Business Grants

The ILA Program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to express, conserve and maintain their cultures through Indigenous languages and arts activities. Grant funding allocated through the ILA Program supports activities that:

• Conserve, revitalise and sustain Indigenous languages and
• Create, promote and celebrate Indigenous community-based arts activities.

 To be eligible for an ILA program grant, your organisation must:

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be registered for the purposes of GST - if your business has a gross annual income minus GST of $75,000 (or $150,000 for non-profit organisations)
• have an account with an Australian financial institution

• be one of the following entity types:
  • an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 and are compliant with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) requirements regarding director ID numbers
  • a Commonwealth or State or Territory government corporate entity
  • a company incorporated in Australia
  • a company limited by guarantee
  • an incorporated association
  • a not-for-profit organisation
  • a partnership (as defined in the Glossary)
  • a joint (consortia) application with a lead organisation
  • a publicly funded research organisation
  • a State or Territory local government council

The Music Australia Export Development Fund is a bold partnership between the Australian Government and the Australian music industry – a matched funding initiative, designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists.   

The program supports emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is available for Australian citizens or permanent residents who are practising contemporary music artists. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers. 

The International Market and Audience Development fund (Category 3) is designed to support activity that includes international promotional and content creation activities with matched funding of $2,000 to $10,000. 

The Music Australia Export Development Fund is a bold partnership between the Australian Government and the Australian music industry – a matched funding initiative, designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists.   

The program supports emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is available for Australian citizens or permanent residents who are practising contemporary music artists. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers. 

The International Professional and Artistic Development fund (Category 2) supports international professional development activity with matched funding of $3,000 to $15,000. 

The Music Australia Export Development Fund is a bold partnership between the Australian Government and the Australian music industry – a matched funding initiative, designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists.   

The program supports emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is available for Australian citizens or permanent residents who are practising contemporary music artists. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers. 

The International Performance and Touring fund (Category 1) supports international touring and showcase activity, with matched funding of $5,000 to $75,000. 

The International Engagement Fund supports Australian artists and creative workers to undertake reciprocal international exchange activities with confirmed international partners. 

A reciprocal exchange is one where all parties participate, share in, and benefit from the activity. The types of reciprocal exchange activities supported through this fund include: creative collaboration and development; cultural exchange and knowledge sharing; labs and practice-exchange models.

While the International Engagement Fund can support projects that incorporate international presentation or promotional type activities, applications should focus on reciprocity, international collaboration, exchange and cross-cultural knowledge sharing. 

Who can apply

• eligible applicants include Australian artists and creative workers who do not work in contemporary music
• individuals, groups and organisations (including small businesses) may apply to this category. If you are applying as an individual, you must be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident
• international organisations can apply for projects that benefit practicing Australian artists or creative workers, their work or Australian audiences.

What can be applied for

Eligible costs include but are not limited to:

• artist and creative worker fees.
• flights, accommodation, per diems, ground transport costs
• travel insurance
• visas
• freight or baggage costs
• production expenses
• marketing, promotion and project management costs
• childcare, carer and access costs
• costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your activity.

A total of $5 million will be available over 2025-26 for the Regional and Remote Airport Support Program. The program will provide financial relief to operators of regional and remote airports that were owed money by the Rex Airlines regional business when it entered voluntary administration.

This includes:

• Regional Express Holdings Limited (ACN 099 547 270)
• Regional Express Pty Ltd (ACN 101 325 642)
• Rex Investment Holdings Pty Ltd (ACN 101 317 677).

The intended outcomes of the program are to:

• support critical aviation services to connect remote and regional communities across Australia
• support local governments in regional and remote areas to maintain essential services.

You can apply if you:

• have an Australian business number (ABN)
• operate a regional or remote airport as defined in the ACCC Domestic Airline Competition Report August 2025 (refer to the Airport and Remoteness tab in the Appendix)
• are an unsecured creditor of the Rex Airlines regional business
• can meet the additional eligibility requirements listed in 4.2 of the grant opportunity guidelines.

and are one of the following entities:

• an entity, incorporated in Australia
• an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
• an Australian local government agency or body as defined in Section 13 of the grant opportunity guidelines.

