and international visitors
- Enhancing the value proposition of Adelaide as a destination to work, invest, live, study and visit.
- Decreasing shopfront vacancies in the city.
Projects will need to be able to demonstrate clear outcomes attributable to the funding received, contain quantifiable success measures and an ability to demonstrate ROI.
Importantly, the Strategic Partnerships Program aims to support the development of new, relationships between AEDA and other organisations that accelerate economic activity in the City of Adelaide as well as providing a means to deepen and strengthen existing relationships by building on and extending previously funded activities. For example, additional benefits could include:
- Offering AEDA connections and introductions to new businesses (locally, nationally and internationally) who may be interested in establishing in the City
- Offering AEDA’s current and relevant data to city businesses and potential investors, aiding their decision-making processes.
- Connecting AEDA’s capacity of offering marketing support and business support to businesses operating in the visitor economy.
- Connecting AEDA to opportunities to increase institutional investment in city residential projects, including student accommodation, vertical retirement living, and build-to-rent developments.
- Bringing opportunities to partner with the State Government, universities, associations, community and advocacy groups to activate and upgrade precincts to stimulate investment, visitation and maximise opportunities.
More broadly this program is designed to support the outcomes of the CoA Strategic Plan 2024-2028 and the 2024/25 AEDA Business Plan.
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