Haymarket activation grant

Attract people to Haymarket, celebrate Asian cultures and strengthen community inclusion and cohesion. Activate public places, business premises and vacant space with cultural programming.

Haymarket Chinatown

Colourful street at night adorned with neon lights and signs. A person in the foreground captures the scene with a smartphone. People walk down the street.

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Get your application in by Tuesday 3 March.

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: 02 9265 9333
: [email protected]

Applications open

Applications close: 4pm Tuesday 3 March
Project timeline: 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027
Recommendations to Council: mid-2026

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About this grant

This funding supports one major activation in the Haymarket precinct each year to the value of $200,000.

The activation will attract people to Haymarket (see the map on page 44 in the grants and sponsorship guidelines), celebrate Asian cultures and strengthen community inclusion and cohesion.

The project will be produced through collaborations and will activate public places, business premises and vacant space with cultural programming.

Project collaborators may include:

businesses in Haymarket
landowners and others in Haymarket wanting to activate vacant space
a media agency
an arts or cultural operator
a creative producer or event manager
a local community group wanting to reinvigorate Haymarket.

Our funding will prioritise projects that:
- celebrate Asian cultures and communities
- strengthen social inclusion, enable connectedness and reduce social isolation
- support the visitor economy through activations, events and promotion
- represent the cultural and social diversity of our communities
- activate Haymarket with creative and cultural programming.
Proposals are assessed against:
- potential reach and impact of the activation including proposed timing
- capacity and experience of the applicant and their partners to produce the activation
- demonstrated partnerships, connection and benefit to Haymarket and the local community
- evidence of diversity, inclusion and equity in planning and producing the activation
- how the project meets the funding priorities.
- For comprehensive information, including definitions, map and other details, refer to the Haymarket activation grant program in the grants and sponsorship program guidelines.
- For information on how to ensure a safe and successful event refer to the our event guidelines, associated policies and procedures.
- If your project involves an outdoor event in the City of Sydney area, please discuss your event with our outdoor events and filming team at [email protected] or on 02 9265 9333.
- Sustainable Sydney 2030–2050 Continuing the Vision outlines the goals we have set to make the city green, global and connected.

Funding available

Cash funding of $200,000 plus up to $100,000 of value in kind (for example banners, venue hire) is available for one major activation.

Within the cash funding component, applicants can apply for up to $20,000 worth of capital expenditure or equipment purchase.

These organisations can apply:
- eligible not-for-profit organisation
- incorporated association
- corporation
- co-operative
- trustees of a trust.
This program is open to for-profit entities. For the definition of each eligible applicant above, see the glossary/definitions section of the grants and sponsorship program guidelines.

For more information on eligibility, see the eligibility section in the grants and sponsorship program guidelines.
Funding is not available for:
- activations proposed outside of the Haymarket area (see the map on page 44 in the grants and sponsorship guidelines)
- operational costs or overheads for the core business of an organisation
- activations that happen during or alongside existing festivals and events in or near Haymarket, for example, Sydney Lunar Festival, Vivid or SXSW Sydney.
For information on what is not eligible for funding in this program, see the general exclusions and ineligibility section of the grants and sponsorship program guidelines.

Upcoming information sessions

The following sessions provide general information relevant to many grants. For more detailed information on this grant, see the video recording below.

General online information session – open to all: 1pm to 2.30pm, Thursday 5 February. This session will include an overview of our grants, eligibility and general requirements for an application. Register your spot.
Grants overview for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: 12pm to 2pm, Friday 6 February at 119 Redfern Street, Redfern. Register your spot.
Grant writing workshop for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: 10am to 5pm, Wednesday 18 February at 119 Redfern Street, Redfern. Register your spot.
Online grant writing workshop – open to all: 9.30am to 1pm, Wednesday 11 February. Register your spot.
Online grant writing workshop – open to all: 1pm to 4.30pm, Tuesday 17 February. Register your spot.