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?
Grants closing in January 2026
Grants closing in February 2026
Grants closing in March 2026
Grants closing April through to June 2026
More grant opportunities
Awards, Scholarships and more
Where to find grants
Grants closing in January 2026
Support at Home Program – Thin Markets (rural remote and specialised) 2025-26 (Round 2S) provides flexible funding to support service delivery for Support at Home providers operating in thin markets – a market where there is a gap between the aged care needs of older people and services available – Closes 14 January 2026
Aquaculture Industry Development Program NSW provides funding to support the regional aquaculture and commercial fishing industries in NSW – Closes 18 January 2026
Supporting Fresh Produce Suppliers – Food and Grocery Code Education Program provides funding to fresh produce industry associations to develop and deliver training, nationally, to fresh produce suppliers (particularly smaller suppliers) to assist them to understand and enforce their rights under the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct (the Code) and build their capacity to negotiate with large grocery businesses and achieve more favourable commercial outcomes – Closes 23 January 2026
The Agriculture Industries Innovation and Growth Program supports the NSW agriculture sector by increasing the uptake of new innovative technology and equipment that will enable access to new export opportunities, improve supply chain productivity, and achieve lower emissions – Closes 23 January 2026.
The Hatch: Taronga Accelerator Program, supported by LG, is designed to help ecopreneurs take their idea from vision to reality and supports not-for-profit, startup or social enterprise founders with a venture that will drive positive change for wildlife, biodiversity and the environment – Closes 26 January 2026
Kickstarter Program is awarding Kickstarter Vouchers to small-medium size businesses and start-ups to work with university researchers to provide innovative solutions to industry problems and to progress product development. Funding rounds will continue until fully allocated – Closes last Friday of each month
Grants closing in February 2026
Venue Upgrade Grants – Advanced Screen and Lighting Technology NSW program provides funding to NSW live music venues to help them with the costs of advanced screen and lighting technologies – Closes 2 February 2026
Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program – Batch 2
The objective of the program is to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australia’s service personnel who served in wars, conflicts and peace operations, including National Service personnel, and their families – Closes 5 February 2026
Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) First Nations – Delivery Grant Opportunity – Round 3 support eligible organisations to co-design and deliver English LLND skills training to First Nations people – Closes 9 February 2026
Arts Business: First Nations Development Fund – 2026 provides funding to support First Nations individuals and micro-organisations working in any artform and creative business to build sustainable business practices and support economic and capacity-building development opportunities – Closes 9 February 2026
Venue Upgrade Grants – Infrastructure and Equipment NSW program provides funding to NSW live music venues to help them with the costs of infrastructure and equipment – Closes 9 February 2026
National Intelligence Postdoctoral Grants sponsors unclassified academic research designed to achieve Australian Government objectives for research and innovation in national intelligence and security – Closes 13 February 2026
Art Music Fund – 2026 supports innovative new works by Australian and New Zealand art music composers, created in recognition of the limited opportunities for art music composers to have new works performed – Closes16 February 2026
Community Energy Activation Program (CEAP) is a $5 million competitive grant initiative supporting NSW community energy organisations and eligible not-for-profit organisations to help their local community take control of their energy use and costs – Closes 16 February 2026
Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship Round 5 supports investment in gender equity initiatives that aim for lasting systemic change by eliminating barriers for women’s participation in STEM education and careers and entrepreneurship – Closes 18 February 2026
Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Grant – 2025/2026 – Round 2 supports Aboriginal people through the creation of training and employment opportunities – Closes 28 February 2026
Amount: $500 to $40,000
Run By: NSW Government Department of Education
Kickstarter Program is awarding Kickstarter Vouchers to small-medium size businesses and start-ups to work with university researchers to provide innovative solutions to industry problems and to progress product development. Funding rounds will continue until fully allocated – Closes last Friday of each month
This section is being updated. Please revisit this section again soon.
