Skip to main content

                    Grants and sponsorships

                    A person works in an office on a laptop and pausing to think
                    City of Melbourne offers a wide range of grants and sponsorships to individuals, community organisations and businesses in the arts, recreation, events and business sectors. Applicants that reflect creativity, inclusion, sustainability, knowledge and economic prosperity are encouraged to apply.

                    ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​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 environmental, social and economic returns to the city.

                    Grants and sponsorships information

                    Opening and closing dates

                    Grants or sponsorshi​p type
                    Elig​ibilityOpens

                    Closes
                    Aboriginal Arts Projects​
                    ​Funding of Aboriginal arts projects, supporting developments and activities taking place in the City of Melbourne within the 2024 calendar year.​
                    ​Applications open Monday 21 August 20​23
                    ​Applications close Sunday 1 October 2023

                    ​Aboriginal Creative Residency

                    ​The residency at Boyd studios provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander artists with a valuable opportunity to spend time researching, experimenting, developing and creating new work.

                    ​Applications closed

                    Applications closed

                    Aboriginal Community Grants
                    ​Community-led projects that promote community connection, cultural and social inclusion, access and participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.​
                    Applications open Monday 10 April 2023
                    ​Applications close Friday 2 June 2023
                    Annual Arts Grants Program
                    Funding of arts projects, arts residencies, supporting developments and activities taking place in the City of Melbourne within the 2024 calendar year.Applications open Monday 1 May 2023
                    Applications close Tuesday 13 June 2023
                    Arts and Creative Investment Partnerships
                    ​Provide two and four-year funding for arts and creative organisations.
                    Applications closed
                    Applications closed
                    Awards - Arts Excellence
                    ​​Supports organisations to manage and present awards programs that celebrate and recognise creative excellence in any art form.
                    Three year funding is available to Victorian based organisations presenting local awards programs in the City of Melbourne.
                    Applications closed
                    Applications closed
                    Business Event Sponsorship ProgramBusiness events or conferences held in the City of Melbourne municipality that promote Melbourne as a destination.
                    Applications closed
                    ​Applications closed
                    City Activation Grants Program
                    ​Grants to to support and deliver new and exciting activations within the City of Melbourne, bringing communities and consumers into the city to support local businesses.
                    ​Applications closed
                    ​Applications closed
                    ​​Community Inclusion Grants
                    ​Support for not-for-profit organisations to run projects that promote community connection, social inclusion, and access and participation.
                    Applications closed
                    ​Applications closed
                    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.
                    Applications opened 9am, 1 July 2023
                    Applications close 5pm, 31 August 2023

                    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 (until funding for that financial year has been allocated) ​
                    ​When funding for the financial year has been allocated
                    ​Connected Neighbourhoods Small Grants
                    ​Provide funding for projects that support diverse communities of a particular neighbourhood through increased community connection, access and participation.
                    Applications open 10 July 2023
                    Applications close 10 May 2024, or when funding for that financial year has been allocated.
                    ​Dusk till Dawn Activation Grants Program
                    ​Funding for activations that bring energy and vibrancy to city precincts from 6pm to 6am and entice more visitors in to support the city's twilight and night time traders.
                    Applications closed
                    ​Applications closed​
                    Event Partnership Program

                    A sponsorship program supports and enables free, accessible and inclusive events that generate unforgettable, captivating, and innovative experiences.​

                    Applications open Monday 6 May 2024

                    Applications close Friday 31 May 2024​

                    ​Fishermans Bend Innovation Challenge
                    ​Win $70,000 towards implementing  technology idea to benefit communities in Australia’s largest urban renewal project. 
                    Submissions closed
                    ​Submissions closed
                    Heritage Grants Program

                    ​Any owner of a building within the heritage overlay located in the City of Melbourne, and planning restoration works that will be visible from the public realm
                    All Heritage Buildings Fund open for applications all year

                    Landmark and Community Buildings Fund applications open July 2020
                    ​All Heritage Buildings Fund open for applications all year 
                    Inclusive Sport and Recreation Grants
                    Inclusive Sport and Recreation Grants are delivered by the City of Melbourne to provide opportunities for children and young people to participate in community sport and to support individuals participating at an elite level to achieve their sporting goals.
                    Applications openApplications open
                    ​​Operational Support Grants
                    ​Grants for local volunteer-run community organisations that support community connection, social inclusion, access and participation for City of Melbourne residents.​
                    Applications closed
                    ​Applications closed​
                    ​Quick Response Arts GrantsFor artists and small to medium arts organisations across all disciplines who need support to successfully deliver their project to the public or to develop new work.Applications open Friday 8 September 2023
                    Applications close Sunday 1 October​ 2023
                    ​Signal Screen and Sound Commissions​Signal will commission up to ten young and emerging artists aged 16 to 25 to produce their screen or sound work for highly visible showcase in the city.Applications closed
                    Applications closed

                    Small Business Grants

                    Creative and innovative small businesses currently located or intending to move to the City of Melbourne municipality, including previous applicants.

