Tourism Data Partnership Fund

About the fund

The Tourism Data Leadership Group (TDLG), a sector-led initiative, was established in June 2022 following the sector’s 2019 Tourism Data Hui to facilitate the provision of consistent, reliable, and trusted tourism data and insights that enables better decision-making and understanding of long-term value gains and sustainability of the tourism sector. The TDLG recently released its Strategic Business Plan, which recommends a range of data initiatives including a Tourism Data Partnership Fund (TDPF).

Strategic Business Plan 2024-2025

The purpose of the fund is to support the development of data sets targeted towards enabling the tourism sector to achieve either improved productivity outcomes or reducing carbon emissions/improving environmental outcomes.

The funding is made available from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) allocation for the development of a tourism data co-governance model and tourism data programme.

The TDPF is available to support projects which will deliver core data, that are either national solutions, and/or can be nationally replicable or scalable. Proposed projects should fill data gaps, provide greater accessibility and use of data to enable better sector decision making. Projects should be responsive to sector needs, include innovation where possible, and support the goals and objectives set out in the Strategic business plan.

Funding will be available for one year of data collection with a further six months for both implementation and design, and finalisation (including delivery of data and project report to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)). It is anticipated that applicants will commission professional data providers to deliver services, enabling quality data.

When to apply

Applications for the Tourism Data Partnership Fund will open on 22 July 2024 and close at 5pm on 26 August 2024.

Eligibility and co-funding criteria

Before you apply to the Tourism Data Partnership Fund, read this website material to make sure your organisation and project meet the eligibility criteria.

Who can apply

Listed industry bodies only. Partnering with other industry bodies, RTOs and others (for example, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academia) is encouraged.

New Zealand data providers must be legal entities.

The Tourism Data Partnership Fund is open to the following tourism sector industry bodies: 

• Accommodation Association
• Backpacker Youth Adventure Tourism Association
• Bed and Breakfast Association
• Board of Airline Representatives
• Bus and Coach Association
• Business Events Industry Association
• Cruise Association
• Holiday Parks Association
• Hospitality Association
• Hotel Council Aotearoa
• Museums Aotearoa
• New Zealand Airports Association
• New Zealand Cycle Trails Incorporated
• New Zealand Events Association
• New Zealand Māori Tourism
• Regional Tourism Organisation New Zealand
• Rental Vehicle Association
• Restaurant Association
• Ski Areas Association
• The Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand
• Tourism Export Council
• Tourism Industry Association
• Travel Agents Association
• Zoo and Aquarium Association

Funding conditions

• Grants will be from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $100,000
• Co-funding of 50% will be required
• Only one data project application per applicant
• Funding will be available for one year of data collection with a further six months for either design/implementation and/or finalisation
• Direct Crown funding from central government agencies will not be accepted as applicant’s co-funding contribution
• MBIE will not accept ‘in-kind’ contributions as part of applicants’ co-funding. 

Application process

How to apply

1. Complete the TDPF application form:
   Tourism Data Partnership Fund: Application form [DOCX, 110 KB]
   
   
2. Submit your completed application form to IVL@mbie.govt.nz

Applications should be focused on:

• improving sector productivity, that is:
  • National level business data or national level Māori Business data (for example, economic value, workforce, infrastructure investment) including:
  • Sub-sector (for example, cruise) consumer data (for example, volumes, spend, behaviours, characteristics)
• reducing carbon emissions/improving environmental outcomes, that is:
  • National level business data or national level Māori tourism data (for example, waste, biodiversity, carbon footprints (GHG emissions, business carbon intensity), investment into low carbon transport)
  • Subsector (for example, cruise) consumer data (for example, waste, biodiversity, carbon footprints (kilometres travelled).

Data project requirements

The project must:

• be of broader public good (that is, the provision of foundational/core data that is either a national solution, and or is nationally replicable/scalable)
• include regional breakdowns (if appropriate)
• use recognised and validated measurement approaches able to be aggregated/compared with other similar data
• use the services of New Zealand businesses (that is, industry bodies must commission suitably qualified professionals)
• be no more than one-year of data collection
• be managed by the applicant but can be delivered by a service provider
• transfer data to MBIE for use in the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre (TEIC) (that is, the data must not be owned by the applicant). This will require consultation with MBIE over the design/development of quality data, and how it can be integrated into the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre(external link)
• include a timeframe and milestones for delivery in the application.

In scope

• Tourism and hospitality sector focused
• Proposals can include pilot/prototype work.

Out of scope

• Duplication of other data initiatives, most notably TDLG recommended initiatives identified in the roadmap in the strategic business plan
• Outbound tourism data (that is, New Zealanders leaving for overseas) 
• One-off pieces of research.

Assessment criteria

Proposals should include commentary on the following criteria:

Quality of services: The proposed solution will provide an effective method for the services required (for example, validity, reliability, accepted methodology).

Breadth of services: The proposed solution will provide good coverage of the required measures (includes regional data where possible).

Practicality: The proposed solution is feasible (that is, solutions and infrastructure are evident/available).

Transformational: The proposed solution adopts one or more innovative aspects (for example, data collection, analysis, culturally appropriate methodologies) which will create value-add in the tourism data system.

Sustainability: Future plans (inclusive of possible funding streams independent of the TDPF) for replicating the proposed initiative are identified. Final reporting requirements will include a report back on efforts identified in proposals.

Capability of the applicant and supplier combined to deliver: Track record in managing contracts for similar goods/services. Supplier track record in delivering similar goods or services.

Capacity of the supplier to deliver: Supplier has sufficient resources to deliver. Realistic delivery timelines are proposed taking into account other commitments, and data delivery requirements to MBIE.

Impact: Future plans are identified for how the proposed data will add-value to the tourism data system and be used to enable better productivity or improved environmental outcomes. Examples might include upcoming strategy or business case development or monitoring for continuous improvement. Examples do not need to be limited to a sub-sector. The extent of impact will be demonstrated by the number of uses identified, as well as the reach of each use.

Public good: The benefits (to New Zealand) of the proposed data being publicly available are identified.

Affordability and opportunity: The potential investment is reasonable and proportionate to the benefits that would accrue.