Community Events and Place Activation Grants Program

Deadline: 30-Jun-23

The Central Coast Council is accepting applications for the Community Events and Place Activation Grants to support local organisations to deliver community events and activities that activate spaces and places to complement activity around town centres, foreshores, lakes and green spaces for the community and visitors.

Objectives

Belonging Objectives
- Work within the communities to connect people, build capacity and create local solutions and initiatives.
- Promote and provide more sporting, community and cultural events and festivals, day and night, throughout the year.
- Foster creative and performing arts through theatres, galleries and creative spaces, by integrating art and performance into public life.
- Activate spaces and places to complement activity around town centres, foreshores, lakes and green spaces for families, community and visitors.
Smart Objectives
- Revitalise Gosford City Centre, Gosford Waterfront and town centres as key destinations and attractors for businesses, local residents, visitors and tourists.
- Promote and grow tourism that celebrates the natural and cultural assets of the Central Coast in a way that is accessible, sustainable and eco-friendly.

Funding Information

Total funding available per financial year is $300,000.
Applications can be made for funding up to $20,000 per financial year, per activity, in combined funding and in-kind Council services.

Outcomes

Each application is required to address a minimum of one of the following outcomes identified:
- Quality program project/event for the Central Coast and Council. The following examples are a guide as to how your project/event may achieve this:
  - Showcases the local area and/or the Central Coast region.
  - Enhanced sense of creativity, connection, and local identity.
  - Is accessible to a large number of people.
- Increased economic benefit to local areas and/or the Central Coast region. The following examples are a guide as to how your project/event may build on the local economy:
  - Promotes and grows tourism that celebrates the natural and cultural assets of the Central Coast in a way that is accessible, sustainable and ecofriendly.
  - The project/event encourages links between community, cultural, sporting, business and tourism.
  - The project/event has the potential to grow and become of regional significance.
- Project strengthens the community by creating opportunities for connection, creativity, and inclusion. The following examples are a guide as to how your project/event may build on the local community:
  - Supports reconciliation through the celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
  - Sporting, community and cultural event or festival.
  - The project extends cultural or artistic programs and has the ability to attract new audiences.
  - The project/event encourages community engagement.
  - The project/event will contribute to a vibrant cultural and community life for the Central Coast.
  - The project/event encourages key stakeholders to participate in important issues and initiatives.
- Project/events that activate spaces such as town centres, foreshores, lakes and green spaces for families, community and visitors to the Central Coast The following examples are a guide as to how your project / event may achieve this:
  - The transformation of public spaces into vibrant places where communities gather.
  - Activities that empower community members to breathe life into streets and neighbourhoods making them attractive, inviting, and safe.
  - Create opportunities for people to connect with their local neighbourhood.
  - To experiment with fun and innovative ideas that generate community engagement.

Eligible Activities

Sporting, community and cultural events that play an important role in the local community and demonstrate community benefit and/or capacity building.
Activities that activate spaces in the local neighbourhoods such as town centres, foreshores, lakes and green spaces.
An activity that has grown and is of interest to a particular community.
An ongoing activity that provides entertainment or educational programs where entry is open to the public to attend free of charge or at a subsidised rate, e.g., local community festival.
An annual activity that provides reasonable benefit to the Central Coast region, e.g., regional sporting events.
Projects that include the hire or purchase of non-fixed equipment and material that provides a demonstrated community benefit beyond the life of the grant.
Cost of Public Liability insurance linked directly to the project.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be:
- A legally constituted not-for-profit organisation.
- An unincorporated community group auspiced by a legally constituted not-for-profit organisation.
- A business.
Applicants must operate within the Central Coast area or be able to demonstrate that the project will benefit residents of the Central Coast community.
A modest auspice fee will be considered for legally constituted not-for profit organisations who auspice an applicant.
All applicants must meet the grant program eligibility criteria and address one or more of the program outcomes.
Only one application per project, per financial year, may be successful in obtaining funding across any of Council’s grant funding programs.
Central Coast based community run emergency service entities that are part of Government Departments and Agencies such as RFS, SES and VRA.
Events that adhere to and promote environmental sustainability in accordance with Council’s Sustainable Events Management Policy and Sustainable Events Guidelines.

Ineligibility Criteria

The Following are Ineligible:

Late or incomplete applications.
Applicants with an overdue acquittal or who have failed to appropriately acquit a previous Council grant.
Events, projects or activities with a religious, political or sectarian purpose, where that purpose may exclude or offend members of the broader community.
Applications seeking funds for retrospective projects and activities commencing, or project items purchased, prior to two (2) months from the end of the grant closing date.
General fundraising appeals.
A project, event, service or activity which in the opinion of the assessment panel does not comply with Council’s Sustainable Event Management Policy and Sustainable Events guidelines.
A project, event, service or activity which in the opinion of the assessment panel would be better funded by State or Federal Government, or by corporate sponsorship or a philanthropic trust.
Proposals from Government Departments, agencies or any Council with the exception of Central Coast based community run emergency service entities.
Proposals from employees or Councillors of Central Coast Council (both in a paid or voluntary capacity).
Proposals that duplicate a project, service or activity already existing within the Local Government Area.
Purchase of land or buildings.
Applications seeking funds for prize money and gift vouchers.
Applications seeking funds for personal benefit such as travel, meal or accommodation costs including costs to undertake activity outside or to the region.
Proposals that are for funding the core business of the organisation.
Funds for fees to attend a conference, congress or seminar. Where alternative funding options exist for any of the above exclusions, applicants will be advised accordingly.

For more information, visit Central Coast Council.