Grants and Opportunities
RDA Northern Rivers seeks to support the Northern Rivers business community by featuring available grants and opportunities for the benefit of our local economy and community. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the grants that are available, instead it is a list of featured grants, primarily for organisations.
There are many more grants available and we have provided some useful links below to help you find them. RDA Northern Rivers can support your application through access to regional data, application assistance and support letters.
Need some guidance to help write your application? RDA Northern Rivers Successful Grant Writing Toolkit provides a step by step guide to help you write winning grants.
RDA Sydney are host to two grant writing webinars that provide more insight into the grant writing process. You can access the recording of the first webinar here and download documents from both webinars on the Successful Grant Writing Toolkit page.
What’s on this page?
COVID-19 Grants and Support
Grants closing January 2025
Grants closing in February 2025
Grants closing in March 2025
More grant opportunities
Awards, Scholarships and more
Where to find grants
COVID-19 Grants and Support
The NSW Government has a range of financial support available for businesses and industries affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. Information is available from the NSW Government website.
A complete list of grants, loans and financial assistance available to NSW businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is available on the Service NSW website.
Workplace Legal Advice Program
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Workplace Legal Advice Program provides eligible employers and employees with independent legal help to deal with workplace issues arising from the coronavirus outbreak.
Grants closing in January 2025
Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 – National Disability Conference Initiative 2025–26
This grant opportunity provides grants to conference organisers to assist people with disability to participate in nationally focused, disability-related, conferences held in Australia – Closes 28 January 2025
Youth Empowerment Program
The Youth Empowerment Program will provide funding to organisations for programs for youth aged 10 to 17 who are engaged in, or at-risk of becoming engaged in, criminal and/or anti-social behaviour – Closes 28 January 2025
Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 – National Disability Conference Initiative 2025–26
Funding for conference organisers to assist people with disability to participate in nationally focused, disability-related, conferences held in Australia – Closes 28 January 2025
Growing and Professionalising the Cyber Security Industry Program
This grant program will provide $1.9 million in funding to design, promote and pilot a professionalisation scheme for Australia’s cyber security workforce – Closes 29 January 2025
NSW Heritage Grants
Heritage funding is available across 4 categories: Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, Activating State Heritage, Caring for State Heritage and Local Government Heritage – Closes 30 January 2025
Housing Australia Future Fund Facility and National Housing Accord Facility Round 2
Funding to support the delivery of new social and affordable homes to support acute housing needs – Closes 31 January 2025
Medicare Mental Health Centres centralised tele-psychology and tele-psychiatry service
This grant seeks to establish and operate a centralised tele-psychology and tele-psychiatry service (the Centralised Service) by creating a pool of clinical psychologists and psychiatrists to support the clinical capacity of Medicare Mental Health Centres as part of a multidisciplinary team – Closes 31 January 2025
NRMA Community Cricket Grants
Grants of up to $5,000 for community cricket clubs – Closes 31 January 2025
Local Para Champions
The Local Para Champions program provides financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors aged 12-24 participating in state, national or international championships for athletes with a disability – Closes 31 January 2025
Grants closing in February 2025
Emily’s Wish Foundation 2025 Grants
Supporting influential charities and non-profit organisations that have a profound local and global impact – Closes 1 February 2025
Care Leavers, Stolen Generations and First Nations Forgotten Australians Aged Care Awareness and Education Campaign
This grant opportunity will provide up to $2,000,000.00 (GST exclusive) over four financial years from 2024-25 to 2027-28 across two funding streams to develop and deliver awareness and education campaigns about Care Leavers, Stolen Generations survivors and First Nations Forgotten Australians to aged care providers – Closes 3 February 2025
Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program
The program is designed to provide funding for projects that promote appreciation and understanding of the experiences of service and the roles that those who served have played, and to preserve, add to the sum knowledge on, or provide access to information about Australia’s wartime heritage – Closes 5 February 2025
Paid Employment Pathways Package – WorkFoundations
