Uptown Grant Program
The Uptown Grant Program is designed to fast-track the formation of local business communities and facilitate the growth of their districts into vibrant going-out hubs in line with the NSW Government's 24-Hour Economy Strategy for Greater Sydney.
Uptown Program - Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner
The Uptown Grant Program aims to enable the development of districts across Greater Sydney into unique going-out destinations by supporting formally aligned groups of businesses in a local area (District Teams) to collectively work on enhancing their district's offering and building consumer engagement with their district.
The Program aims to:
- increase coordination and collaboration between businesses in distinct geographical areas
- support business models that allow for partnerships, including major events, brands and government
- increase the marketability of unique districts with distinct products developed
- increase consumer awareness and engagement with districts.
Uptown Grant Program - Round 2
The NSW Government has committed a further $6 million in funding to support Round 2 of the Uptown Grant Program.
Round 2 of the Program will provide the following funding opportunities:
- up to $200,000 (excl. GST) but no less than $100,000 (excl. GST) of seed funding to eligible District Teams to coordinate their district and for consumer engagement.
- $100,000 (excl. GST) of funding for previous Uptown Grant Program recipients that are working to self-sustainability and growing consumer engagement.
Please refer to the Uptown Grant Program Guidelines Round 2 (PDF 4.37MB) for further information, including eligibility criteria, assessment criteria and application process.
Addendum
An Addendum has been issued in relation to the application process and eligible entities.
District Teams that have commenced the process of incorporating as an eligible entity are now able to submit an application. Previously, only District Teams that are an eligible entity at the time of application could submit.
Amendments have been made to the application form under the “Eligibility” section, which includes:
- Updated wording to allow District Teams to indicate what entity they are forming and will be applying as, or what entity they have already formed.
- Opportunity to upload multiple documents to provide evidence.
- If District Teams are in the process of forming one of the eligible entities, they may enter the ABN of one of their members.
Evidence must be provided in the application form or in an email (sent to uptown@create.nsw.gov.au) to demonstrate that District Teams have commenced the process of incorporating as an eligible entity. Evidence may include a completed application form submitted or an application payment receipt. If a District Team doesn’t provide sufficient evidence of commencing the process to incorporate as an eligible entity by 11:59pm, Thursday 21 March 2024, the application will be deemed ineligible by DEIT.
The allowance of extra time to complete the incorporation process does not change the eligibility criteria for funding. To execute a Funding Deed, District Teams must be an eligible entity with an ABN and registered for GST.
This update is being made in line with the “Additional considerations” section of the Program Guidelines (see page 18). DEIT reserves the right to change the scope or the requirements of these guidelines.
(11 March 2024)
Apply
Applications closed on Monday 18 March 2024 at 2pm (AEDT).
Information sessions
Online information sessions on Round 2 of the Uptown Grant Program were held on 12 February 2024 and 19 February 2024. A recording of one of the sessions can viewed below.
Information Session 2 - Uptown Grant Program Round 2
Key program documents
Program Guidelines
Addendum
An Addendum has been issued in relation to the application process and eligible entities.
District Teams that have commenced the process of incorporating as an eligible entity are now able to submit an application. Previously, only District Teams that are an eligible entity at the time of application could submit.
Amendments have been made to the application form under the “Eligibility” section, which includes:
- Updated wording to allow District Teams to indicate what entity they are forming and will be applying as, or what entity they have already formed.
- Opportunity to upload multiple documents to provide evidence.
- If District Teams are in the process of forming one of the eligible entities, they may enter the ABN of one of their members.
Evidence must be provided in the application form or in an email (sent to uptown@create.nsw.gov.au) to demonstrate that District Teams have commenced the process of incorporating as an eligible entity. Evidence may include a completed application form submitted or an application payment receipt. If a District Team doesn’t provide sufficient evidence of commencing the process to incorporate as an eligible entity by 11:59pm, Thursday 21 March 2024, the application will be deemed ineligible by DEIT.
The allowance of extra time to complete the incorporation process does not change the eligibility criteria for funding. To execute a Funding Deed, District Teams must be an eligible entity with an ABN and registered for GST.
This update is being made in line with the “Additional considerations” section of the Program Guidelines (see page 18). DEIT reserves the right to change the scope or the requirements of these guidelines.
