External Grant Opportunities

Community Building Partnership Grants - Closes 21 February 2025

The NSW Government's 2025 Community Building Partnership Grants Program opens on 28 January 2025, offering funding to support projects that deliver positive outcomes for communities in NSW. This annual grant funding program is popular and highly sought after in the local community. Applications close: 21 February 2025, 5pm.

Visit: www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/community-building-partnership-2025

Regional Event Fund - Event Development stream (Ongoing)

The Regional Event Fund identifies and supports events in regional NSW that have the potential to act as a ‘cornerstone’ or flagship tourism event for their area by attracting overnight visitation and delivering long term benefits to the region.

The Regional Event Fund comprises 3 individual funding streams providing a development pipeline for events from inception, through emergence, to their establishment as tourism events in Regional NSW.

This page provides information on the Event Development stream. Guidelines for the Incubator Event stream and the Flagship Event stream are available separately.

The Event Development stream supports mature events that have previously received and completed Triennial funding through the Flagship Event stream and can present a comprehensive strategy for future growth, that includes the continued development of its tourism potential to drive overnight visitation to the event and surrounding region.

The Event Development stream will offer one-off grants of up to $50,000 (ex GST) to support key strategic growth initiatives that will have a direct impact on increasing overnight visitation to the event.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Country Arts Support Program 2025 - closes 17 October

Small grants supporting local arts activities with exciting creative outcomes.

Have you got an idea for something arts or heritage based that needs a little bit of funding?

CASP helps pay for artists and arts workers to create or to work on arts activities in our regional communities.

Funded activities could include (but are not limited to) workshops, classes, performances, installations, exhibitions, tours, screen / film making, writing or composition, development of new work, tours or talks, artist-in-residence programs, recordings or podcasts, experimental arts, and new arts activities attached to festivals or events – as long as they have some element of public outcome.

Want to know more? We're running two online info sessions to help you plan your application. Book at the links below.

CASP is devolved funding of the NSW Government through Create NSW managed locally by the network of 15 Regional Arts Development Organisations.

Dates:
Opens: Monday 2 September 12noon
Closes: Thursday 17 October 2024 at 5pm
Funding activities happening: 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2025.

Amount:
Grants of up to $3,000.
The total pool of funds is $17,000. Eight activities were funded in 2024.

Open to:

Individuals, groups, not for profit incorporated bodies, councils, arts-based businesses in one of the 12 council areas that make up the Arts OutWest region: Bathurst Region, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid-Western Region, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.
Activities across all artforms (including heritage).
Activities designed to have a positive impact (cultural, social or economic) on a regional community or on regional artists.
CASP funds should mainly go towards paying artist/ arts worker fees and expenses.

How to apply:

Read the GUIDELINES for eligibility and assessment criteria.
Attend an online info session (optional).
Start an application at Smartygrants. You can preview the form and questions now and start an application from 12noon on Monday 2 September 2024. You can download the application form and also save your work to come back later.
Call or email Arts OutWest to discuss your application (this is a requirement).
Complete the application including adding any letters of support, support materials or references.
Submit your application by 5pm on Thursday 17 October 2024.

Contact Arts OutWest
As always CASP applicants are required to discuss their proposal with Arts OutWest staff before applying.

Preferred communication for CASP enquiries and discussions:
Phone: (Monday-Friday) 02 6338 4657
Email: artsoutwest@csu.edu.au
If we are not at the phone when you call please leave a message with your name and contact details.

CASP 2025 online information sessions

Thursday 5 September, 6-6.30pm (online) BOOK NOW
Wednesday 9 October, 6-7pm (online) includes Q&A time BOOK NOW

Make something creative happen in 2025. Apply now.

The Regional Event Fund - Destination NSW

The Regional Event Fund comprises 3 individual funding streams providing a development pipeline for events from inception, through emergence, to their establishment as tourism events in Regional NSW.