You can’t apply if you are:

• any organisation not included in section 4.1 of the grant opportunity guidelines
• an organisation included on the National Redress Scheme’s list of Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme
• an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012)
• an eligible entity in section 4.1 of the grant opportunity guidelines applying wholly or partly on behalf of a subcontractor or airport business with unsecured debt owed by the Rex Airlines regional business.

Festivals Australia provides funding to support individual art projects in regional or remote locations. Eligible projects take place at festivals, or significant one-off community events such as a town celebration or opening of a new community resource. Festivals Australia will:

• provide access to a diverse range of engaging, innovative arts projects that grow audiences at festivals across regional and remote Australia,
• support partnerships and collaboration across the arts sector, and
• encourage community participation in arts projects at regional and remote festivals.

The program delivers two funding rounds each year usually opening in February and September. The Minister for the Arts (or their delegate) approves funding under the Program Guidelines.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must:

• be an Australian incorporated organisation*,
• have an active Australian Business Number (ABN),
• be registered for the purposes of GST, if required by the Australian Taxation Office, and
• not have any outstanding reports, acquittals or serious breaches relating to any Australian Government funding.

The Preventing Tech-based Abuse of Women Grants Program aims to improve the safety of Australian women and their children through the prevention of technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The program forms part of the Government’s commitment to the aims and objectives of the National Plan to end violence against women and children 2022-32.

A total of $10 million in grant funding will be available from 2023 to 2028. Grants of between $80,000 and $400,000 will be awarded over a minimum of three open, competitive processes.

Funds available under Round 3:

 At least $3.5 million in grant funding is available

The minimum grant amount is $80,000 (GST exclusive)

The maximum grant amount is $400,000 (GST exclusive) 

First Nations Projects - Priority Funding

Up to $600,000 of the total funding for the round is available to organisations with a commitment to delivering projects with and for communities that focus on the prevention of tech-based abuse of First Nations women.

Who should apply?

eSafety is seeking applications to fund projects that are focused on the prevention of online harms and enhanced safety for women and children. This may include projects that, for example, aim to change community attitudes and behaviours, focus on people who perpetrate technology-facilitated abuse, or that seek to protect and support women and children.

The objectives of the Preventing Tech-based Abuse of Women Grants Program are outlined in the Guidelines (see Grant Opportunity Documents).

To be eligible to apply for a grant under Round 3, all eligibility requirements specified in this section must be met. The applicant must:

a. have an Australian Business Number (ABN)

b. be registered for the purposes of GST

c. have a bank account with an Australian financial institution

d. be a legal entity, and

e. be a non-government organisation, not-for-profit or charitable organisation registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission.

Eligibility for priority funding for First Nations focused projects:

To be eligible for priority funding as a First Nations Project, the applicant must (in addition to meeting the requirements specified above) be:

a. an Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisation (ACCO); or

b. an organisation that is primarily focused on achieving outcomes for First Nations communities; or

c. an organisation that is partnering with an organisation that meets a) or b), above.

Targeted at emerging and small-medium enterprise digital game creators, the fund will provide a grant of up to $30,000 for early-stage game development.

The funds could also be used to cover scoping technical requirements of a games project, exploring commercial, creative and market potential, as well as pitch materials.

The objectives of the program are to:

• Support NSW game creators to advance early concept original digital games IPs to reach the next stage of development
• Assist successful applicants to prepare their project to raise additional finance for full-scale development
• Encourage sustainable growth for the NSW games sector and a diverse pipeline of game talent in NSW.

