Tourism Midwest Victoria invites expressions of interest from eligible tourism and hospitality businesses to participate in the Accessible Experience Accelerator Program (AEAP).
This pilot program will support a cohort of businesses in the Midwest Victoria region to strengthen their accessible tourism offering, with the aim of expanding market reach and improving visitor experiences for people with disability and their companions.
Delivered from late May to December 2026, the AEAP will assist participating businesses to develop and establish new accessible visitor experiences or implement accessibility improvements to an existing experience.
Program benefits & features
The AEAP provides a structured program of expert guidance, funding support and practical resources to enhance accessibility across physical, digital and service touchpoints of their visitor experience.
The Accessible Experience Accelerator Program (AEAP) will provide successful applicants with the following:
- Five online consultation sessions and one in-region site visit with an accessibility consultant (valued at over $4,000 ex GST per business).
- Funding support: Reimbursement funding of up to $5,000 (ex GST) to support the development of a new accessible experience or improvements to an existing experience. A 2:1 co-contribution requirement applies, with Tourism Midwest Victoria contributing $2 for every $1 invested by the business, up to a maximum of $5,000.
- Online workshop: Practical online workshop focused on accessible digital communication and marketing.
- Project delivery support: Two additional one-hour consultation sessions to support project development and/or delivery.
- Resources and templates: Practical tools to support the implementation of accessibility improvements.
Program structure & key dates
The program is delivered in two stages:
STAGE 1: Project Development | 26 May – 20 July 2026
Participants will undertake mentoring sessions, including an in-region site visit and group workshop, to develop a Project Proposal outlining their proposed accessibility initiative.
Project Proposals due: 20 July 2026
Approval of Project Proposals and MOU signed: 31 July 2026
STAGE 2: Project Delivery | 1 August – 30 November 2026
Participants will deliver their approved project, supported by further mentoring sessions.
Project completion: 30 November 2026
Verification and reimbursement process: December 2026
Mentoring sessions will be delivered on a fortnightly basis, with multiple session times available to accommodate business operations.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be located within the Tourism Midwest Victoria region.
- Be a Tourism Midwest Victoria Industry Partner; business holding an active Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) listing.
- Have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Be a standalone, independent business (i.e., not a franchisee or subsidiary of a larger company).
- Provide customer-facing visitor experience, such as food and drink establishments, retailers, attraction or tour operators, accommodation providers, museums, galleries, and live music or cultural venues.
- Commit to participating in all aspects of the program, including the workshop, 1:1 consultation sessions and site visit.
- Have a commitment to ongoing improvements in accessibility beyond the program and sharing outcomes or evidence of their funded project with customers (e.g. marketing and owned channels).
Assessment and selection
Places in the program are limited (maximum of 12 businesses).
All eligible Expressions of Interest will be assessed against the published selection criteria outlined in the AEAP Guidelines. Selection will be based on the merit of each application.
Submission of an Expression of Interest and meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee selection.
How to apply
Expressions of Interest close: 20 May 2026 (11:59pm).
Late submissions will not be accepted.