External Grant Opportunities

Strengthening Rural Communities - close 24 June 2025

The Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Small & Vital stream gives small remote, rural and regional communities across Australia the opportunity to access funds for a broad range of initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities.

There are two tiers of Small & Vital funding available:

Small grants up to $10,000 are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities that strengthen local people, places and climate solutions with a preference for smaller communities (populations under 15,000). The timeframe to deliver these projects is up to 12 months.

Targeted larger leverage grants up to $50,000 are available for projects that focus on strengthening the digital skills, confidence and safety of adults enabling them to get online, build social connections, and access services, information, education and employment through training, as well as acquiring the digital and connectivity infrastructure where needed. The timeframe to deliver these projects is up to 18 months.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly.

Strengthening Rural Communities — Small & Vital | FRRR

Royal Australian Historical Society NSW Cultural Grant NSW 2025 - close 25 June 2025

The Cultural Grants program, administered by the Royal Australian Historical Society, assists historical research and publication of local, community and regional history projects.

Projects should be relevant to understanding the history of NSW and its people and places. Grants support the work of historical research and publication undertaken by local historical societies and similar bodies across NSW. Please allow one week before submission date to ensure the application is reviewed by another member of your organisation. The projects should generally be able to be completed within one year (December 2026).

Grant amount: From $500 to $5,000.

Royal Australian Historical Society NSW Cultural Grant NSW 2025 | NSW Government

Audience Development Fund - Closes 27th June 2025

The Audience Development Fund (ADF) offers public galleries in NSW assistance in targeting and developing new audiences. It encourages galleries to create innovative public programs that engage artists and the community. The fund is designed to support galleries to develop and trial new models for engaging audiences that will increase immediate and future attendance, access and participation.

Funds can be used for costs that support the development and implementation of public or educational programs, provide seed funding to trial new models for public engagement and/or build new partnerships for audience development. Examples of past programs supported include 1000 Words – Arts and Literacy program for schools at Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Argo Pacifico Kids Club at The Lock-up, Newcastle; Art Walks, a guided video tour of public art developed by Goulburn Regional Art Gallery; Bathurst Regional Art Gallery’s Youth Advocates program; and Connecting to Place, building new relationships with migrant and refugee communities run by Orange Regional Gallery.

Amount available: up to $9,000 for each grant (no minimum)

Closes 27th June 2025

Apply online

For further information email susanw@mgnsw.org.au

Download - Audience Development Fund (ADF) 2025 guidelines

Australia Post Community Grants - close 7 July 2025

Australia Post’s Community Grants program supports projects that connect people to improve mental wellbeing in local communities.

Local community groups play an important role in creating positive change in people’s lives. To help them deliver for their communities, Aust Post awards Community Grants of up to $10,000 each year to fund community-led, local projects.

This year, they are proud to offer additional grants totaling up to $250,000 to support disaster-impacted communities across Australia. These funds will be dedicated to projects that enhance mental wellbeing by fostering connection and building resilience within communities recovering from a natural disaster or a major storm event.

To be eligible for an Australia Post Community Grant, projects must:

Improve mental health and mental wellbeing outcomes of a community
Help people meaningfully connect
Be locally-led and locally-delivered.

Applications for the additional ring-fenced disaster recovery funding must also support a disaster-impacted community for improved connection, wellbeing and/ or resilience.

Apply here - Community Grants Program - Australia Post

Leg Up Grants - Closing Date: 2nd November 2025

Leg Up Grantsare quick response skill development grants for workers in volunteer managed museums and Aboriginal cultural spaces throughout NSW. These grants fund various skill development projects including hosting or attending workshops, conferences or seminars in NSW, in addition to networking activities.

Previous Leg Up Grants have funded museum volunteers to attend conferences and workshops, and to gain training in areas of museum practice including paper conservation, oral history, disaster preparedness and significance assessment.

Amount available: Up to $500

Opening Date: 10th February 2025
Closing Date: 2nd November 2025

Information here - Leg Up Grants - MGNSW

Newmont Orange360 Regional Tourism Event Fund

As part of the Community Partnerships Program, Newcrest distributes funding each year that aims to support and enhance the community groups, organisations and infrastructure that provide a sustainable foundation for the communities of the Blayney, Cabonne and Orange Local Government Area's (LGAs).