This page provides information on the Event Development stream. Guidelines for the Incubator Event stream and the Flagship Event stream are available separately.

This program is funded and administered by Destination NSW.

View the Regional Event Fund - Event Development stream guidelines. (PDF 230.48KB)

Eligibility

Who can apply

To be eligible to apply for the Regional Event Fund Event Development stream, applicants must:

be the event owner (i.e. own the rights to the event and hold the relevant approvals for the event)
be financially solvent
have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
be a sole trader, company, incorporated association, or trust entity
have at least $20 million public liability insurance or be able to secure before entering into a Funding Agreement

To be eligible for the Event Development stream, your event must:

take place between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025
have previously received and completed Triennial funding through the Flagship Event stream
be held in one of the following seven Destination Network regions listed below:
- Destination Central West
- Destination Country & Outback NSW
- Destination North Coast incl. Lord Howe Island
- Destination Riverina Murray
- Destination Southern NSW
- Destination Sydney Surrounds North
- Destination Sydney Surrounds South

Please note: the Local Government Areas of Penrith, Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Wollondilly are no longer included in the above Destination Networks. View the Destination Networks boundary map.

Types of projects funded under this grant

The Event Development stream provides funding to support initiatives that will have a direct impact on increasing overnight visitation to the event. A clear strategic rationale will be required for all initiatives. Activities that may be eligible for funding include:

Promotional activities with a measurable overnight visitation outcome (e.g. promotions with a unique call to action)
Cooperative marketing activities with the tourism industry (e.g. the development and promotion of packages to the event that include accommodation or access to other tourist attractions)
Costs associated with implementing robust visitor research methodologies
Infrastructure costs associated with encouraging extended stays (e.g. additional hire costs to extend the event an extra day)
Costs associated with the delivery of an improved visitor experience (e.g. grandstands, information services, facilities)
Costs associated with developing broader accommodation options or the delivery of temporary accommodation (e.g. shuttle buses to neighbouring towns, implementation of home hosting programs, creation of temporary camping grounds)
Consultancy fees for marketing, PR, digital or event management specialists provided there are clear and measurable outcomes that demonstrate an improvement on existing activities.

Event Development funding is not intended to replace previous or other event funding. Grants funds must be expended on the initiatives described in the application.

Who can't apply

The following applicants are ineligible:

Australian, State or Territory Government agencies or entities, including New South Wales
Destination Networks
Political parties

The following event types are not eligible for funding from the Event Development stream:

events held in Local Government areas not included in a Destination Network region listed in the Eligible Events criteria
regular (weekly/monthly) community events such as markets and bazaars, local sports meets (home/away games, regional tournaments), club gatherings (RSL, Rotary, Chambers of Commerce), classes, workshops etc.
one-off events that are not planned to continue after a single year (e.g. anniversary celebrations, concerts, exhibitions, theatre seasons, sporting championships etc.)
religious events i.e. events that have a religious ceremony as the principal focus such as Easter or Christmas celebrations. Events held over weekends such as Easter may be considered if the religious element is not the focus (e.g. a food or music festival)
community public holiday celebrations such as Anzac Day, Australia Day, King’s Birthday if the holiday is the primary focus. Events held over public holidays will be considered if the holiday is not the focus (e.g. a food or music festival)
event series such as sporting events, music festivals or exhibitions held in multiple locations across NSW and/or Australia
touring events such as concert tours, circuses and fun fairs
promotional events (i.e. where marketing a specific product and/or cause is the principal objective)
events held in Greater Sydney including Penrith, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Wollondilly
events whose overnight visitation impact is not immediate i.e.: that promote visitation to a destination at a later date
business events (e.g. trade shows and exhibitions, conferences, industry meetings).
consumer events that include a business event as an extension event will not be excluded from the Regional Event Fund provided the consumer event is the primary applicant
events owned and/or operated by an agency or entity of the Federal Government, or a State or Territory Government including New South Wales

Types of projects not funded under this grant

Event Development stream funds must not be used for:

existing marketing and promotional activities
existing infrastructure and operational costs
existing staff costs or expenses, including travel costs
event launches
live broadcast or webcast production costs
prize money, gifts or contributions to charitable groups. (Where some event proceeds go to charity, evidence will be required to show adequate funds are retained for the ongoing operation of the event), or
performer / artist fees and travel expenses
costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation.

