2025/26 Strategic Partnerships Program
The Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) has awarded six city organisations a share of $3.6 million over three years through its Strategic Partnerships Program to drive growth, foster innovation, and strengthen the city’s business landscape.
The funding will support job creation, as well as establish and grow new businesses that contribute to the city’s economic development.
What is the Strategic Partnerships Program?
AEDA, through its Strategic Partnerships Program, provides funding to external organisations to stimulate economic activity across multiple sectors within the city. It establishes new partnerships to accelerate economic growth and expands existing collaborations by building on previously funded projects.
Successful applicants for the 2025/26 Strategic Partnerships Program are:
Grant recipients will run initiatives that substantially increase economic activity in the city by achieving one or more of the following:
- Increasing the number of people working and living in the city, including students.
- Attracting new businesses to the city.
- Leveraging investment in the city’s innovation assets and entities, such as Lot Fourteen and BioMed City, to drive greater economic benefit for the CBD.
- Positioning Adelaide as a world-class events city that attracts attendees and encourages them to return and stay longer.
- 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.
Successful applicants funded for 3 years (2025/26 to 2027-28)
- Business Events Adelaide – Total: $948,000
- MTPConnect* – Total: $460,000
- Renew Adelaide* – Total: $969,080
- University of Adelaide/ThincLab* – Total: $549,920
- Festival City Adelaide – Total: $321,000
- Study Adelaide – Total: $357,000
Total: $ 3,605,000
*These applicants received a proportion of funding allocated in 2024/25.
For future rounds of the Strategic Partnerships Program, subject to approvals, a call for applications is likely to occur in second half of 2027. Funding would start on 1 July 2028.
Meet AEDA's Strategic Partners
Renew Adelaide
Renew Adelaide is a non-profit organisation that revitalises empty city shopfronts by providing rent-free spaces to entrepreneurs and start-ups. It allows them to trial business ideas without the stress of expensive overheads.
Renew Adelaide, with AEDA support, will drive economic growth and increase commercial occupancy in the city by supporting the commencement of 51 businesses. The partnership will benefit the city by creating at least 160 new jobs, attracting fresh talent, and supporting local industries and communities.
Business Events Adelaide
Business Events Adelaide drives the city’s economy by attracting world-class national and international conferences, conventions, and business events. It targets global business events aligned to South Australia’s sectors, increasing Adelaide's worldwide visibility.
With AEDA funding, it will promote the city at global trade shows, host visits, submit more than 150 event bids annually, and run showcases like Connect Adelaide and Destination SA. In turn, it expects to raise $300 million in economic activity, attract 53,000 delegates and create 3,200 jobs.
Study Adelaide
Study Adelaide is instrumental in positioning Adelaide as a leading destination for international students, especially ahead of the upcoming Adelaide University merger. Its initiatives support students as they settle into the city, enhancing their experience and cementing Adelaide's reputation as a welcoming and dynamic place to live and study.
Funding from SPP will allow Study Adelaide to showcase the city as a top-tier education location through its Global Famil Program for 2026-28. It will be able to host an additional 20 education agents annually from emerging education markets, such as China, India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Festival City Adelaide
Festival City Adelaide, the peak body for Adelaide’s major festivals, plays a crucial role in the city’s cultural and economic standing. Through strategic marketing and support, Festival City Adelaide ensures the city remains a vibrant hub of creativity and innovation by drawing local and international visitors. It also aims to boost the city's profile on the global stage.
Festival City Adelaide will use funds to assist with its strategic event development, including a festival event planner, guides offering expertise in areas such as risk management, impact reporting and compliance steps. This will help new and existing event businesses and organisers operate professionally and compliantly.
MTPConnect
MTPConnect accelerates the growth of the medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors in Adelaide, fostering collaborations between researchers, industry, and government.
Through SPP, the organisation will position the city as a leader in the sector by hosting inbound and outbound delegations, delivering investor education, strengthening clinical trial capabilities, and building a global brand for Adelaide Life Sciences. It also aims to facilitate targeted intermediary activities in pre-clinical and clinical trials by addressing ecosystem gaps and improving coordination between local and international stakeholders.
University of Adelaide/ThincLab
The University of Adelaide’s ThincSeed program, through business incubator ThincLab, nurtures Adelaide’s entrepreneurial talent, It provides startups with access to innovative facilities, mentoring, and networking opportunities.
Through AEDA funding, Thincseed plans to support 70 startups through pre-accelerator programs and a further 18 through intensive accelerator programs. It will also host pitch events and foster strategic connections to enhance the city’s start-up ecosystem, improving its investment readiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
To be eligible you must:
- Have a current Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Be a legal entity
- Not be insolvent, or have owners/directors that are undischarged bankrupts
- Be up-to-date with any acquittals or reporting requirements for which your organisation has received funding from the City of Adelaide or AEDA
- Be willing to build the relationship with AEDA by co-designing additional opportunities throughout the life of the partnership.
Funding rounds are offered, typically, when existing Strategic Partnerships agreements are about to expire. Eligible organisations can apply for one to three years of funding.
The last round closed in December 2024, with projects set to be delivered between 2025 until 30 June 2028. Each participant is set to receive between $75,000 and $330,000 + GST per year from a funding pool of $1,151,000 + GST per financial year. For more information view the funding guidelines for 2025/26.
The purpose of the Strategic Partnerships Program is to fund proposals that substantially increase economic activity within the city, enhance Adelaide’s brand and contribute to a dynamic city experience.
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.
If a proposal is successful, you will be assigned a Senior Manager, to work with you to develop the scope of the partnership and funding agreement. This person will connect with partners regularly and specifically at the mid-way progress report.
Under a different set of Strategic Partnership Program Guidelines we funded MTP Connect, University of Adelaide/ThincLab and SouthStart for delivery in 2024. The focus for these partners was to deliver intensive support for small business to scale up.
For more information please contact:
Tiffany Katchmar
Executive Manager, Business Growth & Investment
AEDA is interested in organisations that deliver projects aligned to the City of Adelaide Strategic Plan 2024-2028 and the 2024/25 AEDA Business Plan.
Specifically, the Strategic Partnerships Program is suitable for proposals that substantially increase economic activity 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.
Moreover, the Strategic Partnerships Program aims to support the development of new relationships between AEDA and other organisations to accelerate economic activity in the City of Adelaide. It also provides a means to deepen and strengthen existing relationships by building on and extending previously funded activities.
The program will only support the delivery of projects that have an impact within the City of Adelaide boundary.
The Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) is a subsidiary of the City of Adelaide that supports businesses and projects within the City.
Currently via our Strategic Partnership Program we are funding Renew Adelaide, Study Adeliade, Adelaide Business Events and Festival Adelaide, which will conclude on 30 June 2024.
