This grant supports local government to identify, conserve and promote heritage, improving local heritage outcomes. It combines and replaces the funding available at the previous funding rounds.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $25,000
- Application opened: 10 September 2022
- Application closed: 2 December 2022, 12:00 pm
Program objective
The NSW Government is looking for innovative ideas to boost public access to state’s most significant heritage places and stimulate local economies across NSW.
Heritage NSW has simplified the Local Government Heritage Grant program to support, promote and realise the values of local heritage. The NSW Government is providing funding to local councils who are best placed to understand their community and their connection to heritage.
Each local council in NSW can apply for a $25,000 grant to support projects that help identify, conserve and promote heritage in their area.
A key change for this year’s funding round is that local councils will only need to apply once. This category replaces the several previously offered programs including the Local Heritage Advisors, Small Heritage Grants and Local Government Heritage Studies Grants. This round’s funding can still be used for those purposes, as well some additional uses that support local heritage outcomes. It is designed to provide local councils with greater flexibility to meet the needs of their community.
Successful projects must be delivered between July 2023 and May 2025.
This program is administered by Heritage NSW.
This program is funded by Environment and Heritage.
Eligibility
Who can apply
- local government entities in NSW (local councils)
Who can’t apply
- Business, individuals and non-for-profit organisations
- Councils outside of NSW
What you can apply for
Only local government entities in NSW (local councils) can apply for this grant. Only one application per local council will be accepted. This grant can be used for a range of services, products, projects and activities that:
- contribute to better management, identification, and conservation of heritage, or
- facilitate commemoration, promotion, celebration and participation in heritage.
Examples of projects allowed are:
- Preparing a Heritage Study
- Running a local heritage grant program
- Providing Local Heritage Advisor Service to the community
- Obtaining specialist heritage advice
- Interpreting of promoting heritage
- Providing heritage training to council staff or community
- Developing heritage tools
What can’t you apply for
Examples of projects that will not be allowed include:
- Aboriginal cultural heritage studies that do not demonstrate satisfactory engagement or consultation with local Aboriginal communities
- Any project work and associated costs, not included pre-planning that occurs before 1 July 2023
- Costs of updating State Heritage Inventory/Heritage Management System
- Establishment and/or ongoing management of a heritage committee
- Ongoing employee positions or in-house project management by salaried officers as either voluntary or cash contributions
- Construction of new buildings
- Purchase of or relocation of heritage items
- Works to commemorative monuments or headstones
- Purchase of equipment (for example lawn mowers)
- Routine maintenance such as gardening, cutter cleaning, carpet cleaning etc.
- Conservation of council owner heritage items.
How much you can you apply for
Each eligible application will be allocated $25,000 to be used towards their project. Only one grant will be awarded per council. Heritage NSW will use Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data to determine if you need to provide a matched contribution.
Refer to Attachment 1 on Page 11 of the Local Government Heritage Grant guidelines (PDF 656.67KB) to see if your council will need to provide matched funding or not.
For grants that require a matched co-contribution, your contribution will need to be the same, or greater, than the grant amount.
Your contribution may include reasonable in-kind contributions. For example, realistic hourly rates for relevant activities - but not in-house project management by salaried staff.
What your application needs to include
Next steps in the application process
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Step 1: Send in your application | Complete the application form in SmartyGrants. You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your completed application. Applications open 10 September 2022 and must be in by 2 December 2022. |
| Step 2: Eligibility checks | Heritage NSW will review the application against the eligibility criteria. |
| Step 3: Decision | The of Manager Incentives and Engagement Heritage NSW will determine each application. |
| Step 4: Notification | We’ll let you know the outcome of your application by 30 June 2023. You will be notified in writing of the decision. There are no appeals and the decision on applications is final. |
| Step 5: Funding agreement | If you are successful, we’ll send you a funding agreement to sign |
| Step 6: Project commencement | Projects can start from 1 July 2023. |
| Step 7: Reporting and acquittal | You must send in regular progress reports throughout the project. Your final report on the project’s outcomes and expenditure is due by May 2025. |
Address the eligibility criteria
Heritage NSW will review the application and ensure it has been submitted by a local council, and that the activities outlined in the application are approved. See table 2 of the Local Government Heritage Grants funding guidelines (PDF 656.67KB)for example of services, products, projects and activities that are allowed.
If your project involves Aboriginal cultural heritage you must show that the project has the support of the local Aboriginal community, or multiple communities, and how you intend to undertake appropriate consultation with them.
Address the assessment criteria
You much show that the activities in the application will:
- contribute to better management, identification, and conservation of heritage, or
- facilitate commemoration, promotion, celebration and participation in heritage.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Manager Incentives and Engagement, Heritage NSW
We’ll let you know the outcome of your application by 30 June 2023. You will be notified in writing of the decision. There are no appeals and the decision on applications is final.
If your application is successful:
- the name of your council, details of your project and amount of funding allocated to you will be made public.
- you will be required to sign a funding agreement with terms and conditions.
- you will need to report on key measures to show success.
- you must ensure that projects are undertaken by people with the suitable expertise and qualifications.
- you must acknowledge NSW government funding in all materials produced for your project.
- any study funded by this grant must be made public.
- if running a grant program you must ensure that the grant recipients:
- obtain any separate approvals and permits under the Heritage Act 1977, NationalParks and Wildlife Service Act 1974 and/or local council planning and building requirements before commencing works if required,
- seek advice of a heritage specialist where appropriate,
- use suitably qualified and experienced tradespeople, and
- ensure that physical works projects are undertaken to appropriate heritage standards.
Heritage NSW will seek your written permission to use materials from your project such as
photos, videos and documents, in media and publicity.
Find out more about how the grant is paid in the Local Government Heritage Grant funding guidelines. (PDF 656.67KB)