Grants and Sponsorships

We provide a number of funding opportunities to support initiatives that contribute to the social, cultural, environmental, and economic life of the city.

Some of our grants and sponsorship opportunities have been updated to make it simpler to apply, and fairer to everyone in the community. They also align with our plan for the future, Newcastle 2030 Community Strategic Plan.

Please note that all funding for the 2021 Community Grant Funding Program has been issued. The next round of funding will be in May 2022.

Following the allocation of funding, if any stream has unexpended funds, the stream may reopen for further funding opportunities.

The current exception to this process is:

Sponsorship Program - Major Events Development Sponsorship. An EOI process which remains open throughout the year until funding is fully expended.

Supporting Documentation for the Grants and Sponsorship Process.

Grant Funding:

Read the Community Grants Policy (PDF)
Read the Community Grants Guidelines (PDF)

Sponsorship Funding:

Read the Sponsorship Policy (PDF)
Read the Sponsorship Guidelines (PDF)

Not sure which funding is right for you?

View the 'Grants and Sponsorship Programs - Which should I apply for?' flowchart (PDF)

Sign up for our Grants and Sponsorship Mailing List to be the first to know about funding opportunities. (Check your junk mail in case it arrives there, and if it does, make sure you mark it as a safe sender).

Search Newcastle Grant Finder for other opportunities open right now.

Previous Grant Rounds

2021 Community Support Grants

City of Newcastle’s (CN) Grants and Sponsorships programs have been modernised following stakeholder engagement to deliver better outcomes for the community. The new Policies, exhibited from 24 February to 24 March 2021, were adopted on 27 April 2021.

The Community Support Grant Funding Round opened from 3-31 May 2021. Under the Community Grants Program a total of 94 applications were received requesting a total of $1,060,235 in funding. Funding for 59 projects totalling $457,121 was awarded.

The successful projects for 2021 are:

INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS

Infrastructure Grants include Façade Improvement, Recreation Facilities and Sustainability streams.

Applicant	Funding Stream	Project	Description	Funding Amount
Suni Bommareddy	Façade Improvement	Lucky 7 Supermarket - 53 Joslin Street, Kotara	Repainting frontage.	$3,333
Malwa Food and Liquor Ltd	Façade Improvement	IGA Supermarket - 32-34 Llewellyn Street, Merewether	Repainting frontage and eaves.	$1,767
Barratt’s Laundry	Façade Improvement	Barratt's Laundry - 30 Llewellyn Street, Merewether	Repairs and painting to awning and new light.	$5,000
Merewether District Cricket Club	Recreation Facilities	Empire Park Wicket Irrigation	Installation of an automatic irrigation system for Empire Park.	$3,800
New Lambton Eagles Football Club	Recreation Facilities	Alder Park Seating	Pre-fabricated tiered aluminium seating.	$10,000
Wallsend Football Club	Recreation Facilities	Playing surface improvements at Cook Park, Shortland	Playing surface improvements.	$5,000
Stockton Junior Football Club	Recreation Facilities	Installation of additional light pole for Corroba Oval	Improve lighting at Corroba Oval.	$10,000
Hamilton Park Tennis Club	Recreation Facilities	Electrical Upgrade of Meter Box	Upgrade and relocated the electrical meter box.	$4,250
Mayfield United Junior Soccer Football	Recreation Facilities	Irrigation design at Stevenson Park Field 1	Upgrade irrigation at Stevenson Park Field 1.	$5,000
Newcastle French Bread House	Sustainability	Solar upgrade	Solar installation.	$5,000
Novacare Community Services Ltd	Sustainability	Solar installation	Solar provision at Ailsa Craig Cottage respite care.	$5,000
Apnom Pty Ltd	Sustainability	Newcastle Zero Impact Vertical Farm	Investigate the impact of recycled battery storage to improve waste minimisation.	$5,000

COMMUNITY SUPPORT GRANTS

Community Support Grants include Quick Response, Environment, Social Inclusion and Arts, Culture and Heritage streams.

