Biloela Industrial Incentives Initiative

About the Initiative
The Biloela Industrial Incentives Initiative is a $3.5 million competitive grants program, funded by the Queensland Government and managed by Banana Shire Council, designed to catalyse local economic growth, diversification and job creation.

The purpose of the Initiative is to drive economic diversification and growth; attracting new investment to the Shire or facilitating expansion of existing businesses. Industries with the greatest potential for growth include manufacturing, energy (including coal, gas and renewables), resource processing, construction, defence, circular economy and logistics.

Banana Shire's underlying comparative advantage is a skilled workforce that services existing industry, availability of industrial-zoned land, proximity to neighbouring service centres and a strong transport and logistics network, which links our industries to the Port of Gladstone, one of the world's largest commodity ports.

What the Initiative Funds

The Initiative supports shared enabling infrastructure, services and capabilities that improve competitiveness and unlock investment across multiple businesses. Shared benefit may arise under different ownership and operating models.

Illustrative project types include:

Common or Precinct-Level Infrastructure: Infrastructure that supports multiple existing or future users within the industrial precinct or wider Shire, such as shared power infrastructure, heavy vehicle access, compressed air or gas reticulation, ICT backbone or digital connectivity improvements, and energy efficiency or distributed energy systems.
Co-Owned or Joint-Use Facilities: Facilities developed under shared ownership, joint venture or cooperative structures, such as jointly governed training centres, shared advanced manufacturing or fabrication cells, multi-user testing or prototyping facilities, and calibration or quality assurance laboratories.
Privately Owned Assets with Demonstrable Shared Benefit: Privately owned and commercially operated assets that are new to the region and enable access by multiple businesses on fair and transparent terms, such as specialist processing or fabrication equipment not currently available locally.
Other: Circular economy, waste or byproduct exchange infrastructure; shared logistics interfaces; specialist training infrastructure linked to RTOs, TAFE or industry partners.

The following categories are illustrative only and are not intended to limit applications. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative solutions that align with the Initiative outcomes.

Initiative Outcomes
The Biloela Industrial Incentives Initiative aims to:

Expand and diversify local industry for sustainable economic growth: Support expansion of existing industries and attract priority new industry participants, support job creation and workforce pathways, and increase local businesses' ability to participate in key industry supply chains and capture value, including for the significant growth in renewable energy projects in the region.
Improve competitiveness and cost reduction across firms: Support initiatives that address identified barriers to investment in Banana Shire, including gaps in shared infrastructure, enabling technology, and access to industrial facilities, equipment or services, by delivering shared solutions that multiple firms will benefit from and that unlock investment in the Shire.
Attract investment: Leverage public funds to attract private, industry and research capital and increase the scale of activity in the Precinct, positioning Banana Shire as a key industrial hub in Central Queensland.
Promote collaboration and partnerships for innovation and growth: Support partnerships between businesses, research organisations and/or education and training providers that drive innovation in product and services, including for testing, research and development, and commercialisation.

Eligibility
Applications must meet all mandatory eligibility requirements to proceed to assessment. Key requirements are:

Applicant eligibility

The applicant must be an Australian-based legal entity capable of entering into a legally binding agreement with Council, hold a current Australian Business Number, and have an account with an Australian financial institution. Eligible entity types include companies incorporated in Australia, co-operatives, partnerships with a nominated lead partner, and Indigenous corporations.

Project eligibility
To be eligible, projects must:

Have principal project activities located in Banana Shire and create jobs based in the Shire.
Deliver enabling assets, services and/or capabilities that benefit at least two businesses in Banana Shire.
Align with the Initiative outcomes of industry expansion, improved competitiveness, investment attraction and collaboration.
Include a co-funding contribution from the applicant and/or project partners; meaningful cash co-investment is expected.
Be capable of substantial delivery within the program timeframe (projects are expected to commence within 12 months of agreement execution).

The full eligibility requirements, including eligible expenditure and ineligible project types, were set out in the EOI Guidelines provided during the Expression of Interest stage. Shortlisted applicants should refer to the RFP documentation issued to them by Council.