The WorkFoundations grant opportunity aims to fund social enterprises and businesses that can provide tailored, paid employment placements with integrated wrap-around services for job seekers facing challenging barriers to employment – Closes 11 February 2025
Visions of Australia – Round 20
The Visions of Australia Program provides funding to support the development and touring of quality exhibitions around Australia by Australian arts and cultural organisations – Closes 14 February 2025
Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program (ACDGP) 2024-25 Round
The ACDGP supports international projects that tell Australian stories, amplify First Nations voices, deepen bilateral partnerships and build cultural understanding and connections overseas – Closes 17 February 2025
Regional Economic Development and Community Investment Program
The Regional Economic Development and Community Investment Program is open to initiatives that promote regional economic development and support employment creation and retention – Closes 20 February 2025
Strong and Resilient Communities Activity – Inclusive Communities Round 4 Grants
Strong and Resilient Communities Activity – Inclusive Communities grants will support the social and economic participation of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in their communities by providing funding that supports young people, people with disability, women and people who are unemployed – Closes 20 February 2025
2025 NAIDOC Local Grants Opportunity
This grant opportunity provides funding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to contribute to the costs of local and regional NAIDOC Week activities across Australia – Closes 20 February 2025
Supporting People with Cancer Round 16
Supporting People with Cancer is an annual grant program that funds projects aimed at reducing the impact of cancer and providing better support for people affected by cancer – Closes 20 February 2025
Community Building Partnership 2025
This program awards grants for community infrastructure projects that deliver positive social, environmental and recreational outcomes while also promoting community participation, inclusion and cohesion – Closes 21 February 2025
First Nations Heritage Grants – Round 2
Round 2 of the First Nations Heritage Grants program provides funding for projects that are aimed at identifying new Indigenous heritage values and preparing submissions for the addition of Indigenous heritage values to existing World Heritage and National Heritage-listed places, and increasing protection and improving management of World Heritage and National Heritage-listed places with Indigenous heritage values – Closes 21 February 2025
National Intelligence Postdoctoral Grants
The National Intelligence Postdoctoral Grant (NIPG) program sponsors unclassified academic research designed to achieve Australian Government objectives for research and innovation in national intelligence and security – Closes 21 February 2025
Native Title Anthropologist Grant Program 2025-2028
The program seeks to increase native title anthropology capacity by supporting anthropologists planning to work or already working in the native title system – Closes 25 February 2025
Support At Home and new Aged Care Act Transition Support 2024-2025
This grant opportunity will be open to Home Care Packages Program and Commonwealth Home Support Programme providers, providing one-off funding of $10,000 in the 2024-25 financial year towards the cost of IT system upgrades to meet the obligations under SaH, the CHSP and the Aged Care Act 2024 – Closes 25 February 2025
Critical Technologies Challenge Program Round 2
This program provides consortia with funding to develop quantum technology solutions or a component(s) that contributes to a solution for market-led challenges of national significance – Closes 26 February 2025
MVP (Minimal Viable Product) Ventures 2024-2025
The MVP Ventures Program supports startups and innovative SMEs in the product lifecycle between early-stage research and mature investment opportunities, through grants to drive the commercialisation of highly innovative and new products – Closes 28 February 2025
Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) First Nations – Delivery Grant Opportunity – Round 2
The SEE Program includes two distinct but complementary streams to support LLND skills training in metropolitan, regional, and remote areas – Closes 28 February 2025
2025 Strategic Policy Grants Program
This grant opportunity is part of the Strategic Policy Grants Program, which supports strategic policy research relevant to the Department of Defence’s purpose, mission and priorities – Closes 28 February 2025
Abandoned Company Liquidator Panel
This grant opportunity is part of the Assetless Administration Fund which contributes to ASIC’s outcomes of establishing a panel of suitably qualified and experienced registered liquidators to perform the services of winding up a company where ASIC considers it is likely to assist employees to access their unpaid employee entitlements under the FEG Act – Closes 28 February 2025
Grants closing in March 2025
Arts Projects for Organisations
Creative Australia’s Arts Project for Organisations funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences and communities – Closes 4 March 2025
Addressing Critical Psychology Shortages – Postgraduate Psychology Incentive Program – Round 2