                    Applications closed

                    Applications closed

                    ​Social Investment Partnerships​Funding that supports the development and delivery of projects and programs that provide equitable opportunities that enable, empower and build the capacity of our diverse community.​Applications closed
                    ​​Applications closed​
                    Social Enterprise Grants

                    Social enterprises currently operating or intending to operate in the City of Melbourne municipality, including previous applicants.

                    Applications closed

                    Applications closed​

                    Urban Forest Fund

                    ​Matched-funding from $10,000 to $500,000 is available to support new greening projects on private property with public benefits, such as tree plantings, biodiversity plantings and green roofs and walls. 

                    Applications open ​Monday 25 September 2023

                    Applications close Wednesday 31 January 2024

                    ​Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund​Funding for organisations working to minimise waste creation, divert waste from landfill, and transition Melbourne towards a circular economy.​Applications closed
                    Applications closed

                    Arts, events and festivals

                    Organisations running arts projects, events and festivals are eligible to apply for a range of grants and sponsorships. Individuals can also apply for arts grants.

                    Businesses and social enterprises

                    Funding for business, social enterprises and microbusinesses is available through:

                    Businesses may also be eligible for other City of Melbourne grants and sponsorships including funding for arts, events and festivals or Community funding and grants.

                    For details on support during COVID-19 please see our Business page, or call our Business Concierge Service on 9658 9658 (press 1 for business).

                    Community organisations

                    Community organisations, including sport and recreation organisations.

                    See Community funding and grants​ for further details.

                    COVID-19 support

                    We’re supporting Melburnians affected by COVID-19. For details on grants and other support available, please see our COVID-19 page, or call us on 9658 9658.

                    External assessment panel members for City of Melbourne

                    External assessment panel members review, assess and provide objective, independent recommendations to Council in relation to funding for grants and sponsorship programs. Panel members ensure that guidelines and assessment criteria endorsed by Council have been applied consistently and equitably for all applications.

                    Terms of Reference for External Panel Members 2020-2024 (PDF 484 KB)

                    Terms of Reference for External Panel Members 2020-2024 (DOC 94 KB)​

                    In August 2020 Council endorsed external assessment panel members for a term of four years, until August 2024.

