The Caloundra Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been named a successful recipient in Sunshine Coast Council’s March 2026 Major Grants Round, securing funding to drive significant improvements to its marketing activities and digital footprint.

The grant, awarded under the Economic Development category, will support the Chamber’s Marketing and Digital Footprint Development project; a strategic push to modernise how the organisation communicates with the Sunshine Coast community, promotes its member businesses, and showcases the beloved markets that have become a fixture of Caloundra life.

A Competitive Round

This wasn’t a straightforward win. The March 2026 round was the most competitive in the program’s history, with Sunshine Coast Council receiving a record 206 applications from organisations across the region. Due to the volume and quality of submissions, council was only able to support approximately 36 percent of the total funding requested, making every successful application a genuine vote of confidence in the work being proposed.

The Caloundra Chamber was one of just a handful of organisations recognised under the Economic Development stream, sitting alongside other regional business groups and industry bodies in a category designed to support projects with lasting economic benefit for the Sunshine Coast.

What the Funding Supports

For the Chamber, this grant is about building the infrastructure to communicate more effectively with the community it serves. For an organisation that runs on community support and volunteer energy, having the right marketing and digital tools in place isn’t a luxury, it’s the foundation for everything else.

Part of a Stronger Community

The Caloundra Chamber’s grant was one of dozens awarded across the Sunshine Coast in this round, with successful recipients spanning community development, sport and recreation, cultural heritage, and creative development. Fellow Caloundra-area organisations also celebrated wins, with the Caloundra Business Alliance receiving support for the Winter Wunderland 2026 event and the Caloundra Arts Centre securing funding for facility upgrades — a reminder of just how active and engaged the local community sector continues to be.

Across the full round, council funded initiatives ranging from domestic violence support programs and First Nations cultural projects to local festival events, heritage restoration, and sporting infrastructure. The breadth of successful applications reflects both the diversity of the Sunshine Coast community and the strength of the organisations operating within it.