To support Melbourne’s sustainable vision for the future, the City of Melbourne offers a wide range of grants and sponsorship opportunities to individuals, community organisations and businesses in the arts, recreation, events and business sectors.
Grants and sponsorships help recipients to deliver quality programs, events, products and services which are of great benefit to Melbourne and Melburnians alike and which bring a wide range of social and economic returns to the city.
Applicants that reflect creativity, inclusion, sustainability, knowledge and economic prosperity are encouraged to apply.
The table below indicates when each grant or sponsorship round is open.
| Grant or sponsorship type |
Eligibility |
Opens |
Closes |
| Event partnership program |
Event organisers staging events within the City of Melbourne, including previous applicants. |
Round one:
16 Feb 2015
|
Round One:
16 March 2015
|
| Social enterprise grants |
Social enterprises currently operating or intending to operate in the City of Melbourne municipality, including previous applicants. |
Round one:
16 February 2015
Round two:
13 July 2015
|
Round one:
16 March 2015
Round two:
10 August 2015
|
| Small business grants |
Creative and innovative small businesses currently located or intending to move to the City of Melbourne municipality, including previous applicants. |
Round one:
16 February 2015
Round two:
13 July 2015
|
Round one:
16 March 2015
Round two:
10 August 2015
|
| Business event sponsorship program |
Business events or conferences held in the City of Melbourne municipality that promote Melbourne as a destination. |
Feb 2015
(dates to be advised)
|
March 2015 (dates to be advised) |
| Triennial arts grants program |
Arts organisations delivering major festivals and arts activities that enhance Melbourne’s reputation as a leader in the arts scene. |
Applications closed for 2015-17
|
| Triennial (events) sponsorship program |
Organisations delivering major iconic annual events that enhance Melbourne's local, national and international reputation as a major events leader. |
Applications closed for 2014-17
Events notified: end of September 2014
|
| Community grants (including sport and recreation) |
Not-for-profit organisations contributing to the safety, health and happiness of Melburnians, as well as local community sporting groups. |
Round one:
14 July 2014
Round two:
To be advised
|
Round one:
25 August 2014
Round two:
To be advised |
| Annual arts grants |
Includes two streams – arts projects and Indigenous arts projects. The arts projects stream is for all artists and arts organisations. The Indigenous arts projects stream is for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and arts organisations. These support arts projects, activities, artforms or practices which will take place in the City of Melbourne within a calendar year. |
Applications closed for 2015
|
| Community meals subsidy program |
Subsidies are available to not-for-profit organisations that support older people to meet and share a meal on a regular basis. |
12 May 2014 |
23 June 2014 |
| Community use of town halls |
Allows not-for-profit community organisations to apply for in-kind support for use of the Melbourne Town Hall, North Melbourne Town Hall or the Meat Market in North Melbourne. |
Open all year or until funding for that financial year has been allocated. |
| Individual athlete grants |
Grants for individual athletes representing a club or organisation at international level. |
Open all year or until funding for that financial year has been allocated. |
| Indigenous grants |
Grants that meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. |
Open all year or until funding for that financial year has been allocated. |
Read about past recipients.
See a list of grants and sponsorships which are open for application now.
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If you are considering applying for a grant, please be careful of cold-callers or websites that charge for grant-related services when such assistance is already available for free.
Visit the ACCC for information and tips on how to protect your business or project.
If you have queries about the City of Melbourne’s grant application processes, please contact us.