Secure Funding for Your Business through the Eco-certification and Accreditation Support Program
Applications are now open.
City of Moreton Bay is providing tourism businesses with an exciting opportunity to access funding support for eco-certification through the Business Boost program.
The Eco-certification and accreditation support program is designed to cater for businesses at every stage of their sustainability journey. Support is available across all pathways, whether you’re just starting out or already well on your way.
City of Moreton Bay has partnered with the state’s leading accreditation and certification providers to support City of Moreton Bay businesses in pursuing programs to bolster their sustainability credentials.
The Business Boost Eco-Certification and Accreditation Support Program provides businesses with up to $5,000* to take part in one or more of the chosen programs. Eligible local businesses can apply for this funding between 8 April and 9 May 2025. Certification can begin at any time before mid-2025.
Further information regarding each pathway and program is available in the drop-down boxes below.
An information webinar will be held at 11am on 8 April to provide more information about the programs on offer, and allow the opportunity for a Q&A with program providers.
Apply for the eco-certification program below and you will be contacted to receive assistance in selecting the most suitable program for your business.
Start your sustainable tourism journey here
Are you just starting out on your eco-certification journey? Below are four fantastic entry-level options available for tourism businesses.
OPTION 1: ECOTOURISM AUSTRALIA STRIVE 4 SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARD
Start Your Sustainability Journey Here
This entry-level pathway is designed for tourism businesses taking their first steps toward sustainability. By tracking operations against 50 key criteria—including Sustainable Management, Environmental, Socio-economic, and Cultural Impacts—you’ll gain valuable insights to improve your sustainability efforts.
- Not a certification, but a benchmark to measure progress
- 12-month validity, with the opportunity to improve your score each year
- Fully funded by Business Boost for your first scorecard ($250+GST value)
After the first year, businesses can renew their scorecard annually for $250+GST to continue their sustainability journey.
Take the first step—track, improve, and grow sustainably!
OPTION 2: QUALITY TOURISM FRAMEWORK SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PROGRAM
Achieve Industry Excellence with Tourism Accreditation
Take your tourism business to the next level with an industry-recognised accreditation program that sets best practice standards across all aspects of operations:
Key focus areas: Environmental Management; Social & Cultural Responsibility; Ethical & Professional Standards; Customer Service, Safety & Protection; Staff Wellness & HR; Sustainable Business Operations; Regulatory Compliance; Sustainable Tourism Marketing.
Costs and Funding (based on staff size):
1-3 staff: $290+GST 4-8 staff: $540+GST 9-15 staff: $620+GST 16-25 staff: $790+GST 26-50 staff: $990+GST 51-100 staff: $1,550+GST 100+ staff: $1,990+GST. Business Boost covers up to $5,000 per business, including optional program add-ons in the Intermediate pathway.
Ongoing Costs: Accreditation renews annually, payable by the business to maintain compliance and industry recognition.
Secure your spot and elevate your business now!
OPTION 3: EARTHCHECK EVALUATE PROGRAM
Measure and Improve Your Sustainability with the EarthCheck Program
This entry-level program provides a self-guided assessment to evaluate the economic, social, and environmental impacts of your business.
Assessment includes: Consideration of existing sustainability policies; Uploading resource consumption data (energy, water, waste, chemicals, paper); Tracking carbon emissions and employee impact; Submitting data for verification; Receiving an EarthCheck rating out of 5 upon successful validation.
Program benefits: Access to the Evaluate checklist, MyEarthCheck platform, and Relationship Manager support.
Costs and funding: $1,600+GST, with Business Boost fully covering the first year of assessment and verification.
Ongoing costs: $1,600+GST annually to maintain certification.
Track, validate, and enhance your sustainability performance!
OPTION 4: EARTHCHECK EVENTCHECK PROGRAM
Deliver Sustainable Events with EventCheck
EventCheck is a comprehensive event management system designed for organisers, planners, and managers committed to sustainability. It provides the tools to plan, manage, and deliver sustainable events such as meetings and conferences; attract attendees who expect environmentally responsible events; and confidently market your event as an EarthCheck Responsible Event.