(11 March 2024)
Templates
File
District plan (DOCX 59.43KB)File
Programming plan (DOCX 60.12KB)File
Budget (XLSX 165.23KB)File
Risk management plan (XLSX 89.69KB)
Appendices
Frequently asked questions
Addendum
No, District Teams do not need to be an eligible entity at the time of submitting their application, but must be able to provide evidence that they have commenced a relevant incorporation process. Evidence may include application forms submitted to become an eligible entity or application payment receipt.
Evidence can be attached in the application form, or can be emailed through to uptown@create.nsw.gov.au.
If you do not provide sufficient evidence that your District Team has commenced the process to incorporate as an eligible entity by 11:59pm, Thursday 21 March 2024, your application will be deemed ineligible by DEIT.
The allowance of extra time to complete the incorporation process does not change the eligibility criteria for funding. To execute a Funding Deed, District Teams must be an eligible entity with an ABN and registered for GST.
Allowing applications from District Teams that are about to be an eligible entity acknowledges that this process may take some time to complete. The allowance of extra time to complete the process does not change the eligibility criteria for funding.
This update is being made in line with the “Additional considerations” section of the Program Guidelines (see page 18). DEIT reserves the right to change the scope or the requirements of these guidelines.
About the Program
The Uptown Program is designed to fast-track the formation of local business communities and facilitate the growth of their districts into vibrant going-out hubs in line with the NSW Government’s 24-Hour Economy Strategy for Greater Sydney. (See page 2 within the Program Guidelines).
The Uptown Grant Program (the Program) aims to enable the development of districts across Greater Sydney into unique going out destinations by supporting formally aligned groups of businesses in a local area (District Teams) to collectively work on enhancing their district’s offering and building consumer engagement with their district. (See page 4 within the Program Guidelines).
Districts are a geographically distinct micro-area (e.g., a high street or block of streets) that have a unique identity and diverse cultural and entertainment offerings across multiple venues within short walking or biking distance. A district is not an entire suburb. (See page 5 within the Program Guidelines).
A District Team consists of five or more local businesses, social enterprises and/or arts and cultural organisations that are aligned under a unified identity as a means of engaging residents, visitors, and collaborators to a district. District Team members may come from various sectors to serve the community around them with a range of amenities and services, such as accommodation, arts and culture, tourism, hospitality, live performance, retail and sport. (See page 5 within the Program Guidelines).
Download the brochure of the Uptown Grant Program Round 1 recipients for examples of District Teams.
Round 2 of the Uptown Grant Program will provide the following funding opportunities:
- up to $200,000 (excl. GST) but no less than $100,000 (excl. GST) of seed funding to eligible District Teams to coordinate their district and for consumer engagement.
- $100,000 (excl. GST) of funding for previous Uptown Grant Program recipients that are working to self-sustainability and growing consumer engagement.
Please note that previous recipients of the Uptown Grant Program are limited to applying for a total of $100,000 (excl. GST) in funding.
(See page 5 within the Program Guidelines).
Funding needs to be spent within 12 months of the Funding Deed being signed.
Projects can start after 1 June 2024.
Please note that project costs incurred before notification of application outcome are ineligible for funding.
(See page 10 of the Program Guidelines)
The Program was developed by the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner and administered by Create NSW, both within the Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade (DEIT).
Yes. District Teams that were not successful in Round 1 of the Uptown Grant Program can apply in Round 2 for up to $200,000 (excl. GST) for seed funding to coordinate their district and for consumer engagement.
Yes. A business that is currently a member of a Round 1 District Team can apply for Round 2 funding as part of another District Team. However, the business must operate multiple venues under one ABN. Each venue must have a separate address and each venue can only participate in one District Team.
A business whose venue is currently part of a Round 1 District Team cannot be part of a new District Team using the same address.
Eligibility and resources
Applicants are not eligible to apply if, at the time of application, they:
- are not one of the above eligible entities; or
- have received funding for the purpose of a Community Improvement District or a Business Improvement District in the past five years. This includes businesses that have multiple ABNs and have already used one of their ABNs to claim a grant.
(See page 6 within the Program Guidelines).
The following entity types can apply for Round 2 of the Uptown Grant Program:
- Incorporated Association
- Company Limited by Guarantee
- Non-distributing Co-operative
(See page 6 within the Program Guidelines).
Please refer to the Glossary on page 23 of the Program Guidelines for entity definitions.
