Regional Event Fund 2026/27

The NSW Government has announced $1.5 million in funding to support regional events across the state. Funding is available across three streams for events held between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027.

The fund is designed to support visitor economy events that attract people to travel to a destination and stay overnight. Visitor economy events typically aim to:

• Attract visitors from outside the region
• Increase overnight stays and accommodation demand
• Generate economic activity for local businesses
• Enhance the destination’s reputation and profile
• Examples may include regional festivals, major sporting events, large cultural celebrations, agricultural shows or events that attract audiences from beyond the local community.

While community-run events are incredibly important for building local pride and social connection, they may not always align with the objectives of this particular funding program. Community events often focus on local participation and community wellbeing, such as school fetes, local markets, charity fundraisers, neighbourhood celebrations or community expos. These types of events are often better supported through local council grants, community funding programs or local sponsorship.

Incubator Event Stream

Closes: Midnight 12 April 2026

The Incubator Stream supports new events in their first or second year, providing up to $20,000 in seed funding to help establish events that can drive visitation.

Read the Incubator Grant Guidelines.

 Apply now.

Flagship Event Stream

Closes: Midnight 12 April 2026

The Flagship Stream supports emerging events with a track record of more than two years, offering grants of $20,000 to help grow profile and visitation. Events that have exhausted their annual grant limit are eligible for up to $30,000 over three years.

Read the Flagship Grant Guidelines.

Apply now.

Event Development Stream Closes: 31 December 2026, or until funds are exhausted

The Event Development Stream supports established and proven events that have received and completed triennial funding through the Flagship Event stream can apply for up to $50,000 to boost growth initiatives in the event’s strategic plan.

Read the Event Development Guidelines.

Apply now.

1. Start and engage early:

A key part of a strong application is demonstrating the visitor economy impact of your event, including:

• visitor numbers
• overnight stays
• regional economic impact
• alignment with local and regional tourism strategies

Many of these insights and supporting data points can be provided by your local council tourism or economic development teams. We strongly encourage organisers to reach out to your council teams early, as gathering data, statistics or letters of support can take time.

2. Demonstrate strategic alignment:

When preparing your application, consider how your event aligns with:

• Destination Central West Management Plan (DMP)
• Destination NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035
• Align to your Council's Community Strategic Plans or Destination Management Plans

3. Access resources to support your application:

A number of helpful resources are available to support event organisers through the application process.

• Event Starter Guide - documentation templates and everything you need to know, a fantastic resource
• NSW PDF Events starter guide (NSW Premiers Department)
• Event Organiser Toolkit
• Toolkit for Accessible and inclusive events
• The Grants Guy Workshop Notes 2023

Destination NSW - NSW First Program resources

• How to stand out from the crowd
• Promoting your visitor experience
• How to sell your experience

4. Seek out letters of support:

Destination Central West is unable to provide letters of support for this funding program. However, we strongly encourage organisers to seek letters from:

• local councils
• regional businesses
• industry partners
• accommodation providers

These endorsements can help demonstrate the regional impact and community support behind your event.

5. Reach out to the DNCW Team:

While Destination Central West cannot provide formal letters of support, we are very happy to:

• provide guidance on positioning your event within the visitor economy
• suggest relevant data sources
• help identify strategic alignment opportunities
• connect you with relevant council or industry contacts

Given the short application window, we encourage organisers to get in touch early if you would like support. Our Industry Engagement Manager, Kate Catterson, is available for any questions. Contact Kate today.

6. Chat to the Destination NSW Grants Administration Team:

For further information on the Regional Event Fund, please visit the Destination NSW website or email the Grants Administration team directly.

Need more help? Find a grant writer near you....

The following companies provide grant writing services to operators and organisations in the Central West.
We are always looking to grow our network of grant writers in the region. If you are a grant writer and would like to be included, get in touch: info@dncw.com.au

Hipscotch

Specialises in award submission and grant writing, tourism product and brand development.

Sparrowly Group

Specialises in grants requiring business case, cost benefit analysis, social impact assessments, and general grant writing.



Arts Online Consulting

Specialises in grant applications, management coaching, digital marketing strategy and more.



Win the Grant or Tender

Strategic project development and writers for tourism, community, infrastructure, social and economic impact, business cases and community engagement and facilitation. Over $500 million secured.

Fable and Stay

Storytelling with strategy; specialising in destination, event and infrastructure applications.



David Waddell Advisory

Specialises in Council applications, Economic Development Type applications, Property and Projects. David was until recently the CEO of Orange City Council.