Coffs Coast Business News - December 2024

Each month, the City of Coffs Harbour's Economic Development & Tourism Team collates information for all businesses, large and small, across the Coffs Coast - helping you stay informed, keep connected, and feel supported.

We hope you find the newsletter valuable - please feel free to forward it to colleagues and your team. They can also subscribe to receive a copy directly. Previous editions of Coffs Coast Business News are available to view here.

IN THIS ISSUE:

End of year celebrations

• Coffs Coast Business Awards: Night in Lights - Friday 13 December
• Mountain Christmas Carols - Sunday 15 December
• Sawtell Christmas Street Party - Thursday 19 December
• Woolgoolga Carols by the Sea - Friday 20 December
• Coffs Harbour Carols - Saturday 21 December

Local news and opportunities

• Destination Coffs Coast - Marketing Update
• Coffs Coast Business Survey
• Australian Day Awards nominations

Grant funding

• Coffs Harbour Grant Finder
• Regional Economic Development and Community Investment Program
• 2024 wrap up

What's On Coffs Coast and major event calendar

HEADS UP: Qantas Sale Alert - ends 12 December, unless sold prior

LOCAL EVENTS

Celebrate the Best in Business

The Coffs Coast Business Awards is the business networking event of the year. It is a celebration of the business community’s contribution to the economic vitality and quality of life in the region. The awards are an opportunity to honour the diversity, innovation, and excellence of all businesses throughout the Coffs Coast region.

Entries have closed, the judging has been completed and shortly it will be revealed just which businesses or individuals will contend for the top honour in each of the categories and the overall Business of the Year winner will be announced at the conclusion of the night.

Tickets selling fast. Secure your spot before 12 noon, 9 December - if not sold out sooner. 

LOCAL NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES

DESTINATION COFFS COAST - MARKETING UPDATE

Check out this monthly snapshot of Destination Coffs Coast's current and upcoming marketing activities, campaigns, and news stories. These are created and managed by our team, in collaboration with local businesses and partners including Coffs Harbour Airport. Here's what's happening:

• Airport Media Release: Coffs Harbour Airport celebrates return of Link Airways Canberra service
• Coffs Coast Campaign: Your Summer Place - Coffs Coast Summer Festival
• Coffs Coast Article: Holiday Fun
• Tracks online magazine: Hit the Coffs Coast this summer and explore its iconic surf stories through a new exhibition

ALL COFFS COAST BUSINESSES are invited to share these campaigns in their business marketing. This is a great way to bring people from out of the area to your business - and the content is already created for you!

Help strengthen the business community in 2025

The City of Coffs Harbour's Economic Development and Tourism Team is responsible for delivering the Coffs Harbour Economic Development Strategy and the Coffs Coast Tourism Strategy, both of which were adopted in 2023.

As the team prepares for next year's calendar of industry support, training, and events - we are seeking your feedback on business sentiment, challenges and opportunities across the Coffs Coast.

The Coffs Coast Business Survey can be completed anonymously, or you may provide contact details if you wish. Please allow approximately 5 minutes to complete the survey.

Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions regarding the survey please contact industry@chcc.nsw.gov.au

GRANT FUNDING & BUSINESS SUPPORT

COFFS HARBOUR GRANT FINDER

The City of Coffs Harbour provides a free service for locals to find grants and grant writing tips. Register to be notified of specific grants for your business or organisation.

The NSW Government is continuing work to ensure regional communities thrive, with $50 million in grants becoming available for initiatives that promote regional economic development and support employment creation and retention. The second round of funding has opened today, 6 December 2024, and covers four key focus areas:

• Sustainable regional industries
• Aboriginal economic development and enterprise
• Community connection and capacity building
• Improving regional service delivery

Examples of projects include:

• Infrastructure
• Enabling infrastructure for small-to-medium businesses, regional housing developments, research centres, start-up hubs and e-waste recycling centres.
• Tourism infrastructure which will generate regional tourism impact, for example, major nature-based tourism infrastructure, large scale event precincts and Aboriginal cultural centres.
• Investment in capital works programs for existing businesses to generate employment growth
   
• Services and Programs
• Initiatives to support the attraction and retention of key workers into regional NSW.
• Tailored workforce skills development programs to support new and emerging industries including Aboriginal enterprises.
• Employment of a hub coordinator to coordinate the provision of community and health outreach services in rural and remote areas.
   
• Applications close 20 February 2025.
• Please reach out to the team if you require a letter of support for your application.
• Steve Vallance, North Coast Representative for NSW DPIRD can also be contacted via email: steve.vallance@regional.nsw.gov.au to discuss further. 

WHAT'S ON @ COFFS COAST

Please reach out to our team at City of Coffs Harbour if you have any questions.

Check out our 6 degrees business support website for business events and resources.
For tourism industry and visitor economy business support and information, go to our Coffs Coast tourism industry hub.

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