Grants

Image: Hunter Valley Accessible Hot Air Balloon, secured after successful grant application by the Economic Development team.

Funding for Constructive Causes

There are a variety of grants to assist businesses, community groups, not for profits, and at times individuals.

At Advance Greater Cessnock, we monitor current grant opportunities to effectively identify, highlight, and promote these funding avenues to assist our local community. Our commitment to staying informed ensures that businesses in the Greater Cessnock region are well-positioned to benefit from available grants, fostering growth and success in our local business landscape.

Image of Bridges Hill Park in Cessnock which was upgraded thanks to successful grant funding through Federal and State Government and Cessnock Wine Country Lions Club.

Grant Writing Support

If you have identified a grant opportunity we’re here to help!

Whether you're in need of essential data, letters of support, or grant writing expertise, our dedicated team is ready to support your application process.

Simply reach out to us, and we will work collaboratively to ensure that your grant application is comprehensive, compelling, and well-positioned for success.

Visitor Economy Grants and Sponsorship Program


The Cessnock City Council annual Visitor Economy Grants and Sponsorship Program is a targeted program aimed at growing the visitor economy in areas where opportunities exist and maximum benefits for our local economy are achieved. 

Visitor data shows that Monday to Thursday visitation is approximately 60% of the visitor numbers received during weekends. Attracting 10% more midweek visitors will result in 35,000 additional annual visitors to the Cessnock LGA, creating $15 million in additional annual output and 103 new jobs. This is a regular, recurring grant, open from 1-28 February and 1-31 August annually.

Read some examples of past recipients and how the grants have helped bring their visions to life.

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Wildlife Park Community Day

Council collaborated with Hunter Valley Wildlife Park to develop the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park Community Day.

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Qirkz in the Hunter

Boosting a number of small local business suppliers and musicians, this grant was awarded to produce and run a 30 second and 15 second corporate tv commercial.

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Plan Your Event Hunter

Plan Your Event Hunter was a concept created by local business, Powerful Perceptions, to help tourism operators boost their mid-week bookings and achieve higher value visitation by attracting group events to the Hunter Valley.

Mayoral Scholarships

Previous Recipients Chrissy Grainger and Georgia Bailey with Cessnock City Mayor Jay Suvaal.

Our mayoral scholarships offer a fantastic opportunity for local students to further their education.

Cessnock City Council’s Mayoral Scholarship Program is an initiative of Cessnock City Mayor, Jay Suvaal, that assists local residents financially to achieve their educational goals at TAFE or university.

The objective of the program is to help residents of the Cessnock Local Government Area (LGA) advance their education and reach their full potential, particularly in industries offering rewarding career prospects in the Cessnock LGA, such as hospitality, tourism, education, engineering, medical, mining, communications and manufacturing.

Grants Finder

Find information on a variety of grants that might be helpful to your organisation.

If you don’t find a suitable grant, please check back regularly, as we update these grants whenever we find valuable opportunities.

  • All Grants
  • Not-for-Profit
  • Business
  • Individuals
  • Unincorporated Groups
  • Local Government
  • Indigenous
  • Community
  • School

Closing: 17 December, 2024

Closing: 31 December, 2024

Closing: 30 January, 2025

Closing: 30 January, 2025

Closing: 31 January, 2025

Closing: 5 February, 2025

Closing: 7 February, 2025

Closing: 8 February, 2025

Closing: Ongoing

Closing: Ongoing

Closing: 30 June, 2025

Closing: 30 June, 2025

Closing: Ongoing

Closing: Ongoing

Our mission is to nurture a prosperous economy by supporting local business and investment attraction.

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