The Postgraduate Psychology Incentive Program aims to support higher education providers who have created additional postgraduate psychology places in courses which lead to general registration and can lead to relevant areas of practice endorsement – Closes 11 March 2025
Documentary Producer Program
The Producer Program supports the production and completion of one-off documentaries and series for distribution across broadcast, festival, theatrical, digital, XR and online platforms – Closes 13 March 2025
Strengthening Rural Communities – Small and Vital
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) – Closes 27 March 2025
Strengthening Rural Communities – Prepare and Recover
The Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) Prepare & Recover program supports communities in remote, rural and regional communities across Australia to implement initiatives that prevent and prepare for future climate related impacts, or recover from existing disasters in the medium to long-term timeframe, generally one to ten years after the disaster – Closes 27 March 2025
News Media Relief Program
The News Media Relief Program (the program) will support the sustainability of Australian news publishers in the face of significant disruption to the media sector – Closes 31 March 2025
More grant opportunities
‘Lights on Door Open’ Stipend Program
The ‘Lights on Door Open’ stipend program aims to support eligible organisations, reduce the burden of constant fundraising, and allow them to focus on collections, maintenance, and best practices – Closes when all funds ($226,000) expended
On Farm Connectivity Program Round 2
The objectives of the program are to extend digital connectivity and take advantage of advanced farm tech, enhance primary producers’ capacity to take up digital agriculture solutions and support access to new communications equipment – Closes 30 April 2024
Mobile Black Spot Program Round 8
The Mobile Black Spot Program is an Australian Government initiative that invests in telecommunications infrastructure to improve mobile coverage and competition across Australia – Closes 30 April 2024
Creative Australia Arts Project Grants
This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences and communities – Closes 4 March 2025 for projects beginning after 1 June 2025
Electric Vehicle Fleets Incentive – Kick Start
This fixed incentive funding option of the electric vehicle fleets incentive is designed to support eligible organisations to test electric vehicles in the early stage of their fleet transition and has a streamlined option for smaller fleets – Closes 30 June 2025 or when funds are exhausted
Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Grants
Promoting diversity, innovation and service responsiveness in the NSW workforce, the Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Grant subsidises the salary, development and support costs of Aboriginal employees in public service agencies and local government authorities – Closes 30 June 2025
Regional Filming Fund
The Regional Filming Fund offsets costs associated with shooting in regional areas of NSW. Regional NSW is defined as all areas in NSW outside the Sydney Metro area – Closes 30 June 2025
Screen NSW Development Program
Screen NSW Development funding supports writers and producers to develop fiction or unscripted (documentary) and online projects with distinctive ideas and ambitious stories – Closes 30 June 2025
Cancer Patient Care Program
The Cancer Patient Support Program will support, one-off, time-limited activities that provide national leadership on emerging priorities across the cancer control continuum – Closes 1 August 2025
Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program – Phase 4
Funding under Phase 4 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program is available from 1 July 2023 to support Eligible Funding Recipients to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across Australia – Closes 30 June 2026
Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment
Funding to support a wage increase for all eligible ECEC workers – Closes 30 September 2026
Regional Australia Microgrids Pilot Program
In October 2020, the Australian Government announced the $50 million Regional Australia Microgrid Pilots Program (RAMPP) to support pilot demonstrations of microgrids in regional and remote areas – Closes 31 December 2026
Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) Rebate Program Round 2
The objective of the Program is to incentivise voluntary uptake of ADS-B equipment in Australian-registered aircraft operating under Visual Flight Rules and Instrument Flight Rules to improve safety and efficiency for Australian airspace users – Closes 31 May 2027
Bin Trim Equipment Rebates Program
Rebates up to $50,000 are being offered to cover up to 50% of the cost of small-scale, on-site equipment or technology that avoids, reduces, reuses, or recycles waste – Closes 30 June 2027
DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream
The objective of the grant opportunity is to provide co-funding for dealerships and repairers to install EV chargers – Closes 30 April 2028
Lights on Doors Open stipend program to support volunteer-led museums and galleries
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 – Closes when funds are exhausted
Export Market Development Grants – Round 4, Tiers 1, 2 and 3
The Export Market Development Grants program provides matched funding to eligible Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and representative bodies at different points in their export journey – Ongoing
