Support for business

Community, cultural, business and environment grants now open for 2022/23

Apply to activate events, programs and projects that will build the social, cultural, environmental and economic life of our city

Summer Streets Redfern cropped

Do you have a great idea that would benefit our area? Need a kick start to get it off the ground? Our grants and sponsorships program may be able to help.

Applications close at 5pm on Monday 11 April. Projects must take place from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023. Precinct activation grants can start from 1 June 2022 to 30 June 2023.

Join our webinar for an overview of grants and sponsorship opportunities. Register now for 3 March.

Community services grants

  • Backs organisations that connect people, reduce vulnerability and disadvantage to build community capacity.
  • How much you can apply for: $5,000 to $50,000 for each application.
  • Who can apply: not-for-profits, individuals or unincorporated community groups auspiced by a not-for-profit that is eligible to apply in its own right.

Cultural and creative grants and sponsorship

  • Gets people involved in local cultural activities, enhances creativity in public spaces and strengthens the sustainability and capacity of our cultural and creative industries.
  • How much you can apply for: $5,000 to $50,000 for each application.
  • Who can apply: for-profits, not-for-profits and auspice required for sole traders, individuals and unincorporated community groups.

Business support grants, live music and performance

  • Helps live music and performance venues or retail stores upgrade their premises. Consider hosting live music, cabaret, comedy or theatre performances or make space for artists and creative production, rehearsal or recording.
  • How much you can apply for: up to $30,000, capital and equipment, matched funding.
  • Who can apply: not-for-profits, for-profits and sole traders

Business support grants, night-time diversification

  • Powers after-dark activities for businesses from 6pm to 6am. Engage your customers with new and exciting experiences. Support meet the maker events, cooking classes, product or fashion shows, live performances, poetry slams and film screenings.
  • How much you can apply for: up to $30,000 matched funding.
  • Who can apply: not-for-profits, for-profits and sole traders

Business support, place and industry grant

  • Promotes unique local offerings and experiences, connect businesses and opportunities, to grow vibrant and sustainable neighbourhoods, communities and economies.
  • How much you can apply for: funding negotiated on consultation, must match the funding requested with cash and/or value-in-kind.
  • Who can apply: not-for profits, member-based organisations.

Environmental performance grant, innovation

  • Encourages testing or use of new technologies or processes to boost environmental sustainability that could be used at scale in our area.
  • How much you can apply for: feasibility studies up to $20,000 (25% matched funding). Demonstration projects up to $80,000 (50% matched funding.
  • Who can apply: not-for-profits, for-profits with less than 200 workers, owners corporations.

Environmental performance grant, ratings and assessments

  • Funds industry-accepted environmental performance ratings, energy or water assessments, and energy audits of buildings.
  • How much you can apply for: up to $10,000 for residential and $15,000 for the accommodation sector.
  • Who can apply: not-for-profits, for-profits, owners corporations, accommodation, hotels and serviced apartments.

Festivals and events sponsorship, artform

  • Increases cultural and creative activities in public spaces and local neighbourhoods to let Sydney artists develop new and diverse audiences.
  • How much you can apply for: up to $30,000, applications over $20,000 must speak with the City of Sydney before applying.
  • Who can apply: for-profits, not-for-profits and auspice required for sole traders, individuals and unincorporated community groups.

Festivals and events sponsorship, village and community

  • Celebrates the spirit of a community, strengthens connection to place and space, reflects unique and diverse characteristics of the city and increase footfall on main streets.
  • How much you can apply for: up to $30,000, applications over $20,000 must speak with the City of Sydney before applying.
  • Who can apply: for-profits, not-for-profits and auspice required for sole traders, individuals and unincorporated community groups.

Knowledge exchange sponsorship

  • Helps foster collaboration and learning, share local sector expertise, build capacity and networks and encourage dialogue about local and global issues in all sectors.
  • How much you can apply for: $5,000 to $40,000.
  • Who can apply: not-for-profits and for-profits.

Matching grants

  • Encourages local small-scale grassroots projects or ideas that improve, enhance, or celebrate vibrant and sustainable neighbourhoods, communities and economies. Projects can have a cultural, economic, sustainability or social focus. We prioritise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, LGBTIQ communities and refugees and people seeking asylum.
  • How much you can apply for: up to $10,000 matched with cash or in-kind.
  • Who can apply: not-for-profits, for-profits, sole traders, individuals auspiced by a not-for-profit or for-profit that is eligible to apply in its own right, unincorporated community groups, strata and company-owned owners corporations.

Precinct activation grants

  • Forges collaborative partnerships between businesses, creatives and communities to renew and transform our city centre and local precincts.
  • How much you can apply for: $100,000 to $300,000
  • Who can apply: Each application must have a lead applicant plus a minimum of 5 project collaborators located near each other. The lead applicant may be a for-profit organisation, not-for-profit organisation or sole trader that is a creative producer and/or agency, an event manager or a precinct coordinator.

Interested?

For an overview of opportuniteis, join the webinar on 3 March.

Need support with your application or have a question?

Call our grants team today on 02 9265 9333.

Sign up for the City of Sydney’s grants and sponsorship program updates.

Published 21 February 2022, updated 14 February 2024