                    ​Program​Endorsed assessment panel members​
                    Arts grants

                    Aaron Bradbrook

                    Adam Fawcett

                    Alice Cottrell

                    Alice Duncan

                    Alice Fleming

                    Alice Robinson

                    Alistair McLean

                    Allysha Pinches

                    Amanda Page

                    Amelia Evans

                    Andi Snelling

                    Andrea Rassell

                    Andrew Atchison

                    Andrián Pertout

                    Andy Butler

                    Andy Howitt

                    Angela Brennan

                    Angela Conquet

                    Angela Todorovski

                    Angharad Wynne-Jones

                    Anita Spooner

                    Anna Nalpantidis

                    Annette Vieusseux

                    Annie Lee

                    Annie Louey

                    Annie Wu

                    Ara Dolatian

                    Ariel Blum

                    Arvinder singh

                    Aseel Tayah

                    Asha Bee Abraham

                    Ashleigh Morris

                    Astrid Edwards

                    Autumn Tansey

                    Bec Carey-Grieve

                    Becki Whitton

                    Belle Bassin

                    Ben Neil

                    Benedict Deane-Johns

                    Benjamin Andrews

                    Benjamin Juers Indyk

                    Benjamin Nichol

                    Bethany Jones

                    Bev Killick

                    Bilus Abaffy

                    Brendan McCleary

                    Brent Lockhart

                    Brett Ashby

                    Bron Batten

                    Bronwyn Pringle

                    Caitlyn Lesiuk

                    Callum Watson

                    Cally Lotz

                    Carl Polke

                    Carla Gottgens

                    Caroline Lee

                    Casey Jenkins

                    Cassandra Fumi

                    Cassandra Kaoustos

                    Catherine Asquith

                    Catherine Woods

                    Chalitha Weerakkody

                    Charlie Owen

                    Charlie Xiao

                    Chelle Destefano

                    Chelsea Wilson

                    Cheyenne Harper

                    Chris Reidy

                    Christian Thompson AO

                    Christina Aubry

                    Christos Linou

                    Cindy Rodriguez

                    Claire Portek

                    Clare Bartholomew

                    Damian Cunningham

                    Dan Goronszy

                    Daniel Dunlop

                    Daniel Jenatsch

                    Darrin Verhagen

                    David Brien

                    David Graney

                    David Maney

                    David O'Toole

                    David Williams

                    Deanne Butterworth

                    Derya Dilara 

                    Diego Ramirez

                    Diego Villalta

                    Domenico Mazza

                    Dominique Butler

                    Dongyan Ma

                    Drew Pettifer

                    Drewe Clarke

                    Dwayne Andrew

                    Dylan Cole

                    Edwina Stevens

                    Elisabeth Amiel

                    Elizabeth Millington

                    Ella Baudinet

                    Ella Baxter

                    Elwyn Murray

                    Emile Zile

                    Emily Bennett

                    Emily Bitto

                    Emily Siddons

                    Emily Tomlins

                    Emma Dodd

                    Emma Hamilton

                    Emma Muir-Smith

                    Fabiana Aguilar

                    Finn Erben

                    Fleur Brett

                    Fraser Orford

                    Freya Waterson

                    Gary Abrahams

                    Gary Willis

                    Gennet Makonnen

                    Geoffrey Thorsen

                    George Egerton-Warburton

                    Georgia Ketels

                    Georgia McDonald

                    Geraldine Quinn

                    Hannah Crofts

                    Harry McAlpine

                    Heidi Braithwaite

                    Helen Marcou

                    Hineani Roberts

                    Hugo Mathias

                    Israel Aloni

                    Jackson Castiglione

                    Jacqui Shelton

                    Jagriti Bhatia

                    James Barclay

                    James Rushford

                    Jane Thompson

                    Janice Gobey

                    Janice Muller

                    Jennifer Mackenzie

                    Jenny Branagan

                    Jenny Gay

                    Jesse Stevens

                    Jessica Carroll

                    Jessica Kease

                    Jessirose Streker

                    Jim Rimmer

                    Jim Shomos

                    Jingwen He

                    Jodie Kinnersley

                    Jody Cleaver

                    Joel Goodall

                    John Guscott

                    Jon King

                    Jon Perring

                    Jonathan Homsey

                    Jonathan Little

                    Joseph Franklin

                    Joseph O'Farrell

                    Josephine Mead

                    Josh Bennett

                    Joshua Allen

                    Juan Gomez

                    Karen Berger

                    Kasey Gambling

                    Kate Fryer

                    Kate Golding

                    Kate Neal

                    Kate Ryan

                    Katerina Stathis

                    Katja Nedoluha

                    Katy Maudlin

                    Katy McKeown

                    Kay Campbell

                    Kenji Fujimura

                    Khalida De Ridder

                    Kimia Hendi

                    Kristian Chong

                    Kylie Stillman

                    Kyran Daniel

                    Lana de Jager

                    Lana Thymianidis

                    Laura Delaney

                    ​Laurence Watts

                    Leah Filley

                    Lee-Ann Joy

                    Leslie Gurusinghe

                    Liana Skrzypczak

                    Lili Wilkinson

                    Linda Studena

                    Lisa Stewart

                    Liz Landray

                    Lorraine Meinke

                    Louisa Bufardeci

                    Louisa Minutillo

                    Louise Swinn

                    Lucie McMahon

                    Luke Elliot

                    Madeleine Flynn

                    Madeline Bishop

                    Mark Pritchard

                    Mary Mihelakos

                    Matthew Bon

                    Max Cahill

                    Meghan Bourke

                    Michael Blackman

                    Michele Lee

                    Michelle Scott Tucker

                    Mike McLeish

                    Mish Grigor

                    Mitch Jones

                    Morgaine Anastasia (preferred name) La Fey

                    Nicholas Colla

                    Nick Cooper

                    Nick Pages-Oliver

                    Nina Bahoudian

                    Olivia Poloni

                    Pablo Murdoch Alvarado

                    Phaedra Gunn

                    Pip Grummet

                    Rani Pramesti

                    Rick Bridgman

                    Romi Kupfer

                    Ronny Ferella

                    Roslyn Oades

                    Ross Taylor

                    Rukmal De Silva

                    Sal Cooper

                    Sara Glaidous

                    Sarah Austin

                    Sarah Greentree

                    Sarah Neal

                    Sasha Leong

                    Siahn Davis

                    Simon Hughes

                    Simon Spain

                    Simone Flanagan

                    Sophia Constantine

                    Stephen Phillips

                    Steven Mitchell Wright

                    Sue Gore

                    Suhasini Seelin

                    Susan Kukucka

                    Suzanne Chaundy

                    Tara Daniel

                    Tim Dalton

                    Tobias Willis

                    Tom Pritchard

                    Vivian Cooper Smith

                    Wayne Coles-Janess

                    Yitzhak Yedid

                    Yu Fang Chi

                    Yuhui Ng-Rodriguez

                    Business funding program

                    Alvaro Maz

                    Anthony Lam

                    Barry Barber

                    Ben Neil

                    Carlos Schäfer

                    Charlie Owen

                    Cheree Hunter

                    Christian Robertson

                    Dan Cimpoesu

                    Denise Hall

                    Eugene Cheng

                    Fiona Sweetman

                    Francesca O'Brien

                    Garry Williams

                    Gavin Ballard

                    Heidi Braithwaite

                    Hiren Savjiyani

                    Ian Dennis

                    Jane McAlear

                    Jaxon Hickey

                    Jay Sutaria

                    Jennifer Odgers

                    Jennifer Scott

                    Jeremy Horey

                    Joss (Joycelyn) Evans

                    Kate Dinon

                    Katya Ellis

                    Kay Campbell

                    Kirsty Grimwade

                    Liam McFadden

                    Madalen Ross

                    Marcus Powe

                    Marilyne Crestias

                    Martin Bailey

                    Nelly Shaw

                    Nick Cooper

                    Ninna Larsen

                    Pablo Murdoch Alvarado

                    Paul Pellegrino

                    Peter Topping

                    Richard Milne

                    Roberto Pietro Giovanni Daniele

                    Sheree Ramage

                    Simone Flanagan

                    Sophie Krantz

                    Sue Gore

                    Suhasini Seelin

                    Tony De Stefano

                    William Kong

                    Community grants​

                    Alvaro Maz

                    Andrea Johannessen

                    Bec Carey-Grieve

                    Bernadette Khoury

                    Cheree Hunter

                    Chiara Grassia

                    Chris Reidy

                    Elvis Martin

                    Francesca O'Brien

                    Garry Williams

                    Hannah Meyer

                    James Barclay

                    James Fowler

                    Janet Liu

                    Jennifer Odgers

                    Jeremy Horey

                    Jessica Little

                    Jez Hunghanfoo

                    John Kuot

                    Kimberley Reynolds

                    ​Linda Studena

                    Liz Landray

                    Mimi Taye

                    Miriam Suss

                    Mochekoe Steve Rametse

                    Nevena Spirovska

                    Peta Christensen

                    Ross Couper-Johnston

                    Sam Elkin

                    Sandy Bell

                    Tony Fisher



                    Success stories

                    Forklift

                    Kage, a dance theatre performance group formed in 1997, received an arts grant to present Forklift at the Arts Centre forecourt in February 2014.

                    Re-imagining the possibilities of machinery into a playful and dangerous sphere, this performance matched the lightness of limbs with hard edges and heavy metal. Lyrical, intimate and dangerous, this breathtaking performance combined choreography, contortion and aerial acrobatics on, and around, a working 2.5 tonne forklift. The grant from City of Melbourne enabled Kage to present yet another memorable and thought provoking performance.

                    Good Cycles

                    Good Cycles operates teams of mobile bicycle mechanics across Melbourne. Their professional bike doctors service bikes and teach basic maintenance skills at offices, universities, events, public spaces and on bike paths. Good Cycles is a non-profit social enterprise, providing ongoing work opportunities and direct support for people experiencing long-term unemployment and disadvantage.

                    Good Cycles received a social enterprise and micro business grant which was used to assist with the development of a website; purchase of bicycles, tools and uniforms for staff; and a laptop.

                    Open House Melbourne

                    Open House Melbourne is a not-for-profit association that runs annual events which provide the general public with a free and rare opportunity to discover a hidden wealth of architectural, engineering and historic buildings nestled around the city.

                    With the help of the City of Melbourne’s event partnership program , the program has grown from eight open buildings since its inception in 2008 to 100 buildings in 2012, spanning nine precincts.

                    Scarf

                    Not-for-profit social enterprise Scarf trains young people in front-of-house service, giving them the skills and connections they need to find jobs in the industry. In the last two-and-a-half years, Scarf has recruited and trained more than 40 young people. A community grant has helped to support its operations.

                    The Long Pigs

                    Premiering in March 2014, The Long Pigs was presented by new contemporary theatrical company We3 with the help of an arts grant. A profound, stylistically and visually arresting performance rooted in physical and black comedy, this performance was devised and performed by leading Australian theatre artists Clare Bartholomew, Derek Ives and Nicci Wilks.

                    Vision Australia

                    Vision Australia is a not-for-profit organisation which provides blindness and low vision services. Vision Australia’s warehousing and logistics division received a social enterprise and micro business grant from the City of Melbourne to support around 40 people with internships and training.

                    The grant from City of Melbourne made it possible to expand the business and support more interns.

                    See more:

                    Did you know?
                    When applying for a grant, be wary of cold-callers or websites that charge for grant-related services – this assistance is available for free. Visit the ACCC for tips on how to protect your business or project.
                      Was this page helpful?

                      If you'd like to give more feedback or ask a question, please contact us.