Your event’s sustainability documentation will be verified by EarthCheck, and upon successful completion, you’ll receive the EarthCheck Responsible Event badge to display across your event and marketing materials. No EarthCheck certification is required to participate.
Costs and funding: From $4,300+GST per event, with Business Boost covering up to $5,000 per business.
Ongoing costs: None—fees apply per event.
Make sustainability a key feature of your next event with EventCheck.
In addition to these options, the following programs are available to eligible businesses including those not involved in the tourism industry:
ecoBiz: a free sustainability program for Queensland businesses with less than 200 FTE staff. ecoBiz helps businesses audit their resource use, manage their carbon emissions and save on costs while reducing waste, water and energy consumption.
Workforce Evolve: a free program for Queensland businesses to help employers attract, hire and retain the right people, by equipping businesses with the tools to build a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Business Chamber Queensland is collecting your response to this form as part of the City of Moreton Bay Business Boost Eco-Certification Program. Your response and information will be shared with City of Moreton Bay and the program provider of your choice. By submitting this response, you agree to your personal information being disclosed to City of Moreton Bay and being contacted by Business Chamber Queensland and City of Moreton Bay for this program and related sustainability information and programming.
Take Your Sustainability Strategy to the Next Level
Looking to future-proof your business and stand out as a sustainability leader? The Intermediate Program offers tailored support and funding to help you make a real impact. Whether you’re looking to develop an ESG Plan or build on recognised accreditations, these programs provide the tools and resources to help you achieve your goals.
By participating, you’ll gain expert guidance, access to best-practice frameworks, and practical strategies to integrate sustainability into every aspect of your operations. Strengthening your commitment to responsible tourism not only benefits the environment and community but also enhances your brand reputation and business resilience.
Unlock new opportunities and drive meaningful change for your business today.
OPTION 1: ESG PROGRAM
Build a Stronger, More Sustainable Business with an ESG Plan
This program connects you with Sustainability Advisors from Business Chamber Queensland to develop and implement a tailored ESG Plan for your tourism business.
An ESG Plan helps improve and leverage Environmental performance, Social initiatives, and Governance practices to grow your business and attract more customers. Unlike accreditation programs, this strategy follows the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, implementing a globally recognised framework without the need for formal certification.
What’s included: A deep dive into your current sustainability efforts; Identification of key opportunities; A fully developed ESG strategy; Hands-on support for implementation.
Costs and funding: Tailored pricing, typically $4,500+GST, with Business Boost covering up to $5,000 per business.
Ongoing costs: None—reinvestment is entirely up to you.
Take control of your sustainability journey and create a plan that drives real results.
OPTION 2: QUALITY TOURISM FRAMEWORK SUSTAINABLE TOURISM ADD-ONS
Enhance Your Accreditation with Specialist Add-Ons
If your business has already achieved Sustainable Tourism accreditation, you can further strengthen your credentials with additional program add-ons:
Available add-ons:
Tourism Emissions Reduction Program (free) – showcase your emission reduction measures to visitors
Accessible Tourism Program ($100+GST) – assess and promote inclusivity for visitors with accessibility needs
Camp and Adventure Accreditation Program ($200+GST) – ensure safety standards for residential camps, outdoor experiences, and adventure activities
Risk Management Tool ($100+GST) – identify, assess, and mitigate business-specific risks.
Businesses can also opt for the Star Rating Program, an internationally recognised symbol for quality accommodation standards, independently verified to ensure customer confidence.
Star Rating Program costs are: 1-3 staff: $490+GST 4-8 staff: $740+GST 9-15 staff: $820+GST 16-25 staff: $990+GST 26-50 staff: $1,190+GST 51-100 staff: $2,190+GST 100+ staff: $2,190+GST
Costs and funding: Business Boost will cover up to $5,000 per business for these programs.
