Grants and Funding

Eligible community groups are being invited to apply for a new funding round to support ongoing recovery and build resilience and preparedness for future disaster events.

Funding of between $2,000 and $15,000 will be available for community development and capacity building projects and activities, which must be completed by 30 May 2022. The projects and activities can either support ongoing recovery needs in a community, or they may improve the capacity and capability of community members to respond to future disasters. The funding may also be used to purchase items of equipment required to deliver these projects and activities. 

To be eligible, organisations must meet specific entity criteria and have an Australian Business Number.

The project or activity must also be delivered within the MidCoast local government area. 

This is a bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience project provided through the joint Commonwealth and State Governments Disaster Recovery funding arrangements and administered by Resilience NSW.    

Round 1 of the Disaster Recovery Grant Program delivered activities such as purchasing defibrillators and first aid equipment for communities/community halls, construction of storage sheds for housing materials for community gardens, running resilience workshops for young people, replacement of damaged equipment after floods, purchasing water tanks for community halls and a purchase of a drone to assist the Rural Fire Service.

To find out further information about grants, discuss your eligibility or your proposed project, please call our Disaster Recovery Grants Officer on 02 7955 7941.

Application period

Applications have now closed. Successful applicants will be advised in the near future.

Community groups play a vital role in strengthening our local communities. Whether it’s by bringing people together, improving local facilities, providing training and skill development, or something else altogether, you may be eligible to apply for funding through our Community Donations program.

1) Annual Donations Program

The purpose of the Annual Donations Program is to provide eligible organisations with a one-off donation to deliver community development and capacity-building projects and activities or to purchase small items of equipment required to deliver community development and capacity-building projects and activities.

Eligible organisations may apply for a donation of up to $2,000 and may only be granted one donation under this program per funding round.

The funding round for Annual Donations and Seed Funding closed on 9 April 2021.

2) Seed Funding Program

The purpose of the Seed Funding Program is to provide eligible organisations with fixed-term seed funding to establish self-sustaining activities, or to build provider capacity to be self-sustaining.

Eligible organisations may apply for up to $10,000 in funding over a term of up to two years, and may only be granted one allocation of funding under this program in any two-year period.

The funding round for Annual Donations and Seed Funding closed on 9 April 2021.

3) Small Donations Funding

The purpose of the Small Donations Funding is to provide eligible organisations with a small donation to assist in the delivery of minor community capacity-building and development projects and activities, or to purchase minor items of equipment required to deliver community development and capacity-building projects and activities.

Eligible organisations may apply for a donation of up to $150, and may only be granted one donation under this program per financial year.

Applications under this program will be accepted at any time – there is no fixed application period for this funding.

Applications must be submitted online using the application form.

Apply for Small Donations funding here.

4) Recurrent Donations Program (Rates and Fixed)

The purpose of the Recurrent Donations Program is to provide eligible organisations with rates subsidies and/or recurrent donations to deliver core business that primarily aligns with and furthers delivery of the service functions of Council, and/or to provide essential community services.

Applications under this program will be accepted at any time – there is no fixed application period for this funding.

Applications must be submitted online using the application form.

Apply for the Recurrent Donations Program here.

Not only do local events connect our vibrant communities, they help put us on the map, attracting visitors and building our economy.

From art shows and music festivals, to sporting events, food, fashion and everything in between, our events are a celebration of what the MidCoast is all about.

Depending on the scale of your event, three categories of funding are offered in the sponsorship program:

• Community and Local Events: Up to $2,500
• Events and Festivals: up to $10,000
• Regionally Significant: $10,000

Please note that all applicants are required to submit an event budget using our event budget template(DOCX, 66KB). This should be downloaded, completed and attached to your application form. 

Need help deciding which category your event falls into? We have prepared Event Sponsorship Guidelines(PDF, 156KB) to assist you in completing the application form by providing some examples of the type of information you could include in order to address the selection criteria relevant to your event

Applications for Events and Festivals Round 2 have closed. Organisers of 'Regionally Significant Events' should contact our events team prior to application.

Funding dates

Preserving our region’s heritage and breathing new life into buildings and places from our past is a great way to enhance the character and charm our local communities are known for.

Your heritage place may need a coat of paint, restoration of its decorative features, stone or brick facade work, roof restorations, window repair or replacement, or fencing reflective of its era.

As custodians of an important part of our region’s history, you may be eligible to apply for up to $2,000 to help restore your heritage place back to its former glory.

Funding must be at least 50% of the total project cost. In some exceptional cases applicants may apply for up to $5,000.

Eligibility criteria extended

As well as applicants who own heritage-listed properties, this year the Local Heritage Fund is available to owners of properties within the 14 heritage conservations areas across the MidCoast.

See the Local Heritage Fund page for further information.

The 2021 annual funding round has closed.