Export Market Development Grants – Round 4, Representative bodies
The Export Market Development Grants program provides matched funding to eligible Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and representative bodies at different points in their export journey – Ongoing
National Cultural Heritage Account
The National Cultural Heritage Account helps to retain and protect Australia’s cultural heritage for future generations and provide public access to important objects that tell a story about our cultural identity – Ongoing
Resource Recovery Community Grants
Ballina Shire Council’s Resource Recovery Community Grant program provides financial assistance to encourage and assist individuals, organisations, and community groups in the implementation of waste minimisation and resource recovery for the benefit of our community – Ongoing
Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) First Nations – Scoping Grant Opportunity Guidelines
SEE First Nations is locally tailored, whole of community LLND skills training delivery to First Nations people through place-based grants – Ongoing
ECEC Workforce Professional Development and Paid Practicum
These grants are being made available to the Early Childhood Education and Care workforce to assist with educator retention and upskilling – Ongoing
Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Exports Stream
The objective of the program is to build the industrial base Australia needs to achieve Defence outcomes in areas of strategic priority – Ongoing
Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Sovereign Industrial Priorities Stream
The objective of the program is to build the industrial base Australia needs to achieve Defence outcomes in areas of strategic priority – Ongoing
Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Skilling Stream
The objective of the program is to build the industrial base Australia needs to achieve Defence outcomes in areas of strategic priority – Ongoing
Defence Industry Development Grants Program – Security Stream
The objective of the program is to build the industrial base Australia needs to achieve Defence outcomes in areas of strategic priority – Ongoing
Industry Growth Program: Commercialisation and Growth
Participants in the Industry Growth Program Advisory Service may apply for Commonwealth grant funding to support specific commercialisation and/or growth projects – Ongoing
Industry Growth Program: Early-Stage Commercialisation
The objective of the early-stage commercialisation grants is to help businesses to undertake the steps necessary to establish the commercialise viability of an innovative product, process or service, including steps to undertake feasibility and proof-of-concept through to prototyping – Ongoing
Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program: Precinct Development and Planning
The program will focus on a partnership approach, bringing together governments and communities to plan and deliver regional precincts that are tailored to local needs and have a shared vision in how the precinct connects to the region – Ongoing
Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program: Precinct Delivery
This program will bring together governments and communities to plan and deliver regional precincts that are tailored to local needs and have a shared vision in how that precinct connects to the region – Ongoing
Workforce Incentives Program (WIP) – Doctors Stream
The WIP – Doctor Stream provides medical practitioners with financial incentives to practice in rural and remote areas of Australia – Ongoing
Safework Small Business Rebate
A rebate provided through Safework NSW to support small businesses to purchase safety items to improve work health and safety – Ongoing
Producer Offset – Screen Australia
The Producer Offset is a refundable tax offset (rebate) for producers of Australian feature films, television and other projects – Ongoing
Made in NSW
Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Program is a five-year funding program to support the advancement of NSW as a production destination for feature films and major television drama programs – Ongoing
Return to Work – Phase 3
The Return to Work Program is for women who have been unemployed for one month or more and intend to return to work as an employee within 6 months – Ongoing
Advancing Renewables Program
Supports a broad range of development, demonstration and pre-commercial deployment projects that can deliver affordable and reliable renewable energy for Australian families and businesses – Ongoing
Screen NSW Development Program
Screen NSW Development funding supports writers, directors and producers to develop fiction or unscripted (documentary) and online projects with distinctive ideas and ambitious stories – Ongoing
Airservices Australia Enroute Charges Payment Scheme
The Airservices Australia Enroute Charges Payment Scheme (program) commenced on 1 January 2002 and was introduced against the background of the collapse of Ansett on September 12, 2001 to assist in ensuring the continuation of air services to regional Australia – Ongoing
Bridges Renewal Program and Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program
