The Great Barrier Reef Education Experience Program provides up to $150 per student to Queensland primary and secondary schools and registered home educators to help cover the cost of excursions along the length of the Great Barrier Reef, from Bundaberg to Cooktown.
Milestone moment for the Great Barrier Reef Education Experience Program
It’s official: 30,000 #Queensland students benefiting from the Great Barrier Reef Education Experience Program! 🤿 Since its launch in June 2021, this initiative has backed Queensland’s reef tourism industry by incentivising schools to take the…
Eligibility
Eligibility requirements for the subsidy:
- be a Queensland primary or secondary school or registered Queensland home educator
- excursion itinerary includes a curriculum-related reef activity delivered by a program-registered commercial reef tourism operator or marine research organisation
- reef activity is undertaken within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area
- student or young person has not previously received the subsidy
- excursion has not yet occurred.
Eligible reef education activities may include:
- on-water and in-water experiences, e.g. whale watching and snorkelling
- Great Barrier Reef on-island experiences, e.g. nature discovery walk
- Great Barrier Reef cultural experiences, e.g. Indigenous Sea Ranger and reef education tour.
Great Barrier Reef Experience guidelines
Application
Applications should be submitted at least four weeks before the planned travel date and can take up to 10 business days to be assessed.
Schools and registered home educators can engage a travel agent, education travel company, transport provider or booking agency to help plan their excursion itinerary however applications must be submitted by Queensland schools or registered home educators. Applications from travel intermediaries or other parties will not be accepted.
Schools can submit more than one application for separate excursions for different students on different dates. However, if multiple year levels are undertaking the same itinerary on the same dates, only one application should be submitted.
Schools and registered home educators are responsible for arranging their excursion itinerary directly with providers and for ensuring all safety requirements are met.
Applications are open until 5pm 31 December 2029, or until all available funding has been allocated.
Subsidy rates
Funding is allocated to schools and registered home educators on a per-student basis, according to the round-trip distance travelled from the school or registered place of residence, as set out in the subsidy tables below.
If student numbers decrease between approval and excursion participation, the final subsidy paid will be adjusted to reflect the actual number of students who participated in the reef experience.
No subsidy will be paid for accompanying teachers, registered home educators and other adults.
| Day trip – distance not applicable | Subsidy value |
|---|---|
| Flat rate | $40 |
| Total distance travelled (round trip) | Subsidy value |
|---|---|
| Up to 499km | $55 |
| 500km to 999km | $85 |
| 1,000km to 1,499km | $115 |
| 1,500km and over | $150 |
Payment process
Following approval of the application:
For overnight excursions:
- 50% of the approved subsidy will be paid to the school or registered home educator for overnight trips on receipt of a tax invoice or valid excursion receipt
- remaining 50% will be paid after receiving the completed post-trip acquittal and final tax invoice or valid receipt.
For day trips:
- approved subsidy will only be paid after receipt of the completed post-trip acquittal and tax invoice or receipt.
All approved schools and registered home educators are required to complete their post-trip acquittal and payment claim within six weeks of the excursion.
The program should be acknowledged in the school communication about the excursion.
Registered Great Barrier Reef operators
View the list of commercial reef tourism operators and marine research organisations registered with the program and delivering educational experiences across the Great Barrier Reef. Alternatively, you can download the list .
Information for reef tourism operators
Commercial Great Barrier Reef tourism operators and marine research providers can join the program by submitting an expression of interest confirming the following requirements are met:
- hold a blue card as required by the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (Qld) for all staff that will be engaging with students
- be able to deliver an eligible experience aligned to the Australian and Queensland curriculum or approved home education learning plan
- hold a permit to operate within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
- be able to provide the risk assessment documentation and safety advice required by schools for planned activities
- be recognised as one of the following:
- High Standard Tourism Operator recognised by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
- Best of Queensland Experience recognised by Tourism and Events Queensland
To submit an expression of interest, complete the form below and submit via email to the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation at tourism@detsi.qld.gov.au.
Make an enquiry
If you have any questions about the Queensland Education Experience Programs, or about how to apply for a subsidy, please contact Smarty Grants on (03) 9320 6888 or via email QldEducationExperiences@smartygrants.com.au. Their support desk hours are 9am–5pm AEST (Monday – Friday).
If you are a Queensland tourism operator and have any questions about the Queensland Education Experience Program or about how to become involved, please contact the Tourism Support Hub on (07) 3101 2002 or via email tourismsupporthub@detsi.qld.gov.au.