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The Awards are held each year on 27 May the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and the opening of National Reconciliation Week, to honour First Nations excellence and the outstanding contributions of First Nations artists, arts workers and entrepreneurs to their practice, culture, and community. 

The Awards are assessed by an independent panel of First Nations Industry Advisors, with the Red Ochre Awards determined by the Creative Australia’s First Nations Board.   

• The prestigious Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement in Artistic Excellence, to recognise the outstanding contribution of senior First Nations artists to their arts practice. Two recipients of the award will receive $60,000 each.
• The Established Artist of the Year Award, to recognise outstanding achievement in artistic practice of established Australian First Nations artists. The recipient of this award will receive $25,000.
• The Youth Award for Achievement in the Arts, to recognise the achievement of Australian First Nations artists or arts workers between the age of 18 and 35. The recipient of this award will receive $25,000.
• The First Nations Arts and Culture Business Innovation Award, to recognise innovation and excellence in entrepreneurship among Australian First Nations small to medium arts and culture businesses and community organisations (including Art Centres) nationwide. The recipient of this award will receive $25,000.
• The First Nations Arts Fellowships, supporting the creation of major works by two artists.

This Program forms part of Transport for NSW’s multi-year collaboration with the Office of Sport under the Safer Cities Program which is aimed at increasing women, girls and gender diverse people’s active and meaningful participation in running.

The key objectives of the program are to:

• Improve perceptions of safety for women, girls and gender-diverse people participating in running
• Reduce barriers to participation by supporting initiatives that make running feel more welcoming, accessible and inclusive
• Build the capability of running organisations and providers to create safe, respectful and inclusive environments for participants of all backgrounds and abilities
• Foster partnerships between running clubs, community organisations and local stakeholders to support safer and more inclusive running environments
• Increase participation and retention of women, girls and gender-diverse people in running.
• Encourage community-led approaches to safety, including initiatives that promote social connection, visibility, confidence and collective participation in public spaces
• Support running activities that activate public spaces and strengthen community connections.

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, the applicant must:

• include a valid Incorporation Number and/or active Australian Business Number (ABN)
• include a declaration by the applicant organisation that if successful they will provide Public Liability Insurance with a minimum $5 million cover
• be a legally recognised entity, including:
  • an incorporated association registered in NSW or another Australian jurisdiction, or
  • a company registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), or
  • a not-for-profit organisation, including registered charities (ACNC), or
  • a sole trader operating a running-related business with an ABN.
• Have an established operational presence in NSW (e.g. program delivery, members, or events).

Core activity requirements

Applicants’ primary purpose must include the delivery of organised running activities, such as:

• community run clubs
• structured group training or coaching programs
• inclusive or social running programs
• running events or competitions
• athletics clubs with a distance running focus.

Note that sole traders may apply where the proposed project primarily delivers community participation outcomes in NSW and is not solely for commercial gain.

Applicants must provide evidence of active and ongoing operations, which may include;

• digital presence (website, social media, or event listings),
• participation data (e.g. attendance records, membership numbers)
• affiliation with recognised sporting bodies (e.g. Athletics NSW)
• governance documents (constitution, committee structure, or business registration)

Building Digital Skills grants help organisations deliver free Be Connected digital literacy programs to older Australians in their community.

Building Digital Skills grants of up to $20,500 help organisations to support older Australians aged 50+ through free digital mentoring sessions. A range of resources and support materials are available to help organisations to deliver this program, including the learning courses available on the Be Connected learning site.

The Community Safety Investment Fund will provide opportunities for community organisations to design and deliver locally focused, community led solutions to prevent or respond to youth offending, strengthen families and improve community safety.

Programs and initiatives will contribute to the achievement of objectives:

• Deliver holistic responses that address the underlying needs and risks that contribute to young people’s involvement with the justice system and improve their outcomes.
• Deliver culturally responsive initiatives that build long-term resilience and protective factors, increase connection to culture and improving social and emotional wellbeing for young people and families.
• Deliver programs and initiatives that empower young people and their families to achieve change in the young person's behaviour and safety.
• Support young people and families to re-engage with education, training, or employment.
• Increase community safety through tailored initiatives for high-risk youth.
• Whole of community initiatives that engage young people in pro-social activities
• We are particularly interested in grant applications that align with and help achieve the NSW Government’s Closing the Gap priorities, including: Target 11: to reduce the overrepresentation of Aboriginal young people in the criminal justice system, so that by 2031, the rate of Aboriginal young people (10-17 years) in detention is reduced by 30 per cent.

