Cultural Celebration Grant Program

The Cultural Celebration Grant Program is designed to support small community-led celebrations that bring people together, foster inclusion, and support cultural expression within communities.

Projects should:

  • Celebrate cultural diversity and inclusion.
  • Bring communities together through shared experiences.
  • Promote participation and engagement across different cultural groups.

Funding available:

Grants of up to $1,000 are available to support small-scale cultural celebrations.

Funding can be used for items such as:

  • Food and catering.
  • Decorations.
  • Entertainment (for example: performers, music, cultural activities).
  • Venue hire (once off bookings).

Due to the competitive nature of the Cultural Celebrations Subsidy, and common event themes, there will be limits on types of celebrations funded. We encourage applicants to work with their networks and other community groups, to apply for and deliver joint celebrations.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Cultural Celebration Grant, applicants must:

  • Be an incorporated community group with not-for-profit status and an ABN or be auspiced by an eligible organisation.
  • Deliver the funded activity within the City of Monash.
  • Maintain public liability insurance of at least $20 million.
  • Have no outstanding debts to Council and have complied with all previous grant acquittal requirements.
  • Be able to deliver the project within the approved timeframe.

Applicants must be able to start the project within 4 weeks of notification of a successful application and completed within 8 weeks.

For full eligibility and what cannot be funded, please refer to the Monash Community Grants & Partnerships Guidelines(PDF, 2MB)

Application process

Step 1.Read guidelines

Please read the description below each stream to determine which grant is the most appropriate for your project and/or your organisation.

For more information, please read Monash Community Grants & Partnerships Guidelines(PDF, 2MB)

Step 2.Apply

Applications are made through the SmartyGrants online portal:

Apply online

Step 3.Assessment

Eligible applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

  1. Addresses an evidence-based community need
  2. Number of Monash residents who benefit
  3. Budget expenditure

Step 4.Timeframe

Applications will close on Tuesday 12 May 2027 or until allocation of funds is exhausted.

  • Applications will be assessed by an internal panel monthly.
  • Applicants will receive a response from Council by the middle of the month after the application was submitted. See timetable below:

Application Month

Notification Date

June 2026

Wednesday, 15 July

July 2026

Friday, 14 August

August 2026

Tuesday, 15 September

September 2026

Friday, 16 October

October 2026

Tuesday, 17 November

November 2026

Tuesday, 15 December

December 2026

Friday, 15 January

January 2027

Tuesday, 16 February

February 2027

Tuesday, 16 March

March 2027

Friday, 16 April

April 2027

Friday, 14 May

May 2027

Friday, 28 May

Step 5.More information

For assistance or more information, email us at monash.grants@monash.vic.gov.au or call the Community Grants Team on 9518 3555.