The Bridges Renewal Program (BRP) and the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program (HVSPP) are complementary programs designed to provide funding to State, Territory and Local Governments for projects which will upgrade and replace bridges to enhance access for local communities and facilitate higher productivity vehicle access (BRP) and increase the productivity and safety of heavy vehicle operations (HVSPP) – Ongoing
Employer Incentives for Apprentices
The Australian Government offers a range of incentives to employers who hire apprentices, ranging from additional support for identified skill shortages, adult Australian apprentices, Australian apprentices with a disability and wage subsidies – Ongoing
Indigenous Travel Grants
The Travel Grants program is designed to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmakers in travelling to key international and Australian events. Professional development is a key objective – Applications can generally be made at any time at least five weeks before the event
NSW Heritage Emergency Works Grant
These grants support the protection or repairs to declared Aboriginal Places, items listed on the State Heritage Register, or items with a current interim heritage order that have been damaged by unexpected events (such as an extreme storm or accident) and where your insurance does not cover this cost – Ongoing
Regional Event Fund – Event Development Stream
The Event Development stream supports the strategic growth of proven events that demonstrate a clear rationale for the continued development of its tourism potential – Ongoing
Support for Startups
An initiative under the NSW Government’s Jobs for NSW program to provides capital funding through investment to support growing businesses – Ongoing
Awards, scholarships and opportunities
Young Achiever Awards
Acknowledges, encourages and promotes the positive achievements of all young people aged 30 years and under – Closes 15 January 2025
Nuclear-Powered Submarines Technical Scholarships
Announced as part of the 2024-25 Defence Budget initiatives the Nuclear-Powered Submarines Technical Scholarships grant opportunity will fund one eligible applicant to co-design and manage a national scholarship program which will provide 3,000 two-year stipend scholarships of $5,000 each to domestic students undertaking undergraduate degrees in priority science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) study areas at Australian Universities – Closes 7 February 2025
Australian Small Business Champion Awards
These awards recognise small businesses in Australia within the retail, service and manufacturing industries – Closes 10 February 2025
2025 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA)
Open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, Telstra NATSIAA is a non-acquisitive award that is free to enter and encourages artists to submit an artwork of their choice in one of the Award Categories – Closes 2 March 2025
The National Trust Heritage Awards
The National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards is an annual celebration of outstanding practice in the field of heritage – Closes 5 March 2025
General Jeffery Soil Health Award
The 2025 General Jeffery Soil Health Award recognises the work of people who care for soil health and who are educating or inspiring others – Closes 31 March 2025
Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships
The Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships Program aims to promote equality of opportunity in higher education, through increasing access to, and participation of, up to 600 employed women to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) – Onoing
Where To Find Grants
Government Grants
Australian Government
Grants & Programs is the assistance portal on the Australian Government’s business.gov.au site. The search feature provides access to over 600 grants that support business, local government and community. It includes incentives for research and development, support for small businesses, tax and duty concessions, and assistance for industries in transition.
GrantConnect provides centralised publication of forecast and current Australian Government grants and opportunities and grants awarded
Community Grants Hub is the Australian Government’s site for community-related grants. This can include grants for health, agriculture and landcare. Other sources of Australian Government grants
Department of Social Services
Department of Environment and Energy
Australia Council for the Arts
Screen Australia
Community Grants Hub
NSW Government
The NSW Business Grants support small businesses to hire new employees and expand their business.
Community Builders NSW is a program which provides funding for a range of services to strengthen communities and build their capacity and is provided by NSW Family and Community Services.
Other sources of NSW Government grants
Screen NSW
Create NSW
Arts NSW
Smarty Grants
Club Grants
Museums & Galleries NSW
Northern Rivers Regional Councils
Funding for a range of community projects is available through Northern Rivers local councils. Information about community funding programs can be found on council websites.
Ballina Shire Council
Byron Shire Council
Clarence Valley Council
Lismore City Council
Richmond Valley Council
Tweed Shire Council
Kyogle Council
Other Grant Opportunities
Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal
Australian Communities Foundation
Club Grants
Northern Rivers Community Foundation
Community Broadcasting Foundation