All applicants need to fulfil the following criteria:

• If an individual, the applicant must be a NSW resident (i.e., lived and operated in NSW for at least six months immediately before the application)
• If a company, the applicant must be incorporated in Australia and taken to be registered in NSW, have their central management and control in Australia and carry out business in Australia
• Applicants must have an ABN
• Applicants must not be full-time secondary or tertiary students; or employing students who are currently studying games, or a field related to games. Part-time students are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• Applicants who are an employee of a Federal or state or territory government screen agency are not eligible to apply
• An applicant cannot be a licensee of a service under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (Cth) or a related body corporate of such a licensee (as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth))
• Applicants must have the right to carry out the project, for example, own or have the licenses of any relevant copyright. If the application is based on a third-party underlying work, applicants must have an appropriate option agreement.  Applicants must be able to demonstrate they have the necessary rights if required by providing chain of title documents.
• Applicants must have a project team member with a key creative credit on at least one game that has been released to the general public e.g. Steam, itch.io
• There can be only one application for a particular game. If more than one NSW developer is working on the project, a joint application for the game will need to be made.

Eligible games must be:

• Intended for public release
• At concept or early-stage development
• Completely digital.

Eligible games for funding include:

• Games for entertainment and serious games
• Games for any platform including console, desktop, tablet, mobile, VR/AR
• Multi-player and single-player games.

The Graphite Research and Development (R&D) Grant provides Australian small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with funding and access to CSIRO experts on collaborative R&D projects.

These projects will focus on developing innovative technologies and processes essential for natural graphite production, particularly for battery applications.

This initiative will support development of a sustainable graphite industry in Australia, which is essential to meeting the growing global demand for battery anode materials. Australia is positioned to become a key supplier to the USA and other global markets by capitalising on its natural graphite deposits. This program supports R&D in areas like alternative feedstocks, efficient recycling methods, and purification techniques, contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable graphite production process.

Eligible SMEs can combine this grant with the CSIRO Kick-Start Program to unlock up to an additional $50,000 to conduct a collaborative research project with CSIRO.

To be eligible for this grant opportunity, you must:

• Be incorporated in Australia and have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and Australian Company Number (ACN)
• Be registered for GST
• Employ fewer than 200 people

Heat Pump Feasibility Grant helps eligible NSW businesses to assess whether a heat pump is a feasible option for their site. You can apply for up to $30,000 to cover 75% of the project costs.

To drive the uptake of heat pumps, the Grant aims to: 

• enable NSW businesses to make informed decisions on heat pump implementation
• increase business productivity with high-efficiency heating, reduced exposure to rising fuel costs and lowered emissions
• support the growth of industry capability
• accelerate the uptake of the NSW Energy Security Safeguard.

To be eligible for this Grant, you must meet all of the following criteria:  

• have a current Australian Business Number (ABN) and be registered for goods and services tax (GST).
• deliver your heat pump project at a NSW business site address.
• use between 5,000 and 100,000 gigajoules (GJ) of gas (liquified natural gas, liquified petroleum gas, natural gas) per year at your business site, excluding fuel for transport. 
• have identified a specialist consultant(s) to complete the Grant milestones.

Established under the NSW Screen and Digital Games Strategy 2025-2027, Screen NSW, through this program, will wholly or partly reimburse, up to $5,000, a screen and digital games producers’ cost to option original intellectual property (IP) from NSW-based creators.

The primary aim of the program is to encourage screen content for audiences that has originated in IP created by people who are included in the Screen NSW Priority Areas: First Nations people, people living in Western Sydney and regional NSW, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds, people living with a disability, and LGBTQIA+ people.

The objectives of the program are to:

• Improve sustainability of the NSW screen and digital games industries
• Improve sustainability of related NSW-based creative sectors, particularly literary fiction, non-fiction and short-form web-based and podcast content creation
• Promote collaboration between the NSW screen and digital games industries and NSW-based practitioners from other creative industries
• Provide opportunity for early and mid-career creatives from Screen NSW Priority Areas to enhance their careers by having their work reach a wider audience through screen adaptation
• Increase visibility within screen and digital games content of people from under-represented groups as set out in the Screen NSW Diversity Commitment
• Increase the level of participation of practitioners from under-represented groups as set out in the Screen NSW Diversity Commitment
• Support connections that will shape the future of the NSW creative community and strengthen its position in the global market. 

The Pathways Development Program is a competitive Screen NSW initiative that supports emerging writers with disability to develop original long-form screen projects to a pitch-ready stage.

