Deadline: 14 April 2025
Applications are now open for the NSW Venue Upgrades Grants Program.
Aims
- The program aims to support venue upgrades that enhance audience and visitor experience at live music venues in New South Wales.
- This funding aims to:
- Build capability of dedicated live music venues to deliver world class audience and visitor experiences
- Increase the number of fit-for-purpose live music venues in NSW
- Increase sector knowledge and expertise in best practice sound management and sustainable live music programming
- Reduce sound impact on neighbours, leading to less complaints and increased business viability
- Increase diversity of live music offerings
Funding Information
- Grants up to $250,000 are available, with a minimum 30% co-contribution required.
What is eligible for funding?
- Funding can be put towards:
- Equipment:
- purchase of production equipment (sound, lighting and staging)
- purchase of video screen (audio visual) technology.
- Infrastructure works:
- soundproofing
- ventilation
- accessibility
- energy efficiency improvements
- Equipment:
Eligibility Criteria
- In order to apply, your business must be a dedicated live music venue and be:
- based in NSW
- are licensed or unlicenced
- where live music is the primary function of the business
- programming live music that is predominantly new and original
- where live music is programmed for 3 nights a week at a minimum
- identified as essential to the live music ecosystem (touring or local)
- where original live music programming is prominent in the business marketing
- where a room or space is dedicated to live music and is a significant part (eg. more than 50%) of the venue and contains appropriate infrastructure to support regular performances, for example, a separate auditorium, lighting, a sound desk, etc
- has formal arrangements in place establishing payments for artist performances
- Applicants must satisfy ONE of the following criteria:
- be an incorporated entity or trust (including a trust with a corporate or individual trustee) and hold an Australian Business Number (ABN), Australian Company Number (ACN), or
- be registered with NSW Fair Trading under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 or the Co-operatives National Law (NSW) set out in the appendix to the Co-operatives (Adoption of National Law) Act 2012
- Applicants must also:
- hold a lease or occupancy agreement with at least 2 years from the application close date remaining of the current term (where the premises aren’t owned by the operator).
- hold a OneMusic licence
- provide relevant venue assessment reports (for infrastructure funding)
For more information, visit Avant Group.