Newmont has partnered with Orange360 to establish the Newmont Orange360 Regional Tourism Event Fund to help bolster the tourism industry within the region. The fund will 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.

Applications for the 2024/25 financial year are now open.

Please ensure you check your Eligibility and the fund Terms and Conditions prior to submitting an application.

How to apply

If you are eligible to apply and understand the Terms and Conditions associated with the fund, CLICK HERE to access an online application form. You may also like to refer to the Application Key Questions so you can prepare your submission offline.

The online application form is designed to save as you go so you can re-visit your application at any time. Please allow ample time to complete your application, noting that an approximate indication of time is 3 full days.

You will need to be familiar with Orange360's Strategic Plan and ensure your application align's with Orange360's Strategic Priorities.

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

For further queries about the Newmont Orange360 Regional Tourism Event Fund, please contact Mali Williams at Orange360: mali@orange360.com.au

Skills Development Grants - close 2 November 2025

Skills Development Grants provide funding to volunteer museums, museum networks, and Aboriginal cultural spaces for regional or state focused skill development training and networking events involving more than one organisation.

Opening Date: 10th February 2025

Closing Date: 2 November 2025 (or until funds are exhausted)

Please read the 2025 guidelines before applying for this grant. Applications must be completed in strict accordance with the guidelines, so please ensure you read them thoroughly before submitting your application.

Descriptions of previously awarded Skills Development Grants are available below for download.

TO APPLY: Please contact the Museum Coordinator.

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

‘Lights On, Doors Open’ – Stipend Program Supporting Volunteer-led Museums (ongoing)

The NSW museum sector, particularly volunteer-led organisations, has in recent years faced enormous challenges due to major events like bushfires, floods, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ‘Lights On, Doors Open’ stipend program has been established to relieve the pressures faced by volunteer-led museums and Aboriginal cultural spaces in NSW. With a total funding of $226,000, this initiative by the NSW Government aims to provide crucial financial support to cover essential expenses like rent and electricity bills. By offering this assistance, the program aims to support eligible organisations, reduce the burden of constant fundraising, and allow them to focus on collections, maintenance, and best practices.

Grants of $2,000 are available for eligible applicants.

Up to 113 organisations will benefit from this initiative.

The Stipend program does not involve organisations developing new ideas for funding, rather, it is aimed at supporting organisations to cover small operational items difficult to cover through other grant programs. The application process is designed to be hassle-free, ensuring a smooth experience for all applicants.

What does the funding cover?

Various short-term, operational projects, such as (but not limited to) the following areas:

Bills for amenities
Small maintenance jobs
IT support
Small marketing projects
Fees for service

Closing

Funding will be allocated based on the order of eligible applications received until funds are exhausted.

Eligibility & Criteria

Applying museums and Aboriginal cultural spaces must:

Be incorporated (or provide the details of an auspicing body that is incorporated, such as a local council) OR provide evidence of appropriate alternative governance structures
Be not-for-profit organisation.
Be an established museum or Aboriginal cultural spaces with displayed collections.
Be regularly open to the public at advertised times.
Have a volunteer from the applying organisation as the contact person for the application.
Agree to abide by the terms and conditions of the grant.
Be purely volunteer-run with no paid staff.
For Aboriginal cultural spaces, have no more than two full-time paid positions responsible for the cultural facility.
Must have a collection policy.

Don’t miss this opportunity to support your organisation and preserve our cultural heritage.

Apply for the ‘Lights On, Doors Open’ stipend program now

Download - Lights On Doors Open Stipend Guidelines 2023

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Funding for Stipend Program has now been exhausted and closed to new applications.

For more information, contact, Emily Cullen, Sector Development Manager
Email: emilyc@mgnsw.org.au
Phone: (02) 5663 2336

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.

Eligibility Criteria
- Demonstrated financial need
- Aged 16-25 years
- Attended school in or currently live in the region covered by your local CEF
- Commitment to achieving your goals

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.

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.

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.