Australia Day Community Grants return for 2026
As part of the Australia Day Council national network, Auspire will again be supporting the Australia Day 2026 Community Events Grant Program, managed by the NADC and funded by the Federal Government. More than $4.5 million in grant funding is available to assist the delivery of inclusive Australia Day events across the nation on 26 January 2026.
Since 2021, the Community Events Grants Program has supported the delivery of over 3,000 events, ranging from smoking ceremonies and multicultural festivals to citizenship ceremonies and family fun days. In 2025, there were more than 700 inclusive community events across Australia, an increase of 15% on the previous year.
“The rise in community events on Australia Day this year shows that people are keen to come together to reflect, respect and celebrate our national day,” said Morgen Lewis, CEO of Auspire – Australia Day Council WA. “It’s heartwarming to see such creativity and community spirit reflected in the wide variety of events being held. The strong level of participation is a clear sign that Australia Day remains one of our nation’s favourite public holidays.”
The 2026 program will continue its mission to help Australians unite to reflect, respect and celebrate the intersection of our dynamic modern, multicultural nation and our unique, ancient First Nations culture.
Local Government and not-for-profit organisations can apply for a primary grant of $10,000 to support the delivery of Australia Day 2026 events, with an additional $5,000 for events that include celebrating our First Nations Peoples’ enduring contribution to our national identity. A new grant of $2,000 is also available for smaller community events.
Applications are open from Wednesday 13 August to Monday 8 September 2025 and event organisers who are interested in applying for the grants can access criteria and application guidelines here.
For more details on the Australia Day 2026 Community Events Grants Program and how to apply, contact [email protected]