The objectives of the program are to:

• Increase the participation of creatives with disability in the NSW screen sector.
• Support the development of up to three long-form projects to a pitch-ready stage per round.
• Create clear industry pathways for alumni of the Screenability Film Fund and other emerging practitioners from under-represented groups.
• Strengthen the cultural and economic value of the NSW screen industry by fostering authentic, distinctive voices and stories.

MVP Ventures is a competitive grant that helps businesses bring innovative products to market. It also attracts and keeps commercialisation activities in NSW.

Two funding streams are available for the 2025-2026 program and have been designed to reduce financial barriers and foster greater participation from under-represented groups.

To be eligible to apply, your business must:

• have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be headquartered in NSW
• have an account with an Australian authorised deposit-taking institution
• be a company incorporated in Australia under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) or an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
• hold intellectual property (IP) or rights to commercialise
• have an aggregated turnover of $400,000 or less in each of the three financial years prior to the lodgement of your application, and
• have 10 or fewer Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees including founders.

In addition, you must satisfy the eligibility requirements of the funding stream you are applying for.

Stream 1

The grant amount for eligible businesses will be up to 50 percent of the Total Eligible Project Expenditure (grant percentage), with a:

• minimum grant of $20,000
• maximum grant of $50,000
• minimum co-contribution of 50%.

Stream 2

If your business is:

• Majority Women-owned and managed, or
• Regionally Headquartered and operated, or
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander majority-owned and managed

A grant amount of up to 75% of the Total Eligible Project Expenditure (grant percentage) is available, with a:

• minimum grant of $20,000
• maximum grant of $75,000
• minimum co-contribution of 25%.

This quick response funding program is designed for domestic and international travel activity for NSW contemporary music artists, acts and music industry professionals.

Funding can support travel and accommodation costs for: 

Artists and Acts 

• domestic tours  
• domestic professional development opportunities, including performance at significant music market events, attendance at events, workshops, camps, mentorships and residencies 
• significant international professional development opportunities, including performance at significant international music market events, attendance at workshops, camps, mentorships and residencies. 

For domestic tours and performance at music markets, funding can support up to six people per touring party. This includes the artists and a maximum of two people with roles that support the artists to undertake the tour. These support roles include:      

• one operational crew member (e.g. tour manager or key technical production crew)       
• one support person for people with disability, family or cultural needs. 

Music Industry Professionals 

• domestic professional development opportunities for music industry professionals working in contemporary music to attend significant music market events and/or identified business opportunities 
• significant international professional development opportunities for music industry professionals working in contemporary music to attend international music market events and/or identified business opportunities. 

This program is open for applications until 24 April 2026, with applications assessed monthly. Applications submitted by 12pm (midday) on the last Friday of each month (excluding December) will be grouped together for assessment. Applicants will be notified of the decision within 4 weeks of this date. 

Eligibility

The fund is open to artists, acts and music industry professionals, as well as music businesses applying on behalf of an artist or act. 

Funding recipients must be: 

• 18 years or older 
• currently living in NSW (minimum 12 months) 
• performing or working in contemporary music. 

Applicants will need: 

• an active ABN (that’s your Australian Business Number) 
• a bank account with the same name as your ABN 
• or a funds administrator to help you out. 

For the purpose of this program contemporary music refers to artists and acts performing new and original music.     

• Artforms not supported through this program are:          
  • experimental music and sound art           
  • contemporary classical, opera, choral and ensembles           
  • music theatre          
  • working in and with community music groups.   
• These applicants should refer to Create NSW's Arts and Cultural Funding Program | NSW Government (ACFP) guidelines.

The Journalism Assistance Fund Program, running over 3 years from 2025-26, was announced as part of the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP). News MAP aims to support public interest journalism and media diversity in Australia - recognising these are critical to a healthy democracy, social cohesion and informed citizens.

Organisations producing core news content will be eligible for funding. The funding will provide a proportion of the wages for journalists producing core news content that is distributed digitally. 