Applicant	Funding Stream	Project	Description	Funding Amount
Surfing the Spectrum Foundation Limited	Quick Response	Surfing the Spectrum – Autism Informed Training for Surf Schools	Delivering Autism Informed Training packages to Surf Schools.	$3,552
STARTTS	Quick Response	Unity and Diversity Festival	Celebrates the Cultural Diversity of Newcastle in the spirit of inclusiveness and welcome. The festival is held to coincide with the National Refugee Week celebrations.	$4,000
Kodi Twiner	Quick Response	Prickly Pear 2	A multidisciplinary arts events showcasing women and gender diverse creatives of Newcastle. All ages and alcohol-free.	$2,000
Rebecca Dallwitz	Quick Response	Living post-industrialisation: the experience of Novocastrians	A digital exhibition looking at the social experience of post-industrialisation of people who live and work in Newcastle.	$4,000
Tech Wise 2.0	Quick Response	Engaging the Elderly Community Members	Connecting and engaging the elderly members of the community through media and online proficiency.	$4,000
Newcastle Toy Library	Quick Response	Newcastle Toy Library Refurbishment/Expansion – Stage 1	Refurbishment of the Newcastle Toy Library.	$2,900
Hannah Indigo	Quick Response	OMGWTF	Creative development for artists in the show OMGWTF to further enhance the artists ability to seek paid work opportunities and increase their portfolio of bookable acts.	$4,000
Janice Chamberlain Hamilton South Community Solutions	Quick Response	Murals for Hamilton South	Replacing graffiti with art.	$4,000
Micro Theatre Pty Ltd	Quick Response	Micro@NTC	Short plays to showcase local talent and activate a new space.	$4,000
Uniting Adamstown Heights Preschool	Quick Response	Healing Country Through Art	Children and educators in collaboration with Speaking in Colour will create a mural to be displayed in the playground to represent the theme of NAIDOC week.	$3,000
CALD Connect	Quick Response	Newcastle Arab Youth Network	Establish Newcastle Arab Youth Network including workshops and seminars.	$4,000
STARTTS	Quick Response	Afghan Community Festival	Afghan Community Festival to connect and celebrate the diverse Afghan cultures of Newcastle through dance and food.	$3,000
Hunter Multicultural Communities Inc	Quick Response	Multicultural Pop-up Library	To build a library station that will house a Multicultural Pop-up Library.	$4,000
Little Dreamers Australia	Quick Response	Young Carers Talent Show	An event to highlight and celebrate the many diverse talents of young people with caring roles and responsibilities within the community.	$3,700
Weaving the Red Thread	Quick Response	Menstruality Education and Empowerment – Graphic Design Branding and Website Creation	Branding and website development to establish a professional identity.	$4,000
Stockton Bowling Club Cooperative Ltd	Quick Response	Junior and adult social bowls equipment	To purchase specific equipment to conduct school holiday lawn bowls programs for all ages of school children.	$3,815
Peta Belic	Quick Response	Newcastle – Australia's First Region (Seminar Series)	A research project looking at the history of Newcastle as Australia's first region.	$4,000
Heath Killen	Quick Response	On a Floating World	A publishing and events platform, focused on the coastline and waterways of the greater Newcastle Region. Combining art, science, history, and culture, the project aims to foster a deeper connection to our marine ecosystems and contemplate their futures.	$4,000
Janice Chamberlain Hamilton South Community Solutions	Quick Response	Children's Activity and Gardening Day	Community afternoon welcoming children in Hamilton South. The afternoon will encourage social activity, art, gardening and play.	$1,520
STARTTS	Quick Response	Congolese Community Festival	Congolese Community Festival to connect and celebrate the diverse Congolese cultures of Newcastle through dance and food.	$3,000
November Sheehan	Quick Response	Heart Letter Pen	Volunteers provide hand written letters for the elderly in aged care facilities or nursing homes to reduce feelings of isolation .	$4,000
Janice Chamberlain Hamilton South Community Solutions	Quick Response	Hamilton South Shop Mural – Bottleshop Wall	To finalise a wall of murals behind Hamilton South business precinct.	$4,000
Crete Kings Without Crowns	Quick Response	Tighes Hill Winter Walk	Explore Tighes Hill local businesses and community.	$4,000
STARTTS	Quick Response	Syrian Community Festival	Syrian Community Festival to connect and celebrate the diverse Syrian cultures of Newcastle through dance and food.	$3,000
Feedback Organic Recovery	Environment	Feedback Futures	Delivery of a Circular Economy sustainability engagement program in schools.	$20,000
Go Circular	Environment	Hack the Future: Circular Economy Leadership Project	Harness young people's passion to protect our climate by providing them with the skills, networks, and confidence to solve problems around transitioning to a regenerative circular economy, pioneering career opportunities for emerging students in the Hunter	$20,000
