Grants now closed. Funding for community organisations and councils to run local events and activities during the 2023 NSW Seniors Festival. Category 1 is for small-scale local community programs and activities.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $1,000
- Application opened: 4 July 2022
- Application closed: 8 August 2022
Program objective
The NSW Seniors Festival grants program encourages seniors in NSW to enjoy new experiences, continue learning, stay active and connect to their communities. The grants provide opportunities for people over 60, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and people with a lifelong disability over the age of 50, to remain active and engaged in their local communities.
The grants program:
- supports a broad range of local community organisations
- supports programs and activities in regional NSW
- fosters partnerships with community groups and services
- provides programs and activities for diverse communities in NSW
- supports projects that empower older people to stay connected
- assists organisations to increase the capacity of current programs and activities.
The program aims for the best use and broadest distribution of funds to maximise the benefit for seniors in NSW.
Category 1 grants are for small-scale local community programs and activities.
See all Seniors Festival grant opportunities.
This program is funded and administered by Department of Communities and Justice.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Who can’t apply
- For-profit organisations.
- Individuals.
Type of project funded under this grant
- Programs offering access to expert advice, information, tools and resources
- Free samples of activities during the NSW Seniors Festival
- Opportunities to connect seniors with local organisations and services
- Outdoor and physically active workshops.
Note: Up to 50% of catering costs can be funded for Category 1 projects.
What you can’t apply for
- Any activity of a commercial nature that is for-profit
- Capital works including building work
- Permanent salaries/wages (costs for temporary tutors/instructors for your project or event can be included)
- Permanent equipment purchases, for example, tablets and computers
- Business as usual costs or general operating expenses
- Programs and activities that encourage gambling such as bingo, or the consumption of alcohol
- The cost of travel to the Premier’s Gala Concerts
- Projects and activities coordinated by NSW Government Departments and Statutory Authorities
- The same program or activity twice. For example, two different organisations cannot apply for funds for the same program or activity.
- Catering will not be funded in Category 2 or Category 3 grants.
Example projects
- Morning or afternoon tea social event
- Exercise or dance class
- Nature walk
- Art workshop
- Technology workshop or training
- Estate planning or legal information day
See examples of past events or visit the Seniors Festival events calendar to see what is coming up.
Past recipients
In 2022, NSW Seniors Festival grants were awarded to close to 100 organisations across the state. See the successful recipients below.
2022 successful recipients
| Organisation | Project Title | Electorate |
|---|---|---|
| ACON Health | Afternoon Delight, LGBTQ Movie Matinee | Sydney |
| Albury Library Museum | Wedding Days | Albury |
| Armenian Cultural Centre | Get Creative, Get Active, Be Informed | Cabramatta |
| Avalon Computer Pals for Seniors (AvPals) | Online Safety in a Connected World | Pittwater |
| Bathurst Regional Council Bathurst Seniors Festival 2022 | Bathurst | |
| Bellingen Shire Council | Seniors Connect Fair | Oxley |
| Bermagui Preschool Cooperative Society | The Moodji Elders Project | Bega |
| Better Connected Community Services | Connecting to your Community | Cronulla |
| Boronia Multicultural Services | Age is a number | Prospect |
| Buddha's Light International Association of Australia | Health & Wellbeing Fair for Seniors | Parramatta |
| Burrell Creek Youth and Community Association | Reconnecting Burrell Creek | Myall Lakes |
| Burwood Council | Burwood Seniors InterConnex | Strathfield |
| Byron Community Centre | Byron Shire Seniors Festival 2022 | Ballina |
| Camden Council Seniors | CHARM Festival | Camden |
| CareWays Community | Intergenerational Scavenger Hunt & Craft | Shellharbour |
| CCA NSW | See how your garden grows Epping, | Ryde |
| CDSFA | Walking Football | Heffron |
| Cessnock City Council | Cessnock City Seniors Festival 2022 | Cessnock |
| Chester Hill Neighbourhood Centre | Unlocked and Getting back into the community spirit | Bankstown |
| Cobar Shire | Council Cobar Seniors Festival - Bringing us together | Barwon |
| Coffs Harbour City Council | Reconnecting Seniors Towards Positive, Healthy and Empowered Ageing | Coffs Harbour |
| Coffs Harbour Home Modification and Maintenance Service | Seniors Celebration | Coffs Harbour |
| Community Junction | Healthy Happy Hearts | Mulgoa |
| Connect You Too | Reconnecting with your community | Clarence |
| Connective Indigenous Corporation | Connecting elders to community | Dubbo |
| Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council | Seniors Freedom Round the Region Festival | Cootamundra |
| Dance for Parkinson's Australia | Elevating Elders through Dance | Ryde |
| Dance for Parkinson's Australia | Nepean and Blue Mountains Parkinson's group - Creative Gathering | Penrith |
