Grants for events – applications now open

Applications will close at 4pm on Tuesday 28 February 2023.

The $3 million Small and Medium Events Program is designed to attract more visitors to local events, supporting more job opportunities and local businesses.

The program will deliver grants between $5,000 and $50,000 (excl. GST) depending on the size of the event and will support a diverse range of activities, helping create ongoing jobs in the industry and connecting organisers with local businesses and suppliers.

To be eligible, applicant organisations must meet the following criteria:

• the event must be a publicly accessible event, open to everyone
• it must be a creative, cultural or community sporting event
• the event must demonstrate it is of significant economic, social or community value to the local area or to Victoria.

The event must:

• be primarily an in–person event with estimated attendees between 1,000 – 10,000 over its full duration
• be held between 1 June 2023 and 31 December 2023
• be held in one (or more) of the following 31 Local Government Areas (LGAs) outside the City of Melbourne: including Mornington Peninsula Shire Council

Eligible applicants may seek grant funding of between $5,000 and $50,000 (excl. GST), based on the number of estimated event attendees. Attendance numbers should be primarily based on previous event attendance or an evidence-based estimation if the event is new.

Applicants will need to match the funding requested to at least a 1:1 ratio. All income that does not come from the Victorian State Government can be counted towards the applicant contribution, including Federal or Local Government funding, ticket sales and sponsorship revenue.

Applications will close at 4pm on Tuesday 28 February 2023. Late applications will not be accepted.

As part of the application process, you must certify that your business meets all eligibility criteria and provide any supporting evidence requested. Please visit the program guidelines to understand what documentation and attachments are required.

If any information in your application is false or misleading, you may be asked to repay the grant.

Please read all the information on this page, the program guidelines, and the Small and Medium Events Program frequently asked questions (FAQs) before applying.