Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Tier 1 - On-the-ground projects funding 13 councils, each receiving $1 million. Tier 2 - Strategic projects funding 13 councils, each receiving $150,000
- Application opened: 30 January 2026
- Application closed: 6 March 2026
Program objective
The wider Safer Cities program and this program have the same aims. The aims are aligned with the United Nations Safer Cities for Girls program, adapted for an NSW context:
- Increasing women, girls and gender diverse people’s safety and access to public spaces.
- Enabling women, girls and gender diverse people to move freely and alone in their community.
- Increasing women, girls and gender diverse people’s engagement with how the spaces around them are designed and managed.
The Program supports local councils to deliver immediate and long-term projects that help improve perceptions of safety when moving to, through and within public spaces and transport hub precincts. The projects contribute to creating more accessible, safe, and enjoyable journeys, leading to a more walkable and vibrant NSW. Funding is available under two categories:
- Tier 1 - on-the-ground projects can apply for $1 million: Supports delivery of gender-inclusive placemaking initiatives in public spaces and transport hub precincts. Projects must be located along a walking or cycling route within an 800m radius of a transport hub. They must include three or more themes of gender-inclusive placemaking initiatives such as lighting, public art, events, amenities or accessibility improvements.
- Tier 2 - strategic projects can apply for $150,000: Supports the development of non-physical gender-inclusive placemaking initiatives in a particular town, local centre or across a whole Local Government Area. Projects in this tier must test an action or outcome through a trial pop-up along a chosen walking or cycling route within an 800m radius of a transport hub, across the LGA, or where appropriate, another format, prior to finalisation. Projects may include strategies, behaviour change programs or public education campaigns.
This program is administered by Cities and Active Transport.
This program is funded by Transport for NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
- Applicants must be a local council within NSW.
- Applicants may submit applications for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 funding (maximum of one application per tier).
- All NSW councils are eligible, with the exception of Safer Cities: Her Way 1 council partners who are not eligible for Tier 1 but may apply for Tier 2.
- Must obtain a letter of support from the council General Manager, or equivalent delegated officer.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Projects in both tiers must:
- Focus on a walking and/or cycling route or a journey to a public transport hub. The chosen route must:
- be within 800m radius of a transport hub; and
- provide a walking or cycling connection linking the transport hub to/or through the town or local centre.
- Be located in public spaces:
- along the chosen route; and
- on council-owned or managed land.
- Include engagement with local women, girls and / or gender diverse people both before and after the implementation of the project to inform the development and evaluation of the project. At a minimum, engagement must include:
- at least one daytime ‘before’ walkshop;
- at least one nighttime ‘before’ walkshop;
- at least one co-design session;
- for Tier 1, at least one ‘after’ walkshop;
- a community survey, online and/or face-to-face, before and after the delivery or trial pop-up using the Community Survey Tool for Public Space and Public Life;
- Place evaluation before and after the delivery or trial pop-up using the Evaluation Tool for Public Space and Public Life; and
- Use of the Core Indicators
- Identify relevant stakeholders, key decision makers and community (including targeted subgroups such as women, girls and / or gender diverse people) that will be engaged to inform and evaluate the project.
- Demonstrate alignment with at least two areas of impact in the Women’s Safety Charter for the Public Domain - Places and Transport.
- If applying for Tier 1 and 2, the Tier 2 project should not duplicate Tier 1’s proposal and should expand the project in scope, scale, or be in a different location.
- Tier 1 projects must also deliver initiatives in at least three of the six identified categories of gender-inclusive placemaking initiatives (see page 12).
- In Tier 2, projects must:
- deliver a strategy, plan or policy, public education or communication campaign or behaviour change program;
- conduct a pop-up trial on the chosen route, across the LGA, or where appropriate, another format to test the project prior to finalisation.
- Start in May 2026 and acquit no later than May 2028.
Projects are encouraged to:
- Involve and/or leverage existing relationships with local community organisations and groups or, local institutions (e.g. schools, universities, libraries) in the delivery or pop-up trial with a focus on women, girls and gender diverse people.
- Support local employment, businesses and/or creatives through the delivery or pop-up trial, with a focus on women, girls and gender diverse people.
- Obtain a letter of support from external stakeholder groups, organisations or institutions outlining the need and their intended participation.