| Dementia Reframed | Inspiration, Creativity, Humour: Living Well with Dementia | Goulburn |
| Eurobodalla Shire Council | 'Growing Young in the Eurobodalla' | Bega |
| Fairfield City Council | 2022 Seniors Festival Expo | Fairfield |
| Forbes Shire Council | Forbes Seniors Give It A Go Festival | Orange |
| Friends of Ivanhoe Park | Botanical Garden Walks and Talks in Ivanhoe Park Manly | Manly |
| Gladesville Gymnastics Club | Gymnastics for Life | Lane Cove |
| Glen Innes Severn Council | Life Choices - Support Services Living together | Northern Tablelands |
| Griffith City Council | Seniors Learn, Move and Celebrate Griffith | Murray |
| Gunnedah Meals on Wheels Association | Fun in the sun for our seniors and families | Tamworth |
| Hawkesbury Riding Club Hawkesbury | Riding Club Seniors Equestrian Games | Hawkesbury |
| Hawks Nest Tea Gardens Progress Association (HNTGPA) | Live Life Seniors Festival Mini-Expo 2022 | Port Stephens |
| Hills Basketball Association | Walking Basketball | Castle Hill |
| Hills Community Aid and Information Service | Social Seniors | Baulkham Hills |
| Hilltops Council | NSW Seniors Festival Information Expo | Cootamundra |
| Hornsby Kuring-gai Community Aged/Disabled Transport Service | Aloha Fun | Ku-ring-gai |
| Hornsby Shire Library | Dementia Awareness | Hornsby |
| Hume Community Housing Association | Hume Seniors Olympics | Terrigal |
| Hunter Community Legal Centre | First Nations Seniors Consumer Rights | Upper Hunter |
| Hunter Community Legal Centre | CALD Seniors Consumer Rights | Newcastle |
| Hunter Region Botanic Gardens | Let’s Get Botanical! | Port Stephens |
| Illawarra OWN Wellness Centre | The Joys of Autumn. | Wollongong |
| Kiama Bicycle User Group (KBUG) | Senior Bikers | Kiama |
| Ku-ring-gai Council | Seniors in Nature | Davidson |
| Liverpool City Council | Celebrating Seniors Festival at Liverpool Regional Museum | Holsworthy |
| Lugarno Public School P & C | Lugarno Public School P & C Seniors Event: Student Connections with their Elders | Oatley |
| Macquarie Shores Swimming Club | Free samples of water aerobics activities | Lake Macquarie |
| Maitland Regional Museum | Morning Tea @ the Museum | Maitland |
| Makai Lakes | Outrigger Canoe Club Seniors Come & Try Day | Swansea |
| MCCI Multicultural | Seniors Fiesta | Wollongong |
| Melkite Catholic Welfare Association | Moving forward together | Lakemba |
| Mid-Western Regional Council | 2022 NSW Seniors Festival - Mudgee Events | Dubbo |
| Naughty Noodle Fun Haus | Seniors Festival Central Coast Diverse Music & Theatre 2022 | Gosford |
| Nepean Food Services | High Tea and games day | Londonderry |
| Netball NSW | Walking Netball Gala Days | Auburn |
| Newcastle U3A | The Every-person's Guide to Elder Law | Newcastle |
| North Sydney Community Centre | NSCC Seniors | North Shore |
| Northern Beaches Council | Connect with Community - Seniors Expos | Wakehurst |
| Old Bar Men's Shed | Open day Old Bar men's Shed | Myall Lakes |
| Older Women's Network NSW | The Power of Wisdom in Connection & Inspiration | Balmain |
| One Direct | Connect Dance for Health | The Entrance |
| Orange City Council | Seniors Showcase | Orange |
| Parkinson's NSW | Maitland Parkinson's Support Group Art Class | Maitland |
| Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre | Seniors Out in the Green | Tweed |
| Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council | Finding it in the bush: A Regional Seniors Roadshow | Monaro |
| SHARE SMR | Reconnect With SHARE | Kogarah |
| Shellharbour City Council | Shellharbour City Council's Seniors Festival 2022 | Shellharbour |
| Shoalhaven City Council | Seniors Week Festival 2022 | South Coast |
| Springwood and District Citizens Boys and Girls Club | Smooth Movers - Free Trial Classes | Blue Mountains |
| St Vincent's Care Services Building | Muscle Tone | Heathcote |
| Sutherland Shire Council | Sutherland Shire Retirement and recreation expo | Miranda |
| Sydney Multicultural Community Services | SMCS Multicultural Seniors Carnivale | Maroubra |
| Table Tennis | NSW Active Table Tennis clubs | Port Macquarie |
| The Metropolitan Orchestra | The Metropolitan Orchestra Making Live Music More Accessible | Newtown |
| The Place: Charlestown Community Centre | Reconnect to body, mind, community at The Place | Charlestown |
| Toukley 50 Plus Leisure & Learning Centre | Kicking COVID Concert | Wyong |
| Tweed Shire Council Seniors | Living and Loving the Tweed | Lismore |
| U3A Northern Illawarra | The Great Debate | Keira |
| Upper Hunter Community Services | Walking Netball Scone | Upper Hunter |
| Wagga Wagga City Council | Rewind 80s Mixtape | Wagga Wagga |
| Willoughby City Council | Celebrate, Connect and Feel the Beat | Willoughby |
| WILMA Women's Health Centre | Kath & Kim Prancercise | Campbelltown |
| Wollondilly Shire Council | Wollondilly Seniors Healthy Lifestyle Guide | Wollondilly |
| Wollondilly Support and Community Care | IC Care Carnival | Wollondilly |
| Woollahra Municipal Council | Seniors Festival - Reconnecting in Woollahra | Vaucluse |
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application by following the steps below. You can also download the complete 2023 NSW Seniors Festival grants program guidelines (PDF 201.11KB) and download the full NSW Seniors Festival grants program terms and conditions (PDF 305.74KB (PDF 305.74KB)) (PDF 305.74KB).
