New or existing Mid Canterbury events that attract visitors from outside of the district could be eligible for up to $10,000 of funding thanks to a brand new grant developed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Education (MBIE).

Applications for the Regional Event Funding will be open from 1 March until 1 April, with funding to be allocated in May.

The grant is designed to kickstart local events that support cross-regional tourism in lieu of New Zealand's closed borders and loss of the international tourism market.

Ashburton District Mayor, Neil Brown says Council is in a fortunate position with its agreement with ChristchurchNZ, as the tourism promotion entity has been able to secure $232,000 of funding to support Mid Canterbury's events over the next four years.

"This is a really exciting opportunity for our community to put our district on the map and deliver events that will be a real drawcard for visitors.

"We're putting the call out to anyone who has a great event idea and a plan to make it happen to put it forward for funding. This is your chance to do something amazing for Mid Canterbury and help drive spending in our local economy."

The grant will be available over four years with the first round to be awarded in May 2021 for events that will be taking place between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022.

The total amount of funding available is $10,000 per event.

To be eligible for funding, events need to have a duration of two to four years and must demonstrate how they will drive out-of-region visitation. The Mid Canterbury region is defined as being from the Rakaia River to the Rangitata River.

To apply for funding, visit ashburtondc.govt.nz/do-it-online/mid-canterbury-regional-event-fund. Application forms will be available from Monday 1 March until Thursday 1 April, 2021.