Community-Based Tourism Grants Program
Capacity-Building Program
Grow your tourism venture!
Opportunities are now open for Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Women’s Cultural Enterprises & Community-based Tourism (CBT) Operators in Vanua Levu and Taveuni to access targeted training to strengthen your tourism business and CBT funding.
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women’s cultural enterprises, and Community-Based Tourism (CBT) operators across Vanua Levu and Taveuni can now apply for targeted training and CBT grant support under the newly launched Na Vualiku MSME and CBT Capacity Building and Grant Funding Program. The Program provides structured access to business training and competitively awarded grant financing for eligible enterprises. It aims to strengthen local tourism businesses, improve visitor experiences, and ensure that tourism growth delivers direct benefits to communities at the grassroots level. Applications are now open and will close on 13 February, 2026.
Registered CBT operators with majority community ownership are eligible to apply for grants to upgrade tourism products and facilities. Supported investments include small-scale infrastructure improvements, safety and quality upgrades, development of visitor spaces, and installation of waste facilities. The grants will prioritize projects that enhance visitor experiences while safeguarding environmental and community assets.
In parallel, MSMEs, women’s cultural enterprises, and CBT operators can access capacity-building support covering business registration and regulatory compliance, financial literacy and record-keeping, marketing and digital promotion, tourism quality standards, and business readiness for financing and investment.
Community-Based Tourism Grants Program
Capacity-Building Program
Apply Online or Download the forms here:
The Na Vualiku Project directly addresses a long-standing constraint faced by small tourism operators in the North: limited access to structured training, investment readiness, and formal business support. This has limited their ability to grow, access new markets, and consistently meet tourism service standards.
Through a supervised delivery mechanism, the Program will channel grant support and technical assistance in a transparent and accountable manner to strengthen enterprise performance. This approach is designed to promote income generation, job creation, women’s economic participation, and improved preparedness of northern tourism businesses for increased visitor demand.
The design of the Program comes directly from what communities asked for during field visits to 12 CBT communities across Vanua Levu and Taveuni earlier in 2025. By responding to real village needs, the Na Vualiku Project ensures that tourism growth translates into direct income, stronger businesses, and long-term self-reliance for local people.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is a Community-Based Tourism (CBT) enterprise?
A CBT enterprise is defined as a tourism business that is owned and managed by the community, with the primary aim of delivering social, cultural, economic, and environmental benefits to that community. It must clearly bring benefits to more than one household.
2. Who can apply for the CBT Grant?
Any CBT operator located in Vanua Levu or Taveuni that meets the following criteria:
• Formally registered, or able to show proof that registration is in progress
• Must be community owned and controlled (75% or more communal ownership)
• Has been operating for at least six months
• Earns at least 25 percent of its income from tourism
• Able to provide a cash or in-kind contribution (although this is not compulsory)
3. How much funding can we apply for?
Funding depends on your proposal and cost estimates.
4. Which documents do I need to apply for the CBT Grant?
Submit your Business Registration Certificate, or proof that your registration is in progress, along with documents that show your community group is formally organized, has majority community ownership, and is involved in tourism. You must also provide simple financial statements and cost estimates for the project you are proposing.
5. What can the CBT Grant be used for?
The grant can support small-scale tourism infrastructure and improvements, including upgrading tourism products and experiences, trails and signage, water or power supply (including renewable energy), refurbishment of existing facilities, and construction of small buildings such as kitchens, dining spaces, visitor centers, community accommodation, gift shops, storage areas and restrooms. Outdoor areas like picnic zones and viewing decks, cultural and heritage display spaces, learning spaces, upgrades required for compliance with standards, minor waste management facilities such as septic tanks or waste bins, and equipment for water-based tourism activities.
6. What can the grant NOT be used for?
The grant cannot be used for debt repayment, motor vehicles, white goods, individually owned homestay or private businesses, regulatory approval fees, day-to-day operational costs, activities not related to tourism development, or any activity considered ineligible or high-risk under the World Bank environmental and social standards.
7. What is the Capacity Building Program?
The Capacity Building Program will help MSMEs, Women’s Cultural Enterprises and CBT operators build the skills they need to strengthen their tourism activities and provide better services. It will offer practical training, workshops, and one-on-one guidance to improve areas like financial understanding, pricing, customer care, digital promotion, and environmental protection. The program will connect participants to Business Development Service (BDS) advisors for hands-on support to help operators make real improvements.
8. How will I know which training I need?
The application form includes a Training Needs Assessment section. You simply select the areas you need help with, and the Na Vualiku team will match you with the right training or advisor.
9. Who can apply for the Capacity Building Program?
It is open to registered MSMEs, Women’s Cultural Enterprises, as well as CBT operators based in Vanua Levu or Taveuni. Applicants who are not successful in the CBT Grant will be automatically referred for the Capacity Building Program. No separate application is required.
10. Which documents do I need to apply for the Capacity Building Program?
Business Registration Certificate or proof that your registration is in progress.
How to Apply:
Apply online here or pick up and drop off forms at our Savusavu Office at Level 3, JKS Building, (Above Jack’s Fiji), Main Street, Savusavu
You can also collect and submit forms at the following locations:
- Macuata Provincial Council: Labasa Market, Nasekula Road
- Bua Provincial Council: Naulumatua House in Nabouwalu, Bua
- District Officer Taveuni: District Office Complex, Waiyevo, Taveuni
- Assistant Roko Tui: Somosomo Village, Taveuni
For enquiries, please call 9928657 or 9986503