Projects may:
- Extend the scope of an existing project currently in planning or design phase to include a focus on outcomes with local women, girls, and gender diverse people. The proposal should identify how the existing scope will be amended to change the project’s focus and outputs. For example, expanding a public space project to include engagement specifically with women, girls and gender diverse people to determine additional and/or the types of lighting, artwork and amenities (Tier 1), or an Active Transport Strategy to add a dedicated section on actions to improve women’s perception of safety and cycling participation (Tier 2).
- Include temporary, semi-permanent or permanent improvements to public space (Tier 1 only).
- Include events or activities to celebrate the completion of works (Tier 1 only).
- Include council and/or sponsor co-funding.
What costs you can apply for
Funding may be used for:
- Research and engagement with community and/or stakeholders (e.g. co-design sessions, walkshops, and use of the Community Survey Tool for Public Space and Public Life), including reasonable associated costs.
- Delivery of initiatives along selected walking or cycling routes (within 800m of a transport hub), such as placemaking trials, pop-ups, lighting, or events.
- Event and activity infrastructure, including leasing or purchasing equipment such as chairs, tables, marquees, lighting, or wayfinding elements.
- Partnerships with local organisations or groups (e.g. cultural, creative, or educational) for program development and delivery.
- For Tier 1 projects, the installation of temporary, semi-permanent or permanent public placemaking initiatives, such as public art, murals, or festoon lights, where they support safer journeys and activations.
- Promotion and marketing of initiatives or events.
- Re-engagement and/or evaluation of the project.
- Expanded scope of existing or planned initiatives, if the project area or impact is substantially increased.
- Funding of council personnel, staff positions or contractors may be considered for up to 10% of the total funding and subject to approval by Transport for NSW. Funding cannot be used for existing salaries or staff expenses, must be directly associated with the delivery of the project, and must be requested and approved by Transport for NSW through a labour cost exemption as part of the application process.
What costs you can't apply for
Funding cannot be used for:
- Permanent capital works (other than eligible gender-inclusive placemaking initiatives such as murals, festoon lighting, or public art).
- Routine maintenance or council business-as-usual works.
- Retrospective funding for projects already underway or completed.
- Delivery of works on land not owned or managed by the applicant.
- Offsetting costs of existing projects or initiatives (funding may only support expanded scope or new initiatives).
- Projects that use funding for ongoing staff salaries or operational costs not directly tied to project delivery.
Types of projects not funded under this grant
- An existing project already being delivered, beyond the planning or design phase, as above.
- Projects that do not include required community and stakeholder engagement and co-design to inform and evaluate the success of the project.
- Projects located outside the 800m radius of a transport hub, town or strategic centre
- Projects that do not clearly identify a walking or cycling route within 800m of a transport hub.
- Projects that do not align with at least two focus areas of the Women’s Safety Charter for the Public Domain - Places and Transport.
- Projects that do not include a trial pop-up (Tier 2 only).
- Projects that do not deliver initiatives aligned with at least three on-the-ground initiative categories (Tier 1 only).
Example projects
Example Tier 1, on-the-ground projects include:
- Creative lighting and wayfinding connecting places in the town centre to the train station. The wayfinding includes banners depicting local women, co-designed by a women’s collective and is supported by a program of evening music events by women artists to activate the spaces after dark.
- A walking connection is improved with ramps for accessibility, lighting and increased care where vegetation is cleared to improve sightlines, enabling community to feel safe walking after dark.
- Improved amenities in a park adjacent to a key walking route to the town centre, including a community garden, water bubbler, BBQ, and shade structure, supported by gardening workshop events for women and girls and signage to encourage uptake.
Example Tier 2, strategic projects include:
- A woman’s safety strategy focused on a key town centre. One action is tested through temporary lighting improvements and events along the walking route.
- A behaviour changeprogram to encourage women and girls to increase their uptake of bike riding. One action is tested through a partnership with a local cycling organisation along the route to support people who may be hesitant to ride, offering lessons, guidance, and confidence-building opportunities.
- An addition to an active transport plan focused on the needs of women, girls, and gender-diverse people across an LGA. One action is tested through a behaviour change program, a partnership with a local running club, encouraging women of all ages to run after dark
Additional eligibility requirements
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria above.
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.
