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Community Venue Funding NZ: The Complete Grants Guide for Community Spaces
Community grants are one of the biggest funding levers available to community venues, halls, marae, sports clubs, and arts spaces across New Zealand .
Community venue funding in Australia runs through three main channels: federal infrastructure programs, state and territory schemes (including gambling community benefit funds) and local council grants. Add in gaming/club trusts and philanthropic foundations, and there's genuinely more funding available for community halls, sports clubs, arts centres, and neighbourhood spaces than most groups realise — the challenge is knowing where to look. This guide brings the main sources together by level of government, so you can work out which ones actually apply to your venue.
Heads up: this isn't an exhaustive list, and grant guidelines, dates, and dollar amounts change often — sometimes federal programs are re-funded from one Budget to the next with entirely new round dates. We're not the authority on any of these schemes and can't determine your eligibility. Always check the primary source before you apply.
What's on this page:
What kind of venue funding is available in Australia?
Most funding for community venues in Australia sits in one of three tiers: federal programs for larger capital works, state government and gambling community benefit funds for mid-size projects and equipment, and local council grants for smaller, faster community-level support. On top of that sit sector-specific funds (sport, arts, multicultural infrastructure) and private philanthropic or corporate trusts. Which one fits depends mostly on your project's size and location, not the type of venue you run.
This could apply to:
- Community-led centres and halls
- Neighbourhood houses and centres
- Sports clubs and pavilions
- Community arts and cultural centres
- Men's sheds and community workshops
- RSL and service clubs
- Multicultural and faith-based community spaces
- Scout, guide, and youth group halls
Many of these grants also fund community groups directly — for programming, equipment, and events — not just the physical space.
Federal grants: apply from anywhere in Australia
Thriving Suburbs Program & Growing Regions Program
The two flagship federal community infrastructure programs, split by location: projects inside Greater Capital City Statistical Areas fall under Thriving Suburbs, everything else falls under Growing Regions. Both fund capital works — building or upgrading shared community spaces like sporting and cultural hubs, libraries, and community facilities.
|
Who it's for |
Incorporated not-for-profit organisations and local government councils |
|
What it can fund |
Capital works for community infrastructure — new builds and upgrades |
|
Grant size |
$250,000 to $15 million per project |
|
Status |
The 2026–27 Federal Budget committed $781.6 million over four years for new rounds of both programs. A Forecast Funding Opportunity is live on GrantConnect, but full application details weren't open at time of writing — worth monitoring closely given the scale of funding. |
|
Links |
Infrastructure Department – Thriving Suburbs & Growing Regions |
Stronger Communities Programme
A smaller, faster federal program distributed electorate-by-electorate — your local MP identifies projects through community consultation, so building a relationship with your electorate office is part of the process.
|
Who it's for |
Community organisations and local governments |
|
What it can fund |
Small capital projects delivering social benefit locally |
|
Grant size |
$2,500 to $20,000 |
|
Status |
Round 10 was funded at $30.1 million over three years in the 2026–27 Budget. Each of Australia's 151 federal electorates receives a funding pool to distribute. |
|
Links |
Stronger Communities Programme — contact your local MP's office directly |
GrantConnect
Not a fund itself, but the Australian Government's central directory of every current and forecast Commonwealth grant opportunity — worth bookmarking as the first stop for anything federal.
State and territory grants
Every state and territory runs its own community and gambling-funded grant schemes, and the names differ a lot more than at federal level. Here's what's currently running in each:
New South Wales
- Community Building Partnership — capital works, equipment, and vehicle grants of $10,000–$100,000, with a $450,000 pool per electoral district. The 2026 round had $41.85 million available. NSW Government – Community Building Partnership
- ClubGRANTS — funded by registered clubs and distributed through local committees; Category 3 also funds larger infrastructure projects ($50,000–$300,000) for disadvantaged communities. Check with your local council for the local ClubGRANTS scheme.
Victoria
- Community Support Fund — a trust fund built from gaming revenue, distributed to community organisations and councils via state departments (not directly to applicants). DTF Victoria – Community Support Fund
- Sporting Club Grants Program — funding for community sport and active recreation organisations, across several categories from equipment ($1,000) to volunteer development ($5,000). Sport and Recreation Victoria
Queensland
- Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF) — Queensland's largest one-off community grants program, distributing roughly $60 million a year to not-for-profits, including for facility upgrades, equipment, and community events. Standard rounds offer up to $35,000. Queensland Government – Gambling Community Benefit Fund
Western Australia
- Lotterywest — WA's primary community grantmaker, funded through Lotterywest games rather than gaming machines (WA is the only state where poker machines are restricted to the Crown Perth casino, so gambling community benefit funds elsewhere don't have an equivalent here). Lotterywest delivers both statutory allocations to the sports and arts sectors and discretionary grants directly to not-for-profits and local governments — from a few thousand dollars up to multi-million-dollar infrastructure grants. Note Lotterywest generally doesn't fund general or competitive sporting club activities or religious activities (though welfare/community service work by faith-based groups is eligible). Lotterywest – Grant Opportunities
South Australia
- Gamblers Rehabilitation Fund — funded by the Australian Hotels Association (SA), Clubs SA, Adelaide Casino, and the SA Government, primarily aimed at minimising problem gambling and supporting affected communities.
- Broader community and recreation facility funding in SA generally runs through individual councils (see the City of Adelaide example below) and the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing.
Tasmania
- Community Support Fund — replaced the former Community Support Levy arrangements from 1 July 2023; funded through a levy on gaming machine gross profit and distributed to community purposes.
ACT and Northern Territory
Both territories run community grants through their own gambling and racing regulators and community services directorates — search "ACT community grants" or "NT community benefit fund" directly, as these run smaller, more frequently updated rounds than the larger states.
Council grants: how to find funding in your area
Every council in Australia runs some form of community grants program — sizes and categories vary a lot, so here are four worked examples:
City of Sydney
Recently restructured (from July 2026) into four grant programs — creative, social and community, economic, and environmental — plus always-open quick response grants and, notably for venues specifically, a venue hire support grant that helps community and cultural groups access City-owned indoor spaces at reduced rates.
City of Melbourne
Runs a broad community funding and grants hub supporting community organisations to connect, engage, and take local action.
City of Melbourne – Community Funding and Grants
City of Perth
Runs Community Enhancement Grants of up to $10,000 for partnerships and collaborations that build community wellbeing, alongside its sponsorship program.
City of Perth – Community Enhancement Grants
City of Adelaide
Runs a Community Grants Program split into two streams — Arts and Culture, and Community Impact — supporting free or low-cost, community-led projects.
City of Adelaide – Community Grants
Every other council
If you're outside these four, your council will run an equivalent — search "[your council name] community grants" to find it. Many outer-metro and regional councils (particularly in SA and Victoria) also run dedicated facility-specific grants for halls and sports pavilions, separate from their general community grants — worth checking for both.
Sector-specific national funds
- Creative Australia — the national arts funding body, with separate streams for individuals, groups, and organisations. Creative Australia – Arts Projects (check current fund names, as these are periodically restructured).
- Sport Australia / state sport agencies — most states run their own sport and recreation infrastructure funds (e.g. Victoria's Local Sports Infrastructure Fund, Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund) — check your state's sport department directly.
- Infrastructure for Multicultural Communities — a federal grant funding construction, upgrades, or extensions to infrastructure that benefits multicultural communities, including indoor/outdoor amenities and dining spaces. Currently running in batches through 2026. Home Affairs – Multicultural Grant Programs
Private and corporate trust funding
Reach and eligibility vary a lot here — check the geographic scope of each before applying:
|
Funder |
Notes |
|---|---|
|
Bendigo Bank Community Bank grants |
Local grants tied to individual Community Bank branches — check whether your area has one |
|
Toyota Community Foundation |
Periodic national grant rounds, thematic focus varies by round |
|
Australian Communities Foundation |
A national philanthropic foundation supporting a wide range of community causes |
|
State-based Community Foundations |
Many regions now have their own place-based community foundation — check Community Foundations Australia for one near you |
Other grant directories
- GrantConnect — the federal government's authoritative grants database
- Philanthropy Australia — directory and resources for the philanthropic sector
- business.gov.au – Grants and Programs — searchable federal and state grants finder
- Our Community — grant-finding tools and resources for the not-for-profit sector
Frequently asked questions
What's the easiest grant for a small community group to start with? Council-level quick response grants and state gambling community benefit funds (like Queensland's GCBF or NSW's ClubGRANTS) tend to have lower application overhead and faster turnaround than federal infrastructure programs, which are built for larger capital projects.
Can sports clubs apply for the same grants as community halls? Mostly yes, though some funds exclude "general or competitive" sporting activity specifically — Lotterywest in WA is one example. Sport-specific state funds (like Victoria's Sporting Club Grants Program) usually sit alongside general community funds rather than replacing them, so sports clubs are often eligible for both.
How much can a community venue get from federal infrastructure funding? Thriving Suburbs and Growing Regions fund $250,000 to $15 million projects — these are built for significant capital works, not smaller upgrades. For smaller projects, the Stronger Communities Programme ($2,500–$20,000) or your state's community benefit fund is a better fit.
Do I need to be a registered charity to apply for funding? Requirements vary by fund. Most larger federal and state programs require incorporated not-for-profit or charity status; some council-level and club-funded schemes accept less formal community groups. Check each fund's specific eligibility criteria.
Where do I find grants specific to my state if it's not covered in detail here? Start with your state or territory government's community grants or gambling/racing regulator page, and your local council's grants page — search "[your state] community grants" or "[your council name] community grants."
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