Working with the Adelaide Economic Development Agency
The Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) works closely with businesses, industry groups, State Government agencies and other relevant organisations to stimulate the city’s economy. It focuses on business support, visitor economy uplift, investment attraction, residential growth, marketing the city as a whole and promoting Adelaide’s premier shopping strip, Rundle Mall. It centres Adelaide as a vibrant place to work, invest, live, study and visit.
This page provides an overview of the support services, programs, and partnership opportunities available, year-round, to help develop and grow your business. For a more in-depth insight into working with AEDA, download the full Working with AEDA document by completing this form.
Helping Businesses to Start, Grow or Relocate
AEDA helps investors and businesses be successful in the city. From start-ups and established businesses to those looking to relocate to Adelaide, AEDA can provide free and confidential services to support your business. Support is tailored to each business and its individual needs and can include:
• Assistance with site selection.
• Insights to understanding local industry capabilities and opportunities.
• Detailed data and insights about Adelaide’s CBD and North Adelaide.
• Information to help you build your business case for establishing a business in the city.
• Free pre-lodgement and pre-design advice services for specific land sites, future development proposals and preparing development applications.
• Links and introductions to government agencies.
• Information on AEDA and CoA program and partnership opportunities.
• Small business advice and assistance.
Data and Insights
AEDA provides timely, data-driven insights to support investors, business owners and decision-makers. An in-house team of experts analyse exclusive and third-party data to deliver professional reports on Adelaide’s economic performance.
Key metrics—such as footfall, customer expenditure, mobility and forward hotel bookings—are updated monthly via our interactive dashboards, helping you stay on top of city trends. AEDA also hosts business events and industry briefings and presents at local and national forums to share insights and connect stakeholders with growth opportunities.
Investing in the City
The city contributes 18 per cent of Gross State Product and is a hub of innovation, featuring world-class precincts like Lot Fourteen—specialising in defence, space, high-tech, and creative industries—and BioMed City, the largest health and medical research precinct in the southern hemisphere. Adelaide boasts South Australia’s largest concentration of commercial office space and serves as the central hub of the state’s transport network, providing a vital connection point to helping you access the skills you need to grow your business.
Precincts
AEDA funds seven precinct groups across the city. These incorporated associations deliver activities that support economic activity in their local areas. Details can be found here.
Support for Tourism Operators
AEDA supports tourism industry growth through strategic collaboration with key stakeholders to identify and leverage opportunities that shape the future of Adelaide’s visitor economy. Our team supports industry by facilitating connections with the City of Adelaide and broader networks to encourage business development and new investment.
AEDA also delivers joint destination marketing campaigns with partners such as the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), Expedia and RAA, targeting intrastate, interstate, and international markets. We contribute to the long-term tourism and experience development strategy for Adelaide, with a focus on improving the visitor journey across both physical and digital touchpoints, from pre-trip planning through to in-destination engagement.
We support a diverse visitor base, including tourists, residents, students, business events delegates, and those visiting friends and relatives, ensuring Adelaide remains a welcoming and compelling destination for all.
The Adelaide Visitor Information Centre is staffed by knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers who provide assistance to local, interstate, and international visitors, including students. Services include the provision of brochures, maps, event guides, directions, and support with journey planning.
On weekends, the Visitor Information Centre expands its reach with a mobile presence with a branded bicycle located in Rundle Mall, offering on-the-spot visitor support in one of the city’s busiest pedestrian thoroughfares. AEDA also manages the Adelaide Greeters program, which delivers free, personalised orientation walks of the city. Sessions typically run for two to three hours and provide an engaging introduction to Adelaide for new arrivals.
ATDW is the national platform for digital tourism information. AEDA encourages eligible tourism businesses across accommodation, hospitality, events and other categories to create a listing for their business or event. These listings are used by websites across the country to promote local businesses and help attract new customers, including AEDA’s own website ExperienceAdelaide.com.au, SouthAustralia.com, Australia.com and more.
Events and Festivals Funding and Promotion
City-based events and festivals add vibrancy and excitement to the city and help attract local, interstate and international visitors.
AEDA provides funding programs to financially support eligible groups and organisations to assist in the staging of events and festivals that drive visitation, spend and support for local businesses as well as increase the profile of the city as a tourist destination.
Marketing the City
The AEDA Marketing team provides guidance and support for all Agency initiatives while delivering citywide campaigns, including campaigns designed to promote ongoing events and festivals in the city.
AEDA works collaboratively to cross promote campaigns and initiatives. Opportunities to be involved in citywide marketing are communicated via the City Business and City Tourism EDMs.
Doing Business in Rundle Mall
While the AEDA team does not manage leasing for buildings within the Rundle Mall Precinct, it can connect you with the appropriate representative if you are interested in leasing a specific tenancy or space in the Mall.
There are spaces for events and activations throughout Rundle Mall suitable for every purpose, including new product launches, brand awareness, giveaways and installations. These spaces reach thousands of people every day.
Each year, Rundle Mall hosts more than 300 events and activations, adding vibrancy to an already bustling precinct. These spaces can be booked for days, weeks or months, with a range of flexible options to suit every business.
| 700+ Retailers | 300+ Non-retail service businesses | $1.07B 2024 annual expenditure in Rundle Mall |
| 468.7k Main trade area population | 19 Average visits per year, per customer | 77% Residents shop in Rundle Mall |
| $1,332 Average early spend in Rundle Mall | 85% of all discretionary retail expenditure in the City of Adelaide | 54M+ Visitors a year |
For a more in-depth guide to working with AEDA, please complete the form below and we'll email it to you.