Seaside Scavenge	Environment	Seaside Scavenge	A community event where litter collected from local beaches and waterways becomes a currency in a pop-up market to purchase pre-loved clothes and other goods that have been donated by the local community, thereby reimagining waste as a resource.	$10,870
Hunter Community Environment Centre	Environment	Squirrel Habitat Education, Restoration & Enhancement	Engage households and communities to enhance, restore or create habitat, food-sources and potential corridors for local Squirrel Glider populations.	$10,000
Hunter Jobs Alliance	Environment	Clean Energy Transition Community Engagement Program	Community education program to increase literacy and awareness of economic opportunity in the clean energy transition.	$16,000
Mercy Services (auspice for Brooke Charlton)	Social Inclusion	Mayfield Citizens Community Activation Project	A beautification project at the Mayfield Elderly Citizens Centre which aims to support and educate patrons.	$6,500
Hunter Multicultural Communities	Social Inclusion	Youth Nations	A programme to engage with the Multicultural Youth members of new and emerging communities of the region.	$15,000
Northern Settlement Services (auspice for Ruth Anagnostis)	Social Inclusion	The Global Table Collective	An opportunity for people from Diverse Cultures in Newcastle to meet and share their cultures and build social and community connections through the sharing of food and music from people from CALLD backgrounds.	$15,000
University of Newcastle – Gender Research Network	Social Inclusion	16 Days of Activism	Strengthen our city’s response to domestic and sexual violence, showcasing survivors’ stories to increase community connection, providing young people with access to consent education, and include men in conversations about prevention.	$15,000
Hunter Parents and Teachers Association of Community Languages Schools Inc	Social Inclusion	Enabling social inclusion through child safe practices	Strengthening capability for CALD organisations to engage in and lead social inclusive community events by enabling Child Safety practices and approaches.	$10,800
Little Dreamers Australia	Social Inclusion	Young Carer School Holiday Program	A program to provide respite for Young Carers aged 6-14.	$9,000
Centre for Hope	Social Inclusion	Wallsend: All Welcome	Breaking the ice by breaking bread: Promoting social inclusion by bringing together a diverse community to share a meal, based on the cuisine of their various cultural backgrounds.	$10,000
City of Newcastle – Region Library (auspice for Alyaa Al-Attabi)	Social Inclusion	A Thousand And One Nights	Cultural nights which promote the varied cuisines and cultures of the multicultural peoples living in Newcastle through food, music and storytelling.	$8,000
Hunter Community Legal Centre	Social Inclusion	Online Accessibility Project	Creating an accessible online portal making free legal information, advice and education more accessible to vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community.	$5,000
Carnivore Films (Stories of Our Town)	Arts, Culture and Heritage	Threlkeld and Biraban (Film)	A film on the Missionary Rev Threlkeld and Biraban who 200yrs ago protected local Aboriginal people and preserved their language.	$18,000
National Young Writers Festival Inc	Arts, Culture and Heritage	National Young Writers Festival 2021	Australia’s largest gathering of young writers. Bringing young people together for invention, connection and discovery opportunities.	$25,000
Arwarbakal Cultural Resource Ass Inc	Arts, Culture and Heritage	Digitisation and remote access to collections	Digitisation of cultural records to be made available online for Indigenous audiences.	$19,814
Jacinta Fintan	Arts, Culture and Heritage	Little Festival	An ephermal arts festival celebrating small scale and miniature outdoor street art installations in and around Newcastle.	$20,000
Newcastle Historic Reserve Land Manager (The Lock-Up)	Arts, Culture and Heritage	The Lock-Up's REVIVE	A suite of experimental and contemporary commissioned new works by both local and Nationally recognised artists.	Yr 1: $22,500 Yr 2: $22,500 Yr 3: $22,500
Curious Legends Ltd	Arts, Culture and Heritage	Spirit of Newcastle Project	Artist development, community engagement and events project.	$20,000
Newcastle Music Festival	Arts, Culture and Heritage	Newcastle Music Festival Inc	Annual Newcastle Music Festival encompassing a broad range of musical genres.	Yr 1: cancel Yr 2: $10,000 Yr 3: $10,000
Hiss and Crackle (auspiced Kodi Twiner)	Arts, Culture and Heritage	Professional Development Music Workshops for Women in Music at Hiss and Crackle Records	Four professional development music workshops, with an emphasis on fem-identifying people in music.	$7,000
Reenaction Pty Ltd t/as Newy with Kids	Arts, Culture and Heritage	Newy with Kids Scavenger Hunts Part II	Two additional Newy with Kids Scavenger Hunts.	$5,000