Open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, Telstra NATSIAA is a non-acquisitive Award that is free to enter and encourages artists to submit an artwork of their choice in one of the Award Categories. Telstra NATSIAA has no set theme; these Awards celebrate the validity and cultural diversity of contemporary Indigenous artistic expression in all its forms.

Telstra NATSIAA awards a total of $190,000 in prize money each year. The overall Telstra Art Award offers prize money of $100,000 (excl. GST) and is awarded to the Artwork considered by the judges to be the most outstanding Artwork in the Exhibition.

The following Award Categories offer each Award Recipient prize money of $15,000 (excl. GST):

• Telstra General Painting Award

• Telstra Bark Painting Award

• Telstra Work on Paper Award

• Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award (sponsored by Telstra)

• Telstra Multimedia Award

• Telstra Emerging Artist Award

In addition to the above Award Categories is the Telstra People’s Choice Award, which is a non-monetary Award chosen by popular vote. The People’s Choice Award will be open to the public for voting for the duration of the Exhibition.

The Rabo Community Fund is a dedicated fund that specifically supports community-led initiatives that enhance the vibrancy and resilience of rural Australia and New Zealand through tangible and meaningful programs.

The Rabo Client Councils have identified six key themes for support under the Rabo Community Fund. Applications must align with at least one of the following themes: 

Long-term industry capacity and agriculture education

• Enhancing industry reputation and celebrating success in agriculture
• Attracting and retaining the next generation in agriculture; from schools and universities to the industry
• Upskilling primary producers
• Supporting women in agriculture

Environmental sustainability 

• Empowering rural communities with knowledge on key sustainability topics (carbon management, water conservation and soil health)
• Supporting initiatives that foster open dialogue about sustainable practices among community stakeholders
• Sharing positive sustainability stories, progress made and the value delivered

Rural/urban connection

• Advocating for rural and regional Australia and New Zealand by creating and promoting stories of pride and success in the industry across all communities
• Showcasing real world farming, innovation and sustainability
• Educating kids and the broader community on food and fibre production

Rural wellbeing

• Contributing to greater access to and knowledge about regional health and wellbeing services
• Collaborating with successful organisations in this field

Adaption/disruption

• Increasing the knowledge and understanding of global, industry and regional changes in the agricultural sector
• Providing education on disruptive changes and showcasing actions that can lead to positive, profitable change

Natural Disaster Resilience

• Contributing to the sharing of knowledge and learnings to support more disaster resilient rural communities
• Collaborating with existing organisations to scale up their ability to provide effective support

The First Nations Clean Energy Projects – Pilot Grants provides funding to First Nations organisations. This program was announced as part of the implementation of the Government’s First Nations Clean Energy Strategy. The objectives of the program are to:

• support up to 2 First Nations organisations to progress their clean energy projects beyond feasibility towards financial close
• build evidence of the factors that enable increased investment in First Nations clean energy projects
• share First Nations clean energy project development lessons learnt with the sector.

The intended outcome of the program is to support the economic development and self-determination of First Nations peoples through increased opportunities to lead and benefit from clean energy project developments.

There is a total of up to $10 million available for this grant program.

Grants will be from $1 million to $10 million.

The grant amount will be up to 100% of eligible expenditure.

National Science Week is Australia’s major national annual celebration of science and technology, occurring in August each year. National Science Week is run across Australia and provides the opportunity for wide public participation in activities and events across the nation.

The National Science Week Public Event Grants 2027-30 grant opportunity aims to support initiatives that enable inclusive and broad-based engagement with science by the public.

The objectives of the grant opportunity are to:

• inspire wide public participation in STEM, including groups historically underrepresented in STEM (as defined in the Glossary)
• provide an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of Australian scientists to the world of knowledge
• encourage an interest in science pursuits among the general public
• encourage younger people to become fascinated by the world we live in
• encourage new and innovative ways of engaging with audiences.

The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are:

• increased national and international interest in Australian science
• improved critical engagement with key scientific issues by the public
• increased inspiration drawn from science and improved value of science as perceived by the public
• increased participation from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

Up to $500,000 is available each year for National Science Week Public Event Grants from 2027 to 2030.

