Funding: up to $15,000

Applications close: 5.00pm 31 March 2026

Purpose

Our Essential Grants Program provides financial support to community groups across our network area, contributing to positive outcomes for regional communities.

Overview

The program supports community-based initiatives that align with the following categories:

• Environment  - Examples include initiatives that support a circular economy and waste reduction, habitat restoration or community gardens.
• Energy Transition - Examples include funding contributions for solar panels or electrifying community buildings.
• Education - Examples include the investment in STEM education in schools and community organisations.
• Resilience - Examples include the provision of resources that support communities affected by disaster events.

Last financial year, 2024-2025, we contributed $150,000 in grants to community groups in our network area, with amounts up to $15,000 funded to each successful applicant.

For more information: https://www.essentialenergy.com.au/about-us/community-support/Essential-Grants

Apply Using SmartyGrants: https://www.fundingcentre.com.au/grant/G19953/apply

Funding: up to $20,000

Applications open: 3 March 2026

Applications close: 16 April 2026

The Rebuilding Futures program seeks to support communities to strengthen their resilience through long-term recovery from a significant disaster by undertaking community-identified and community-led recovery, prevention and preparedness activities for public benefit.

A broad range of community led initiatives will be supported to achieve at least one of the following:

• Assist in the recovery from disaster impact; or
• Strengthen prevention and preparedness for the future.

AND evidence outcomes of 1 or more of the 7 critical dimensions for building community resilience: Inclusion; Networks; Communication; Information; Self-Organising Systems, Local decision making; and/or Resources.

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Funding: undisclosed

Applications close: 11.59pm 26 April 2026

The Earthwatch Student Challenge is an opportunity for a select number of Year 10 - 12 students to experience environmental research first hand.

• This is a fully-funded scholarship opportunity
• No prior experience is necessary
• Receive training in scientific fieldwork from leading scientists
• Gain valuable insights into conservation research

Current Program Dates:

• Expedition 1:  Magnetic Island, June 28 - July 3rd, 2026
• Expedition 2:  Daintree, September 20 - 25, 2026

• Be a current Year 10, 11 or 12 student
• Attend a government school in rural or regional NSW or QLD.
• Have not participated in a previous Student Challenge expedition

For more information and to apply Earthwatch Student Challenge

Funding:  $100,000 to $1,000,000 

Applications close: 4pm 1 May 2026

The purpose of the Active Regional Communities Package is to enhance the liveability, resilience and long-term sustainability of regional NSW by investing in community events, infrastructure and locally driven activities that strengthen social cohesion, support community participation, and improve the amenity of regional places.

The Active Regional Communities Package has 3 streams to target activities, with proportionate investment, to achieve the overarching objective of the Active Regional Communities Package. The Streams enable funding to support a wide range of projects that work together to attract and retain residents and workers essential to regional economic success and provide communities opportunities needed to thrive and adapt to economic or environmental change.

This program is for the Community Participation Stream - Stream Two.

The Community Participation Stream is a $25 million investment from the Regional Development Trust Fund and delivers priorities identified in the Regional Development Trust Fund Investment Strategy in the following Key Focus Areas of the strategy:

• Community connection and capacity building
• Improving regional service delivery.

The overarching Active Regional Communities Package aims to make regional NSW a great place to live and work.

The objective of the Community Participation Stream is to:

• Increase liveability and social cohesion of communities through greater participation in community activities that contribute to the wellbeing, social or economic participation of residents

The minimum grant amount is $100,000 and the maximum grant amount is $1 million (GST exclusive).

For more information and to apply Active Regional Communities Package - Community Participation - Stream 2

Funding: no maximum or minimum allocation

Applications close: 10 May 2026

Qantas is offering $2 million in support to Australian-based communities and projects that are looking to benefit Australia's regional areas.The $2 million is divided between marketing support ($750,000) and flights and cash ($1,250,000).

To apply and for more Information: Qantas Regional Grants

Australia's capacity to respond to disasters relies on emergency management volunteers. Today's volunteer leaders must negotiate a maze of relationships, networks and expectations to lead effectively in the disaster environment. Leadership demands innovation, creativity, negotiation, improvisation and strategic vision.

