NSW Venue Upgrades Grants Program (Australia)

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

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)