Budj Bim Cultural Landscape wins Ooh Media’s Indigenous Business Grant for 2025

Tour operator Budj Bim Cultural Landscape has been named the 2025 recipient of Ooh Media’s Indigenous Business Grant, securing a $200,000 media package to raise national awareness for one of Victoria’s most culturally significant yet under-visited regions.

The Aboriginal-owned and operated business offers guided tours through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Budj Bim region in south-western Victoria, home to a 7,000-year-old aquaculture system built by the Gunditjmara people. Despite its heritage status, the site remains relatively unknown to many Australians, in part due to its remote location - four hours from Melbourne and six from Adelaide - which places it outside typical tourism corridors like the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians.

The grant, delivered via Ooh Media’s national digital network and supported by its creative hub POLY, is designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses scale their visibility and impact through high-profile outdoor campaigns.

“Winning the oOh! Indigenous Business Grant is an incredible opportunity to shine a light on Budj Bim and the deep cultural significance of this landscape,” Harriet Keatley, marketing manager at Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, said. “Our region remains largely overlooked, with limited exposure and few drive-by visitors. This grant will help us amplify awareness and attract more people to experience the enduring connection of the Gunditjmara people to this land.”

Ooh Media’s Andrew Every, chief strategy and retail media officer and Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) executive sponsor, said Budj Bim stood out among a high-quality field of applicants.

“Budj Bim Cultural Landscape was not only the only tourism operator to enter, but a business with a powerful story to share,” he said. “Leveraging oOh!’s network will help bring greater attention to this often-overlooked region and encourage more visitors to explore a site of deep cultural and national importance.”

The inaugural Indigenous Business Grant was awarded last year to The Unexpected Guest, a breakfast foods company using native ingredients in its product range.

Applications for the 2026 grant will open in December following another strong year of entries from Indigenous-led businesses across sectors including tech, consulting and beauty.