The Volunteer Leadership Program (VLP) equips volunteers from community organisations, not-for-profits, disaster relief organisations and local government within the emergency management sector, with the skills and confidence to grow as leaders. The VLP experience is immersive and collaborative, bringing together volunteers from different organisations and agencies to build knowledge and share experiences with each other. The program explores practical leadership frameworks through interactive learning, and participants gain both self-awareness and an enhanced ability to understand and contribute to their organisations. 

Please direct any questions to events@aidr.org.au.

For more information and to apply Volunteer Leadership Program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Funding: $10,000 - $20,000

Applications close: 21 May 2026

The annual grant program supports initiatives that will make an impact in your community.

The project supports initiatives that provide sustainable, tangible and long-term benefits with positive outcomes for Australian rural, regional and remote communities. In turn this builds capacity, longevity, liveability and connection in the regions in which we operate.

Based on six distinct pillars, the project offers a total of 12 grants, on, Elders will offer grants up to $20,000. 

Each application must align to one of the following pillars;

• regional skills and workforce development,
• environmental awareness,
• innovation,
• healthy bodies and minds,
• encouraging diversity, and
• safety first.

In addition to the six pillars above, there will be two People's Choice grants, for a maximum of $10,000 each. This open criteria grant will be voted for by Elders employees.

For more information and to apply Elders Community Giving Project 

Small Environmental Grant Scheme

Funding Amount: between $2,000 and $15,000

Expressions of Interest Submissions Due: 

• 15th June 2026 (for funding in August 2026)
• 14th September 2026 (for funding in November 2026)
• 14th December 2026 (for funding in February 2027)

Providing support for organisations undertaking projects that will make a positive difference to the natural living environment, in land, sea or air, rural or urban. We support grassroots organisations and individuals, and academics who are working with on-ground community groups.

Leadership Development Grants

Submissions Due:

• 15th June 2026 (for funding in August 2026)
• 14th September 2026 (for funding in November 2026)
• 14th December 2026 (for funding in February 2027)

Providing support to people playing a key role in conservation projects. Grants are awarded to individuals for professional development in their field, particularly those involved in grassroots landscape restoration.

Funding: up to US $1,000 000 (AUD $1,450,00 approx.) for each category

Applications open: 26 January 2026

Applications close: 7:00am AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10) on 23 June 2026 in NSW, Australia [5pm EST (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5) 22 June 2026].

The Zayed Sustainability Prize recognises and rewards small and medium enterprises (SMEs), nonprofit organisations (NPOs), and global high schools with impactful, innovative, and inspiring sustainable solutions.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize awards 6 categories; Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and, Global High Schools. 

For more information and to apply Zayad Sustainability Prize

Closes: Ongoing

Purves Environmental Foundation grants gifts (funds) to enable and empower others working towards environmental sustainability and preservation of biodiversity.

We aim to:

• Act as catalyst to change
• Fill gaps in effecting change
• Break down barriers to action
• Support creation of new thinking and practice
• Provide bold leadership
• Encourage participation of stakeholders

Current Regular Giving funding focus areas:

Degradation of key biodiversity habitat

We aim to support initiatives that seek to advocate for prevention of destruction of biodiversity habitat through improvement in policies and management, backed by best available science.

Unsustainable management of natural resources

 

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Value: $50 to $100

Voucher 2 – 2025: Available now

• Apply for and use the voucher by 14 July 2026

Voucher 1 – 2026: Available now

• Apply for and use the voucher by 31 December 2026

Vouchers to help families with eligible school-aged children pay for sport, recreational, creative or cultural activities.

For more Information: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-for-an-active-and-creative-kids-voucher

Run By: Service NSW

Amount: Up to $250,000

For: Business, Individual

Status: Ongoing

Low interest loans of up to $250,000 are available to primary producers in NSW to fund a broad range of products, activities and services aimed at improving drought preparedness and climate variability resilience.