Additional Eligibility

A single event may not receive grant funding from more than one stream of the Regional Event Fund program (Incubator, Flagship or Event Development) in the same year
An event awarded a grant through previous Regional Event Fund rounds that has been deferred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or extreme weather are not eligible to apply for additional funding for the same event from the Regional Event Fund in 2024/25.

Grants for Regional and Rural Students (ongoing)

Your local Country Education Foundation (CEF) supports youth in your area through financial grants for education and employment expenses. Our grants contribute towards apprenticeships, traineeships, cadetships, diplomas, certificate level studies, university qualifications or employment.

Key dates

Applications close: These rounds are ongoing however generally open in the second half of the year.

Click here for more information and to apply.

NSW Govt Destination Charging Grant - closes 2 August 2024

An EV charger can get your business on the map. Literally.

More and more drivers are switching to electric vehicles (EVs) and they’re planning their trips around EV charging locations.

We’re investing $20 million to assist eligible regional NSW businesses and councils by co-funding the purchase and installation of EV chargers at your site. This funding is available through our Drive electric NSW EV destination charging grant.

Join the growing number of businesses that are already plugged in

Businesses across regional NSW have already taken advantage of the grant. With up to 75% of their costs covered, they now have chargers in the ground and the stories to show for it.

Key Information

Applications now open
Grant amounts: up to 75% of costs covered
Applications close: Friday 2 August 2024, AEST 5 pm

Click here to read more information.

Newcrest Regional Event Tourism Fund (ongoing)

Applications for the 2023/24 financial year are now open.

The fund provides a total of $150,000 to help bolster the tourism industry within the region. The aim of this fund is to help build on the success of the region's festivals to stimulate the visitor economy and diversify the events across the calendar, positioning the Orange region as a leading destination.

Please ensure you check yourEligibilityand the fundTerms and Conditionsprior to submitting an application.

What you are required to submit with your application

Event budget
Marketing budget
Marketing plan
Visitation Data
Letters of support
Certificate of Insurance, Public Liability

Templates

To support your submission, we have prepared the below templates. You will need to download and complete each template, then upload each completed document through the online application portal:

Event Budget Template

Marketing Budget Template

Marketing Plan Template

Visitation Data Template

Orange 360 > Members > Newcrest Orange360 Regional Tourism Event Fund

Australia Post - Community Grants Program

Australia Post Community Grants support projects that connect people and improve mental wellbeing in local communities.

Local community groups create positive change in countless people’s lives. To help them deliver for their communities, we award Community Grants of up to $10,000 each year to fund community led, local projects. Projects are eligible where:

the primary purpose of the project is to improve mental health and mental wellbeing outcomes of a community.
the project will help people meaningfully connect in their local community for improved mental health and mental wellbeing outcomes.
the project is locally led and delivered and aims to improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes of a community.

FIND OUT MORE

Harcourts Foundation Grants

Provides support for a specific event, project, item, or initiative that helps, grows, and enriches our communities.

For more information go to Harcourts Foundation – To provide support that helps, grows and enriches our communities.

Kitchen Garden Kickstart Grants (EOI)

These grants are designed to enable schools to kickstart a successful and sustainable Kitchen Garden Program. Schools receive a $5000 grant, membership to the Kitchen Garden Program, which includes support from our experienced team who are available for personalised advice and expertise to bring each kitchen garden dream to life.

Grant funds support the purchase of key infrastructure and are often spent on items such as garden beds, ovens, accessible work top benches, greenhouses and outdoor learning spaces.

APPLY NOW