Ongoing costs: Accreditation fees apply annually to maintain certification.
Strengthen your credentials and set your business apart with recognised accreditation programs.
Business Chamber Queensland is collecting your response to this form as part of the City of Moreton Bay Business Boost Eco-Certification Program. Your response and information will be shared with City of Moreton Bay and the program provider of your choice. By submitting this response, you agree to your personal information being disclosed to City of Moreton Bay and being contacted by Business Chamber Queensland and City of Moreton Bay for this program and related sustainability information and programming.
Achieve Global Recognition with Advanced Sustainability Certification
For tourism businesses looking to lead in sustainability, EarthCheck Certification and Ecotourism Australia Certification offer internationally recognised pathways to validate and showcase your commitment to responsible tourism.
These certifications go beyond standard sustainability measures, providing credible, independent verification of your environmental, social, and operational performance. Certification not only enhances your reputation but also helps attract eco-conscious travellers, business partners, and stakeholders who prioritise sustainability.
If your business is ready to take the next step toward world-class sustainability leadership, these advanced certification programs will position you at the forefront of the industry.
OPTION 1: EARTHCHECK CERTIFIED
Showcase Your Commitment to Sustainability with EarthCheck Certification
For tourism businesses ready to make a long-term commitment to sustainability, the EarthCheck Certification Program provides a rigorous, science-backed process to benchmark and improve environmental and social performance.
What’s involved? Engaging your team and stakeholders to develop a sustainability and energy efficiency policy; Benchmarking performance in key areas such as energy and water use, carbon emissions, waste management, and community impact; Achieving certification through an independent audit against the EarthCheck Certified Standard; Maintaining and promoting your certification level through annual audits.
Certified businesses can proudly display the EarthCheck Certified logo, reinforcing their leadership in sustainable tourism. The program also includes access to the certification checklist, MyEarthCheck platform, and dedicated Relationship Manager support.
Costs and funding: Certification fee of $6,600+GST plus annual audit fees ($2,600 for day 1, $1,800 per additional day). Smaller, low-impact businesses typically require a 1-2 day audit, while larger operations may need up to 4 days. Business Boost covers up to $5,000 per business, with any additional costs covered by the business.
Ongoing costs: Certification and audit fees apply annually.
Set your business apart with world-class sustainability certification through EarthCheck.
OPTION 2: ECOTOURISM AUSTRALIA CERTIFICATION
Gain Global Recognition with Ecotourism & Sustainability Certification
For businesses committed to sustainable tourism leadership, the ECO Certified and Sustainability Certified programs provide internationally recognised certification to enhance credibility and showcase best practices.
ECO Certified Program – Designed for nature and ecotourism operators, this program recognises businesses delivering high-quality, sustainable nature-based tourism experiences. It offers three levels of certification: Nature Tourism, Ecotourism, and Advanced Ecotourism, with increasing standards of environmental sustainability and community involvement.
Sustainability Certified Program – Tailored for non-nature-based tourism businesses such as hotels, attractions, tours, and restaurants, this certification verifies that businesses are minimising negative impacts while maximising environmental, cultural, and community benefits.
Certification process includes: Business management and operational planning; Responsible marketing; Customer satisfaction; Environmental management; Interpretation and education; Conservation efforts; Community engagement; Cultural respect and sensitivity.
Certification involves self-assessment, independent audits, and ongoing compliance checks, with certified businesses gaining access to specialist resources, training, and networking opportunities.
Costs and funding: Certification fees vary by business size, ranging from $950+GST for small operators to $2,950+GST for larger businesses. Audit costs are approximately $400 plus disbursements. Business Boost covers up to $5,000 per business for Ecotourism Australia certification programs, with additional programs such as Climate Action Certified also considered for funding.
Ongoing costs: Annual certification fees apply, with audits required every three years after initial certification.
Position your business as a sustainability leader and gain recognition in the global ecotourism community.
Apply today
Complete the application form and you will be contacted by a representative to discuss your sustainability needs.
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