No, we are unable to provide any advice on how to choose or become one of the eligible entities.
However, below are recordings of training modules from the Uptown Accelerator Program on governance and a pro-forma constitution template and governance guide to download.
Recordings:
- Uptown Accelerator Program - Governance and Legal Workshop
- Uptown Accelerator Program - What is a Constitution
- Uptown Accelerator Program - What is a Membership
- Uptown Accelerator Program - What is Good Governance
Documents:
Yes. District Teams that received funding in Round 1 can apply for only $100,000 (excl. GST) in funding in Round 2.
District Teams that received funding in Round 1 must submit their Milestone 2 Progress Report in SmartyGrants in order to be eligible to apply for further funding. (See page 11 within the Program Guidelines).
Yes. District Teams that were not successful in Round 1 of the Uptown Grant Program can apply in Round 2 for up to $200,000 (excl. GST) for seed funding to coordinate their district and for consumer engagement.
No, the Program is an open competitive process. However, District Teams who have completed the Uptown Accelerator are generally better positioned to apply as the Accelerator provides the framework for District Teams to establish as a collective and promote their district to partners, sponsors, collaborators, and consumers.
No. District Teams must have an ABN at time of application to be eligible to apply.
(See page 6 within the Program Guidelines).
No. All applicants must be GST registered. However, if you are in the process of applying for GST you are eligible to apply on the condition that you can provide evidence of your GST application.
If your Uptown Grant application is successful, you must be GST registered in order to execute the funding deed.
(See page 6 within the Program Guidelines).
Only eligible activities will be funded under the Uptown Grant.
(See pages 8 - 9 within the Program Guidelines)
The following activities cannot be funded under the Uptown Grant:
- Rent and utilities
- Purchase or lease of land or property
- Venue hire
- Activities, equipment or supplies that are already being supported through other sources
- Financing costs, including interest and debt financing
- Maintenance and repairs
- Capital works
- Purchasing of permanent equipment / fixed assets
- Fundraising/prizes
- Education or training costs
- Costs incurred before notification of application outcome
- Activity that constitutes the normal course of business for District Team members, not related to eligible grant activities
- Activity that takes place outside of the eligible district; and
- Activity that takes place after the end of the grant funding period.
The Uptown Grant Program is open to District Teams that are based in Greater Sydney Local Government Areas (LGAs) only. A full list of eligible LGAs can be found in the Guidelines. (See page 7 within the Program Guidelines).
The Uptown Grant Program is funded and delivered by the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner. The Program was designed to align with the eligibility of the second round of the Uptown Program (which commenced in August 2023 with the Uptown Accelerator) as well as the 24-Hour Economy Strategy where the remit of the Commissioner encompassed Greater Sydney at that time.
Yes, District Teams that have applied for a CID grant can apply for an Uptown grant if, at the time of application, they have not received funding for the purpose of a CID or BID in the past five years. (See page 6 within the Program Guidelines)
Please note that applicants must disclose whether any aspect of their proposal, the subject of the Uptown Grant Program application, has either:
- received funding through another NSW Government funding program; or
- applied for funding through another NSW Government funding program with the outcome pending.
Applications may be reviewed to ensure that the applicant is not seeking or receiving multiple sources of funding for the same proposal. (See page 16 within the Program Guidelines)
If your District Team has received funding for the purpose of a BID or CID, the NSW Government has already provided funding for the advancement of your district.
District Teams
No, a District Team member does not need to be in the same LGA as the District.
However, please note that all eligible applications will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the Program Guidelines. As per the ‘Composition’ assessment criteria, the composition of your District Team must reflect the District Vision and connection to the District location (see page 12 of the Program Guidelines).
Yes, there are circumstances where a District cuts across multiple LGAs, however please ensure that it meets the Program definition of a District (see page 5 of the Program Guidelines).
A business can only be a member of more than one District Team if they are operating multiple venues under one ABN, but there are separate operating addresses for those venues.
Yes. A business that is currently a member of a Round 1 District Team can apply for Round 2 funding as part of another District Team. However, the business must operate multiple venues under one ABN. Each venue must have a separate address and each venue can only participate in one District Team.
A business whose venue is currently part of a Round 1 District Team cannot be part of a new District Team using the same address.
Applying
Applications close Monday 18 March 2024 at 2pm AEDT.