• The minimum grant amount is $5,000 per application.
• The maximum grant amount is $20,000 per application.

The National Science Week 2027 funding round accepts applications for events run during National Science Week 2027.

The Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant program has been introduced to support producers who add value by encouraging visitors to wine regions. Wine producers will be able to access an annual grant reflective of their eligible physical cellar door sales.

Wine producers who have met the eligibility criteria in the preceding financial year will be able to access an annual grant of up to $100,000 (GST exclusive) for their eligible rebatable domestic cellar door sales. Total funding under the grant program will be capped at $10 million (GST exclusive) each financial year.

The purpose of this grant opportunity is to provide $12.033 million in 2026-27 in one-off funding to eligible registered providers to pay eligible registered and enrolled nurses working in aged care to take their leave entitlements at the increased wage rates effective from 1 August 2026 as a result of the FWC decision under the ACWVC only. 

This grant opportunity will only cover: 

• 1 August 2026 wage increases for eligible registered and enrolled nurses working in aged care.

This grant opportunity recognises that accumulated leave liabilities for eligible registered and enrolled nurses working in aged care will have increased as a result of the FWC ACWVC decision that applied from 1 August 2026, and the associated cost to registered providers of aged care when these nurses take this leave will have increased. 

Eligible registered providers include those that provide one or more of the following Commonwealth funded aged care programs: 

• Residential Aged Care, 
• Support at Home Program, 
• Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), 
• Transition Care Program, and / or
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFACP). 

The Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program provides grants to enhance the safety and accessibility of aerodromes/airports in remote and very remote areas of Australia. This will:

• improve the safety of aircraft, operators and passengers using remote and very remote airstrips
• facilitate improved delivery of essential goods and services such as food supplies, health care, community mail and passenger air services
• complement air services delivery to communities subsidised under the Australian Government’s Remote Air Services Subsidy (RASS) Scheme
• meet operational requirements of aeromedical (including the RFDS) and emergency services
• support improved access to air services for people with disability.

Grants will be from $5,000 to $4 million.

The grant will be up to 50% of eligible project costs (grant percentage), unless either:

• the applicant (you) and a third party (could include state, territory or local government or other non-government funding) are both contributing to eligible project costs, the grant amount for this opportunity may be reduced to a third of eligible project costs
• the applicant (you) meets the definition in the grant opportunity guidelines as an Indigenous Owned and/or Operated Aerodrome, the grant will be up to 100% of eligible project costs.

The Multicultural Community Medals and Honour Roll celebrate people and organisations from across NSW who are making outstanding contributions to NSW’s multicultural society.

The Multicultural Community Medals recognise individuals and organisations creating positive change through community leadership, volunteering, advocacy, service delivery and initiatives that foster belonging, inclusion and understanding between cultures.

The Multicultural Honour Roll is special recognition given to someone who has passed away. It honours the important work they did to build a more inclusive, strong and connected community for everyone.

The Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program is aimed at providing Automated External Defibrillators and associated equipment to NSW sport and recreation facilities and clubs.

The key objectives of the Program align to the Office of Sport Strategic Plan ‘Everyone Plays Here’, with the specific objectives to:

• Promote wider access to these devices across NSW
• Support local sport and active recreational clubs or related incorporated organisations located in, or servicing, the most disadvantaged areas of NSW in purchasing an AED package.

The NSW Government has allocated up to $500,000 in 2026/27 for this Program.

• Grants of up to $3,000 are available to fund the cost of an approved AED package listed in Appendix A.
• There is no mandatory financial contribution. However, where the cost of the selected package exceeds $3,000, the organisation must fund the additional cost.
• Eligible organisations can only receive funding for one AED package under this round of the Program.

The Wild Country Environmental Fund was established in May 2022 by Georgina and Michael who have a life-long affinity for wild places. They love to fund education and advocacy of wild places, research into wild places and their ecology, and support direct action to protect these places.

Funds are distributed throughout the year to registered Australian charities with DRG1 status, with $10,000 distributed per quarter as individual grants between $1,000 and $5,000 per project.

They encourage applications from registered charities small or large.

The Mable Foundation is a public benevolent institute that helps individuals, community groups, and organisations foster independence and inclusion for older people and those with a disability.

The Foundation provides this support through our annual Mable Community Grants program, which offers four grants of $10,000 each to community, sporting group, charity, or not-for-profit organisations that are directly improving the lives of people with disability or older people.