Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Up to $350,000
- Application opened: 12 January 2026
- Application closes: 30 April 2026, 5:00 pm
Program objective
Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) are place-based partnerships between local government and the community, led by local businesses, to support and grow local economies, town centres, and main streets. Within a CID, stakeholders work together for a common goal of improving our local spaces.
The Community Improvement Districts Act 2025 (the CID Act) and associated regulations provide for the establishment and operation of CIDs in NSW.
The CID Seed Funding program is a $1.5 million grant program that will support grant recipients with seed funding to contribute towards eligible costs incurred during the process of becoming a CID. The Program is not proposed to cover all costs associated with establishing a CID, but to assist with costs incurred through the processes as designated by the legislation. It will also help inform Transport as the CID Authority develop future grant opportunities and capacity building activities to support CIDs establishment in NSW.
The CID Seed Funding program will support CID proponents to prepare the statutory documentation required for CID establishment. The objectives of the program are to:
- Provide seed funding to enable CID proponents to prepare the statutory documentation required for CID establishment.
- Reduce financial and procedural barriers for motivated CID proponents.
- Build CID proponent capacity in governance, consultation, and financial modelling.
- Support early engagement that demonstrates the benefits of CID formation to key stakeholders.
This program is administered by Cities and Active Transport.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Funding is available for CID proponents to prepare the statutory documentation required for CID establishment.
CID proponents across NSW may submit only one application for funding at any one time. The amount of funding available is based on the number of all parcels of land within the proposed CID boundary:
- Up to $150,000 (excluding GST) in funding available for CID proponents with a boundary of 125 parcels of land or fewer.
- Up to $350,000 (excluding GST) in funding available for CID proponents with a boundary of more than 125 parcels of land.
Applicants must:
- Be either an incorporated association, or a legal entity that is able to provide written evidence of their intention to become an incorporated association; and
- Have previously received funding under CID Pilot Program and/or Uptown Grant program and completed all reporting and acquittal activities associated with the program/s; and
- Be located within one of the seven gazetted Local Government Area (LGA) in which CIDs can be established within.
Location that are eligible include Clarence Valley, Inner West, Muswellbrook, Penrith, Randwick, Sydney, Tweed
Types of projects funded under this grant
Applicants must identify activities that contribute directly to the preparation of documentation required for submission to the CID Authority for assessment and determination under the CID Act.
CID Proposal:
- Section 9 of the CID Act prescribes that a CID proponent may make a proposal to the Authority for the establishment of a CID and specifies the information that must be included in that proposal.
- Consistent with section 9, preparation of a CID Proposal itself is eligible for funding under this grant program.
- Deliverables that inform or contribute to the preparation of a CID Proposal are also eligible for funding.
Community Consultation Report:
- Section 10 of the CID Act provides that before a CID proposal is accepted by the Authority, the CID proponent must consult with key stakeholders about the intention to make the proposal.
- Consistent with section 10, preparation of a Community Consultation Report itself is eligible for funding under this grant program.
- Deliverables that inform or contribute to the preparation of a Community Consultation Report are also eligible for funding.
Additional eligibility requirements
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the Department's discretion.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
All applicants are required to supply the following information in their SmartyGrants application.
Eligible Applications must
- Include an eligible CID boundary map.
- Outline proposed activities to be funded, including preparation of documents that are required under the CID Act and associated regulations.
- Identify the number of all parcels of land within the proposed CID boundary to determine their funding limits.
- Demonstrate existing capability within the CID entity, future capability required, and commitment to CID development.
- Demonstrate support from local stakeholders, including but not necessarily limited to:
- local businesses within the boundary (minimum of 5 letters of support).
- local property owners within the boundary (minimum of 3 letters of support).
- letter of support/non-objection from local council General Manager/s, or CEO/s (preferred), or written correspondence from a local council providing in-principle commitment of support (must be specific to the grant application and/or the entity’s intent to become a CID).
Note: Should written correspondence from a local council/s providing in-principle commitment of support be provided at the time of application, a letter of support/non-objection from the local council General Manager/s or CEO/s still must be provided prior to funding deed execution.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Address the assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed against alignment with program objectives and assessment criteria outlined in the CID Seed Funding program Guidelines.
Project deliverability:
- Experience, commitment, and ability to deliver the project.
- Risk mitigation.
- Financial viability.
- Project deliverability within the Program timeframes.
- Monitoring and Evaluation.
Value for money:
- Project delivers value for money.
- CID knowledge and becoming a CID.
- Project duplication.
- Production.
The program is an open, non-competitive, demand-driven/‘first-in, first-served’ grant process. Applications that do not clearly and sufficiently respond to the eligibility and assessment criteria will not be given the opportunity to provide additional information. Applicants should ensure they provide clear and relevant information in their application at time of initial submission
Start the application
Familiarise yourself with the grant requirements set out in the CID Seed Funding Program Guidelines, including the eligibility and assessment criteria.
Complete and submit your application via the SmartyGrants portal by 30 April 2026.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Executive Director Active Transport and Vibrancy, Transport for NSW
Applicants will receive an automatic acknowledgement of application receipt
Successful applications will be assessed by a panel, and the delegated decision maker will be: Executive Director Active Transport and Vibrancy, Transport for NSW.
Transport for NSW will assess an application against the eligibility and assessment criteria outlined in the Program Guidelines available on Community Improvement District (CID) Seed Funding program | Transport for NSW
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within approximately four weeks of submission.
Support and contact
To help applicants prepare their application, additional information and resources are available on the Community Improvement District (CID) Seed Funding Program webpage, including FAQs.