Grants closing in March 2026
Emerging Gamemakers Fund – 2026 – Round 1 offer flexible support to emerging independent games practitioners as well as established gamemakers in the creation of a prototype or the completion and release of a micro-scale game – Closes 5 March 2026
Games Production Fund – 2026 – Round 1 offers flexible support to Australian independent gamemakers and games studios for projects that already have an early-stage prototype – Closes 5 March 2026
Graphite Research and Development Grant provides support for businesses to collaborate with CSIRO on innovative R&D projects, driving the development of cutting-edge technologies and processes essential for natural and synthetic graphite production, especially for battery applications – Closes 30 March 2026
Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) Grant Program NSW program provides funding to support the installation of solar panels on eligible apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings in NSW – Closes 30 March 2026
Aboriginal Affairs NSW Cultural Grants Program program provides funding to Aboriginal community organisations across NSW to celebrate Aboriginal culture and hold key cultural events and activities – Closes 31 March 2026
Submetering Grants NSW program provides funding to NSW businesses to help them install and commission permanent energy submeters – Closes 31 March 2026
Heat Pump Feasibility Grant NSW program provides funding to NSW businesses to help them determine whether a heat pump is a feasible option for their site – Closes 31 March 2026
Energy Performance Services Grant NSW program provides funding to NSW businesses with submetering hardware in place to help them analyse their energy usage patterns – Closes 31 March 2026
Kickstarter Program is awarding Kickstarter Vouchers to small-medium size businesses and start-ups to work with university researchers to provide innovative solutions to industry problems and to progress product development. Funding rounds will continue until fully allocated – Closes last Friday of each month
This section is being updated. Please revisit this section again soon.
Grants closing April 2026 through to June 2026
IP in Motion Fund provides reimbursements towards screen and digital games producers’ cost to option original intellectual property (IP) from NSW-based creators – Closes 2 April 2026
MVP Ventures Program – Round 3 supports businesses to bring innovative products to market, and attract and keep commercialisation activities in NSW – Closes 5 April 2026
Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund NSW provides funding for established large-scale contemporary music festivals in NSW – Closes 30 April 2026
Metering Plan Implementation Grants NSW program provides funding to cover up to 50% of the costs of installing an energy metering and monitoring system – Closes 30 April 2026
DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream 2025 to 2028 provides funding towards the purchase and/or installation of eligible fixed and portable DC EV chargers to dealerships and EV repairers on their sites – Closes 30 April 2026
Journalism Assistance Fund helping the sustainability of Australian news publishers by providing a proportion of the wages for journalists producing core news content that is distributed digitally – Closes 30 April 2026
Strategic Opportunities Program NSW provides funding to build capacity within the NSW screen and digital games industry – Closes 29 May 2026
Business Event Bid Fund is designed to deliver conversion of new business where Australia is bidding against international competitors for the right to host the business event – Supports bids where a decision is made by 26 June 2026
SafeWork NSW small business rebate can assist with the purchase of eligible safety items to make the workplace safer, including managing or eliminating hazards and risks that may cause serious injury, illness or death at work. For small business owners, sole traders and charities and not-for-profits can apply – Ongoing
National Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses (2025-26) provides up to $150 to help eligible small businesses with the cost of their electricity bills in the 2025-26 financial year – Closes 30 June 2026
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
Regional Filming Fund 2025-26 provides funding to offset costs associated with shooting in regional areas of NSW – Closes 30 June 2026
This section is being updated. Please revisit this section again soon.
More grant opportunities
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 offers rebates of up to $50,000 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
Joint Procurement Funded Support – Stream 2 provides tailored advice and assistance to councils and groups of councils to undertake joint procurement of waste management service(s) or waste infrastructure (plan phase) – 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
Boating Infrastructure Emergency Repair Pool NSW
This program provides organisations with between $5,000 and $300,000 funding to help with the costs of repairing, replacing, or improving public boating infrastructure damaged by natural disasters or severe weather events – Closes 30 June 2028
Upgrade your business equipment and system processes
Access a range of energy savings for your business by upgrading existing appliances and equipment or purchasing new ones – Ongoing
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
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
Tertiary Access Payment Program Guidelines 2025-2027
The Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) is a non-indexed, means-tested payment to school-leavers from regional or remote areas who need to relocate for full-time, higher-level tertiary education (Certificate IV and above) at an education provider located at least 90 minutes by public transport from their family home – 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
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
2026 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards
Celebrating the validity and cultural diversity of contemporary Indigenous artistic expression in all its forms – Closes 23 February 2026
Ethnic Business Awards Recognises the outstanding accomplishments of Migrant and Indigenous entrepreneurs – Closes (date not advised)
Tertiary Access Payment
A payment to help students with the cost of moving from regional or remote areas for tertiary study – Ongoing
Commonwealth Prac Payment (Vocational Education and Training) Program
The Commonwealth Prac Payment – Vocational Education and Training (CPP (VET)) grant will assist eligible students to manage the costs associated with undertaking a mandatory practicum placement as part of a Diploma of Nursing qualification – Ongoing
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) – Ongoing
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
Creative Australia
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