The program aims to:

• support the sustainability of Australian news publishers in the face of significant disruption to the media sector
• support the creation of digitally distributed news content,
• encourage continued employment of journalists who primarily produce news that is in the Australian public interest
• build and maintain social cohesion in Australia

You can apply if you:

• have an Australian business number (ABN)
• are registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
• have an account with an Australian financial institution
• are an entity that produces and publishes core news content that is distributed digitally

and be one of the following entities:

• an entity, incorporated in Australia
• a company 
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
• an incorporated association
• a co-operative
• a partnership
• an incorporated not for profit organisation or registered charity
• a sole trader. 

The Strategic Opportunities Program supports innovative projects designed to strengthen the NSW screen and digital games industries.

The objectives of the program are to fund projects that:

• Build capacity within the NSW screen and digital games industries
• Support the growth and capability of NSW screen and digital games practitioners, organisations and businesses
• Are aligned with one or more strategic priorities in the NSW Screen & Digital Games Strategy (2025-2027):
  • Priority 1 – Creating Stories
  • Priority 2 – Building Sustainable Growth
  • Priority 3 – Improving Capacity and Capability
  • Priority 4 – Developing Audiences to Increase Demand
• Increase industry participation for audiences and/or screen and digital games practitioners from one or more NSW Government key priority areas:
  • Regional NSW
  • Western Sydney
  • First Nations people
  • People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
  • People living with disability
  • LGBTQIA+ people.

To be eligible for funding under the Strategic Opportunities Program, applicants must:

• Discuss their proposed project with Screen NSW staff before submitting an application
• Be an Australian organisation, including:
• Companies and not-for-profit incorporated bodies
• Co-operatives, trusts or local government authorities
• A consortium or a group of organisations working collaboratively*
• Have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Be legally constituted and able to provide proof of legal status
• Adhere to general eligibility requirements under the Screen NSW Terms of Trade.

*In the case of a consortium or group of organisations working collaboratively, one eligible organisation must be nominated as the lead organisation. If successful, the funding grant agreement will be between Screen NSW and the lead organisation.

Kick-start funding offers businesses financial incentives from a $5 million allocation to help purchase up to 15 electric vehicles (EVs) and smart charging ports. 

Kick-start funding is suitable for businesses that are interested in trialling a few EVs or for smaller fleets. It is open to any ABN holder that operates an existing fleet in NSW, provided the business meets one of the following requirements: 

• operates an existing fleet of at least 3 vehicles (electric or non-electric) in NSW
• Has licensed taxi drivers with at least 1 taxi in NSW
• Is an individual truck operator, with at least 1 truck in NSW. 

Eligible NSW small businesses who are embedded network (on-supply) customers can apply for a National Energy Bill Relief payment of up to $150 in the 2025-26 financial year via this portal.  

Eligible small businesses who are retail customers will receive their Bill Relief payment automatically via their energy bills.

Your small business may be eligible if all the following apply: 

• has not already received the National Energy Bill Relief payment for the small business's energy account in the 2025-2026 financial year
• is in an embedded electricity network in NSW
• has an electricity account in the name of the business with at least 90 days of metered electricity usage
• uses less than 100 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year across all sites in NSW
• has an active ABN.

If you operate your small business from your home or your small business is on a residential electricity plan, you are not eligible. Other exclusions may apply, for example post offices, government owned agencies, gas and water retailers, and telecommunications companies are also not eligible. Please read the Terms and Conditions for further information on eligibility.

The purpose of this grant is to provide Australian Government funding to support a wage increase for all eligible ECEC workers from December 2024.

Eligible ECEC workers include:

• workers covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010 and working in a Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approved Centre-Based Day Care (CBDC) or Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) service;
• workers covered by the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 and working in a CCS approved CBDC or OSHC service; and
• workers who are undertaking duties covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010 or Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 and working in a CCS approved CBDC or OSHC service but are not covered by these awards (including workers covered by a state industrial instrument, or working in a setting covered by a different award), and these duties constitute the majority of that workers role. 

Trainees who are undertaking a registered traineeship and whose pay and conditions are not covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010 or the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 are not included as eligible ECEC workers. 

To be eligible you must be a legal entity that provides CBDC or OSHC services (a Provider). One Provider may apply in relation to one or multiple service locations (Services) that the Provider owns and operates.