(See page 3 within the Program Guidelines).
Applications can only be made through the NSW Government’s Grant Finder website.
No. Only one application can be made per District Team.
(See page 7 within the Program Guidelines).
Previous Uptown Grant Program recipients will be sent a link to the Round 2 application form via email. This will be sent to the current account holder email address registered in SmartyGrants. The application form for previous recipients will not be made publicly available on the Grant Finder website, however all other information relating to the Program will be.
If your District Team has not received the application form, please contact DEIT staff Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm on:
Phone: (02) 9228 4578
Email: uptown@create.nsw.gov.au
No. Applications will not be received after the closing date and time unless there were technical difficulties outside of your control in submitting your application.
In this instance, you must contact DEIT as soon as possible ahead of the closing time and provide evidence and information of the technical issues which prevented the application from being submitted which may include:
- error messages with timestamps; and
- all necessary documentation for application submission within one hour of the closing time.
Late applications due to technical difficulties will be reviewed and eligibility determined with absolute discretion by the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner. Technical difficulties does not include where an application form was commenced, but the applicant ran out of time to complete it.
(See page 17 within the Program Guidelines).
No. Once an application has been submitted via SmartyGrants, it cannot be edited. Please ensure when you are submitting your application that it is complete and final. The O24HEC may seek clarification during the application assessment process; however, this will be at its absolute discretion during the assessment.
Yes, it is mandatory to use the following templates in your application:
- District Plan
- Programming Plan
- Budget
- Risk Management Plan
Where these templates have not been used for the application, the O24HEC reserves the right to consider the application to be non-conforming and not consider it further, at its absolute discretion.
Proposed projects are not required to have received approvals prior to applying.
However, you must demonstrate an approach to achieving appropriate approvals. Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure they are aware of all approvals or consents required and can demonstrate they have consulted with relevant parties. Events or activations must adhere to local planning controls and approvals and have the endorsement of any relevant sponsors.
A project with existing approvals will be ranked higher for their deliverability. (See page 16 of the Program Guidelines)
No. There is no financial contribution required from the applicant under this Program.
However, the Assessment Panel may consider any other proposed income and funding sources identified when assessing applications.
Yes, costs associated with trademarking your District brand is considered part of brand development, which is an eligible activity for funding under 2.A Consumer Engagement. (See page 9 of the Program Guidelines)
No. All expenses for the Program must be incurred within the 12-month funding period following the signing of the Funding Deed.
Assessment process
The assessment and approval process can take several weeks, and successful applicants will be notified as soon as possible on the outcome of their grant application.
If your application is ineligible, you will be advised via email within 14 business days after the closing date of the Program and your application will not proceed to assessment.
(See pages 17 - 19 within the Program Guidelines).
It is common for grant application outcomes to be released to applicants under embargo. The embargo helps to ensure the public announcement has the greatest impact possible in promoting the program. During the embargo period, applicants must not publicise the outcome in public domains such as social forums, websites, journals or newspapers.
The embargo applies to all applicants, including those who have been unsuccessful.
Help and support
Please reach out to uptown@create.nsw.gov.au if you would like support finding a contact within your local council.
Please note that while a letter of support or no objection from your council is desirable, it is not mandatory for your application.
Yes, provided the application has not been submitted. Please send your request to uptown@create.nsw.gov.au and provide the new contact person and their email address for us to change the District Team’s access in SmartyGrants.
Applicants may contact DEIT staff Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm on:
Phone: (02) 9228 4578
Email: uptown@create.nsw.gov.au
In the interests of probity and ensuring fairness, DEIT staff are not able to assist applicants with specific content related queries or comment on their applications.
Uptown Grant Program - Round 1
Round 1 of the Uptown Grant Program offered up to $200,000 (excl. GST) in seed funding to eligible District Teams to establish and coordinate their District and for consumer engagement.
Applications for the Uptown Grant Program - Round 1 closed on 9 March 2023.
Uptown District Profiles
Learn more about the 21 District Teams funded through Round 1 of the Uptown Grant Program that are forming going-out hubs for Greater Sydney.
Join the journey to improve our 24-hour economy
Be the first to hear about the latest programs, news and opportunities (including grants, funding, programs and resources) surrounding our efforts to build a vibrant, diverse, inclusive and safe 24-hour economy in NSW.