Program objective

The Drought Ready and Resilient Fund (DRRF) will increase the self-reliance, sustainability, and resilience of NSW primary production enterprises to manage drought.

The program is offered to eligible primary production enterprises for eligible activities that support the primary production enterprise to implement their Farm Business Resilience Plan (or equivalent), as detailed in the program guidelines. (PDF 1.93MB)

This program is administered by Rural Assistance Authority.

This program is funded by NSW Treasury.

Grant amount: Up to $1,000

Status: Ongoing

Program objective

If you are a small business owner in NSW, the $1,000 SafeWork small business rebate can help you purchase eligible safety items to make your workplace safer for you and your workers, including managing or eliminating hazards and risks that may cause serious injury, illness or death at work.

The rebate only applies to safety items on the eligible items list. These items support safety solutions which are high level controls under the hierarchy of control.

Addition of agricultural drones

Agricultural drones (used in a primary producing farming operation with one or more of the following capabilities: spray, spread and/or visual capabilities) have been added as eligible items under the $1,000 SafeWork small business rebate. The Hon. Sophie Cotsis MP, Minister for Industrial Relations, and Minister for Work Health and Safety approved this addition in August 2025.

The addition of agricultural drones to the rebate align with SafeWork NSW’s 2025-2026 regulatory priorities relating to harm prevention associated with mobile plant, vehicles or fixed machinery. This addition will support regional and small farm operations that will benefit from the use of drone technology as a practical and modern safety tool. Visit the SafeWork website or email safetyrebate@safework.nsw.gov.au if you have any questions.

This program is funded and administered by SafeWork NSW.

Boarding Scholarships for Isolated Students (BSIS) provides financial support for eligible students boarding away from home or residential fees to access education.

Scholarships are available for students in Years 7 to 12 who are disadvantaged by a low family income and geographical isolation.

You can apply for a scholarship on the NSW Education website

Funding: up to $10,000

Status: Ongoing

The objective of the program is to provide a concessional interest rate loan to eligible sporting and recreation clubs and associations to assist with the costs associated with clean up, removal of debris and/or the restoration of essential facilities, equipment or other assets that have been damaged or destroyed as a result of the declared natural disaster.

Natural Disaster Relief Loans are only provided to eligible small business operators following the declaration of a natural disaster by the NSW Government.

This program is administered by Rural Assistance Authority.

This program is funded by NSW Treasury.

For more information and to apply, please click here.

If your home or essential household contents were damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster, you may be eligible for the Disaster Relief Grant for individuals.

The financial assistance is provided to help people to recover from the effects of a disaster and re-establish a basic standard of living. It is not provided to replace insurance or compensate for losses.

From $2,000 to $15,000

For: Individual

Status: Ongoing

These grants provide financial assistance for landholders managing conservation agreement areas to improve the biodiversity value of their properties.

Conservation Partners Grants support landholders working to protect and manage biodiversity on their land.

The grants are available on an on-going basis for landholders who are not seeking or are ineligible for conservation management payments under the Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s Conservation Management Program.
Funding

There are four levels of funding available:

Up to $15,000 per year for up to three years for landholders with in-perpetuity conservation agreements, Trust Agreements, Registered Property Agreements.
Up to $8,000 per year for up to three years for landholders with a term Registered Property Agreement.
Up to $2,000 per year for up to three years for landholders with a wildlife refuge or wildlife refuge agreement or who are members of Wildlife Land Trust.
Landholders with Land For Wildlife agreements can apply to the Community Environment Network (CEN) for conservation partners grants of up to $2,000 per year.

The CEN grant can be identified by prefix "LFWBG" in recipient number.

In-perpetuity agreements greater than 1,000 Ha in size may be eligible for up to $30,000/year for up to three years. Investment at this level is at the discretion of the BCT and subject to case-by-case assessment.

Applications will be funded if they are eligible, complete and meet the assessment criteria and if the BCT has available funding.

Contributions from landholders such as labour or co-contributions are encouraged.

This program is funded and administered by NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust.

Funds: based on application for the specific initiative/request.
Maximum amount: N/A
Closes: Ongoing
Run by: IGA