Destination NSW.
About the program
The Regional Night-Time Economy Program aims to encourage local business collaboration and support the development of vibrant night-time economies in Regional NSW. Business Collectives will be supported to deliver collaborative initiatives that develop their local economies from the day into the night.
The objectives of the Program are to:
- increase capacity and confidence of regional business collectives to identify and leverage existing local economic and cultural opportunities
- strengthen coordination between local businesses to deliver collective initiatives with a shared vision and strategy
- increase the number of collective initiatives in regional NSW that promote and support more vibrant town centres and precincts.
Pilot round
The NSW Government has committed $2 million in grant funding for a pilot round of the Regional Night-Time Economy Program. The Program comprises two components:
- Capacity-building to strengthen capability and support business collectives in delivering their grant funded project. Capacity-building topics might include vision setting, strategic planning, diversification and programming, and marketing.
- Grant funding of between $100,000 to $200,000 to enable project coordination, marketing and promotion, and events and activations to enhance night-time vibrancy in the town centre or precinct.
The pilot round of the Regional Night-Time Economy Program is open to eligible Applicants across 93 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in regional NSW.
For an overview of the Program, download the Regional Night-Time Economy Program Fact Sheet for Businesses (PDF 1.09MB). You may use this as a tool to share with your networks.
Before applying, read the Regional Night-Time Economy Program Guidelines (PDF 1.33MB) for detailed information, including eligibility criteria, assessment criteria and application process.
Applications are now open.
Apply here
Applications close: Thursday 20 November at 2pm (AEDT)
Information sessions were held on 23 October, 28 October and 3 November 2025. Watch the recording to learn about the pilot round of the Regional Night-Time Economy Program.
Find answers to frequently asked questions on the Program, application process, eligibility, assessment process, project delivery and capacity-building component.