Fiji’s Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has opened applications for a pilot fund aimed at helping locally owned micro and small tourism businesses expand and diversify their products and services.
Applications for the Pilot Tourism Micro and Small Enterprise Fund for the 2026-27 financial year opened Wednesday and will remain open until Sept. 30, 2026.
The fund will provide grants to eligible Fijian-owned tourism businesses, with support covering both capital projects and operational activities.
The ministry said the initiative is intended to strengthen the sustainability of tourism micro and small enterprises and support the development of new tourism products and experiences that can benefit visitors and local communities.
Eligible applicants must be Fijian citizens aged at least 18 and own a registered business that has operated for a minimum of two years.
Businesses must be at least 51% Fijian-owned, generate the majority of their revenue from tourism and be able to contribute at least one-third of the total project cost.
Funding can be used for product and experience improvements, website upgrades and other efforts to improve business visibility, technology adoption, visitor amenities and signage, small-scale infrastructure such as trails, and equity funding through financial institutions.
The fund also covers activities involving culture and heritage, environmentally sustainable tourism such as birdwatching and trekking, accessibility improvements, heritage-site upgrades, agritourism and wellness tourism.
Businesses with annual turnover of more than F$300,000 are excluded from the program, along with proposals for debt refinancing, applications from civil servants and large-scale infrastructure projects.
The ministry said applicants should review the Pilot MSE Tourism Fund Policy before submitting their applications.
Applications are being submitted online through the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation website. The ministry also has an appeal and grievance process for applicants who want to challenge aspects of the program or decisions made during assessment.
The fund is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen participation by smaller businesses in Fiji’s tourism industry, which relies heavily on micro, small and medium enterprises.
Applications close on Sept. 30, 2026.