- Identification of, and rationale for chosen walking and/or cycling route, including but not limited to:
- Map and photographs of the walking and cycling route, outlining key public spaces that connect to a public transport hub and local or town centre within 800m radius of a transport hub.
- Rationale for why the project is needed, supported by, but not limited to:
- Previous engagement and data (if available).
- Stakeholder identification of issues (such as a letter from organisation)
- Alignment with council strategies such as Local Strategic Planning Statement or Community Strategic Plan.
- Description of how the project will improve perceptions of safety, access and mobility, including how it will (but not limited to):
- Contribute to the aims of the Safer Cities program.
- Align with at least two impact areas identified in the Women’s Safety Charter for the Public Domain - Places and Transport, (such as safe places, safe journeys, safe experiences, partnerships, communication and education, data and best practice).
- Preliminary identification of gender-inclusive placemaking initiative/s and explanation of how these initiatives link to the identified need. These are to be further refined and finalised through engagement with local women, girls and gender diverse people.
- For Tier 1, a minimum of three initiatives and for Tier 2, identification of how the initiative could be trialled or tested is required.
- A proposed methodology including but not limited to:
- Identification of stakeholders, key decision makers and community participants, particularly local women, girls and/or gender diverse people and how they will shape the project’s design, delivery and evaluation.
- Outline engagement and co-design activities. This must include but is not limited to:
- 2 ‘before’ walkshops (1 during the day, 1 at night),
- 1 co-design session,
- for Tier 1 projects, at least 1 walkshop after project delivery,
- A community survey, online and or face-to-face, before and after the delivery or trial pop-up using the Community Survey Tool for Public Space and Public Life,
- Place evaluation before and after the delivery or trial pop-up using the Evaluation Tool for Public Space and Public Life and
- Use of the Core Indicators.
- A letter of support from external stakeholder groups, organisations or institutions to participate the project (if applicable).
- A clear outline of project deliverability, including but not limited to:
- Delivery plan with timeframes, key milestones, approvals required, previous relevant experience, risk assessment and mitigation measures, project governance and budget breakdown (including co-contributions if applicable).
- Outline experience delivering similar projects.
- A letter of support from the council General Manager, or equivalent delegated officer.
- Description of the project’s expected outcomes and value for money, including but not limited to:
- How the project will advance understanding of gender-inclusive placemaking within council and be integrated longer-term into council processes, design or planning outcomes.
- How the approach could be scaled or replicated in other locations (if applicable).
- How the project will involve and/or leverages existing relationships with local community organisations and groups or local institutions in the delivery or pop-up trial with a focus on women, girls and/or gender diverse people to achieve value for money and cost efficiencies (if applicable).
- Local social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits for women and girls (e.g. employment and/or opportunity to play, stay and connect).
- For projects proposing to expand the scope of an existing project, how will it significantly contribute to the project outcomes over the long-term and deliver on the aims of the Program.
Further information on application requirements can be found at the Safer Cities: Her Way webpage.
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 aims and assessment criteria outlined in the Safer Cities: Her Way 2 Guidelines.
Project merit:
- Project improves safety and access to public spaces and transport hub precincts for women, girls and gender diverse people.
- Project increases women, girls and gender diverse people’s active and meaningful participation in urban development and governance.
- Project increases women, girls and gender diverse people’s autonomous mobility in the city.
Project deliverability:
- Experience and ability to deliver the project.
- Risk mitigation and approvals.
- Financial viability.
- Realistic timeframes.
Long term impact and value for money:
- Long term impact of gender-inclusive placemaking within council processes, design and planning.
- Value for money demonstration.
The assessment process is competitive and applications with insufficient detail will be at a disadvantage during the assessment process. Applicants should ensure they provide as much relevant information as possible with their application.
Start the application
Applications for this grant are available via the SmartyGrants portal.
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: Director Vibrancy, Active Transport and Vibrancy, Transport for NSW.
Successful applications will be decided by: Director Vibrancy, Active Transport and Vibrancy, Transport for NSW.
Transport for NSW will assess an application against the eligibility and assessment criteria outlined in the Safer Cities Her Way 2 Guidelines.
Where appropriate, Transport for NSW will seek to remedy eligibility issues with the applicant.
Support and contact
Further information on the grant can be found at the Safer Cities: Her Way webpage.
For more information email revitalisation@transport.nsw.gov.au.