How To Apply

$3.5 million (inclusive of GST) is available to fund one or more proposals. The program is delivered through a two-stage competitive process:

Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI): now closed (closed 31 March 2026). Applicants submitted a short concept-level response using the EOI Response Form. Council assessed all eligible EOIs against the selection criteria and shortlisted proposals to proceed to Stage 2.
Stage 2: Request for Proposal (RFP): now underway. Shortlisted EOI applicants have been invited to submit a detailed proposal. The RFP stage tests detailed feasibility, risk profile and public value prior to funding commitment. Only shortlisted applicants invited by Council may participate in Stage 2.

Submitting your EOI

The EOI period is now closed. Shortlisted applicants have been contacted directly with the RFP documentation and instructions. If you are a shortlisted applicant, complete the RFP Response Form provided to you, including any required attachments, and submit by email to IndustryIncentive@banana.qld.gov.au by Monday 6 July 2026, 5:00 PM AEST.

If you have not been contacted and believe you submitted an eligible EOI, email the address above before the closing date.

Selection Criteria

Eligible EOI applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

Criterion	Weighting
1. Economic Impact and Strategic Contribution	30%
2. Multi-Firm Benefit and System-Level Impact	25%
3. Investment Leverage and Additionality	20%
4. Deliverability, Readiness and Sustainability	15%
5. Collaboration and Innovation Potential	10%

The above criteria applied to the EOI assessment stage. At the RFP stage, shortlisted applicants are expected to provide detailed feasibility analysis, project costings and co-funding commitments. Assessment will focus on strategic merit, scale of public value, deliverability and risk profile.

Key Dates

#	Activity	Date
1.	Expression of Interest open	3 March 2026
2.	Information session (online)	Beginning of Week 2
3.	End of period for questions or requests for information	17 March 2026
4.	EOI closes	31 March 2026
5.	Request for Proposals open	Monday 11 May 2026
6.	End of period for questions or requests for information (RFP stage)	Friday 19 June 2026
7.	Request for Proposals closes	Monday 6 July 2026, 5:00 PM AEST
8.	Advice to applicants on outcomes	Est. September 2026
9.	Funding agreement negotiations commence	Est. September – October 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the grant period?
Projects are expected to commence within 12 months of agreement execution and be completed in alignment with the project application. Extension requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, where delays are outside the proponent's control and public value is maintained.

I did not submit an Expression of Interest. Can I still take part in the Initiative?
No. The Expression of Interest period closed on 31 March 2026 and the Initiative is not open for new applications. Only applicants who submitted an eligible EOI and were shortlisted have been invited to the Request for Proposal stage.

How will I know if my EOI was shortlisted?
Council has contacted all shortlisted applicants directly. If you submitted an EOI and have not heard from Council, email IndustryIncentive@banana.qld.gov.au before the RFP closing date.

I am a shortlisted applicant. Where do I get the RFP documentation?
The RFP documentation, including the RFP Response Form, has been issued to shortlisted applicants directly by Council. It is not published for public download. If you are a shortlisted applicant and have not received it, contact IndustryIncentive@banana.qld.gov.au.

Can a new business partner with a shortlisted applicant at the RFP stage?
Only applicants shortlisted at the EOI stage may submit a Request for Proposal. A shortlisted applicant may include project partners in its proposal, provided the proposal remains consistent with the concept assessed at the EOI stage and continues to meet the Initiative eligibility and probity requirements.

Will there be future rounds of funding?
This Initiative is a one-off program funded by the Queensland Government. Any future rounds would be subject to separate funding decisions by the Queensland Government and Banana Shire Council. Interested businesses are encouraged to monitor banana.qld.gov.au for announcements of future opportunities.

Contact
For enquiries about the Biloela Industrial Incentives Initiative, please email IndustryIncentive@banana.qld.gov.au.
Shortlisted applicants with questions about the RFP process should submit them by Friday 19 June 2026 to allow a response before the RFP closes.

For general Council enquiries: (07) 4992 9500 or enquiries@banana.qld.gov.au