1
Prepare your application with this checklist
Information you need to gather before you apply includes:
- your organisation name and details
- evidence that your organisation is covered by Public Liability Insurance to a minimum of $20 million.
- If your organisation is not covered, you can approach another organisation to sponsor your application (such as your local council). Please read our guide to applications via a sponsoring bodyfor more information.
- your COVID-19 Safety Plan
- evidence that your organisation is located in NSW and that the proposed project will occur in NSW.
Make sure you address all the eligibility criteria and use the assessment criteria provided below to help you structure your application.
In addition, you should consider your obligations if your application is successful.
These will include:
- notifying the project manager of any proposed changes to your funded project. This may include changes to the proposed project, dates, venues and expenditure of approved funding.
- registering your program or activities on the NSW Seniors Festival website.
- publicly acknowledging the support of the NSW Government using specific logos and text.
- acquitting your grant by submitting a written report on the outcomes of your funded project within 30 days of project completion.
Please note that conditions of funding will be detailed in a common funding agreement. Failure to comply with these conditions may preclude your organisation from receiving a Seniors Festival grant in the future.
You can also download the full NSW Seniors Festival grants program terms and conditions (PDF 305.74KB).
2
Address the eligibility criteria
Show that your organisation is eligible to apply for this funding and that your project meets the requirements.
Please note:
- Only one application for funding will be accepted per organisation per project.
- All projects must be located within NSW and must be conducted between 1 February and 27 February 2023.
- Organisations must not use the money provided for the project, nor any interest earned on the money, for any other purpose beyond what is specified in the approved project description.
- Up to 50% of catering costs are funded for Category 1 projects.
Please be aware: Demand for NSW Seniors Festival Grants program funding is high.
Do not:
- assume that an application will be successful even if it has been in previous years
- enter into commitments until notified of the funding outcome.
3
Address the assessment criteria
This table outlines the criteria which your application will be assessed against for the Seniors Festival grant category 1.
| Criteria | Details | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Activities must be as accessible as possible. Learn more about making your event accessible. | Given preference |
| Budget | a) Detailed and accurate budgeting | Required |
| b) Value for money | Required | |
| c) Organisation to match 50% of requested funding. e.g. Requested funding = $500 Organisations resources: $250 | Not required | |
| Relevancy | a) Demonstrated relevance to the NSW Seniors Festival Grants Program objectives. | Two required |
b) Demonstrated relevance to the following themes:
| Two required | |
| c) Program or activity is creative and/or engaging | Required | |
| a) Estimated attendance | Required | |
| b) Method of recording attendance | Required | |
| c) Clear outline of how participants will benefit from the project | Required | |
| d) Engagement of a diverse range of people | Not required | |
| Audience Reach | e) Active involvement of older people | Not required |
| f) Engagement and participation across the whole local government area | Not required | |
| Promotion | a) Clear promotional strategy to ensure your target audience attends | Required |
| a) Demonstrated consultation with local seniors, community organisations, CALD community groups and businesses | Not required | |
| Planning | b) Effective collaboration and partnerships with local community organisations, groups and businesses | Not required |
Start the application
All applications must be submitted online via Smarty Grants ('Apply now' button). You will need to:
- register for access to Smarty Grants
- read the program and information guidelines thoroughly
- contact program staff with any questions
- begin the application in SmartyGrants
- upload your public liability certificate to your application
- submit your completed application by midnight on the closing date.
After the application is submitted
The applications will be assessed and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
Key dates
| Stage of the grant process | Date |
|---|---|
| Grant program opens | 4 July 2022 |
| Grant program closes | 8 August 2022 |
| Applicants notified of the outcome in writing | September 2022 |
| Payment of grants to successful applicants | September/ October 2022 |
| Seniors Festival funded event/activity | 1 February – 27 February 2023 |
| Project Report and Acquittal | 3 April 2023 |
Support and contact
For more information about the Seniors Festival grants program, please: