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Grant program: Supplementary questions and answers

Questions and answers published below are designed to supplement the detailed information contained in the Uptown Grant Program Guidelines

If my District Team is proposing to become an incorporated association, should we apply as an Incorporated Association or as an Alternative or Proposed Entity?

District Teams proposing to become an incorporated association should apply as an ‘Alternative or Proposed Entity’ (see Guidelines page 6).

Please speak more to what the grant funds can be applied to. For example, can this include brand development, activations and/or events in line with the District Team’s vision?

Eligible and ineligible activities are outlined in the Uptown Grant Program Guidelines (pp. 8-9). Consumer events and activations are ineligible for funding. Eligible activities include marketing and promotional activities to increase consumer awareness and engagement with the district, which may include brand and website development.

I understand councils are not eligible to participate in the Uptown Grant Program but what role do you think councils can undertake to support the program?

Councils can assist businesses in their area through building awareness of the Uptown Grant Program. This may include identifying suitable district areas and encouraging District Teams to form and participate. Councils may also consider providing a Letter of Support for District Teams to assist their application. Further, Councils can consider and implement collaborative approaches amongst businesses within their own programs to encourage collaboration between local businesses.

Is the Uptown Grant Program a one-off grant program?

Yes, the Grant Program is a one-off grant program with all activities required to be delivered within the 12-month funding period. The funding may be leveraged to demonstrate the value of the district to other potential partners and sponsors to help secure other revenue streams.

The grant funding is offered for 12 months only. Can we still apply for funding if the initiative we would like to fund is ongoing beyond 12 months?

Activities for which grant funding is awarded must be delivered within the 12-month period. Funding cannot be used to pre-purchase or pre-pay for activity that takes place after the end of the funding period. Please refer to eligible and ineligible activities in the Program Guidelines for guidance on whether your activities are permitted (pp. 8-9).

Can we apply for funding for an initiative which we have already commenced or is in progress?

Applicants can apply for funding for eligible activities that have already commenced and will continue during the grant funding period, provided that all grant funding is utilised during the 12-month funding period. Any co-funding of eligible activities should be included in the budget.

What is the plan for the program and funding into the future beyond the NSW election?

As published in the Program Guidelines, the Uptown Grant Program is an existing commitment of the NSW Government. The Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner cannot comment on the election or related matters.

The Uptown Grant Program is designed to seed fund self-sustaining districts that have the capacity to secure other revenue streams.

Am I eligible to apply for grant funding if I did not participate in the Uptown Accelerator Program?

Eligibility criteria is contained in the Uptown Grant Program Guidelines (pp.6-7). Participation in the Uptown Accelerator is not an eligibility criterion for the Uptown Grant Program.

As listed in the Program Guidelines (p.3), this opportunity is an open competitive grant program.

Businesses in our Team include arts organisations, NGOs and bars. We are coordinating efforts around music. There has been discussion about diversity as a consideration for receiving grant funding. Can we focus on collaboration in one area such as music?

District Teams are not prevented from applying if they primarily focus on one sector, but this may be considered by the Assessment Panel in line with the Assessment Criteria.

Diversity within the District Team’s membership will be considered by the Assessment Panel under the ‘composition’ Assessment Criteria (p.11). In terms of what the Panel may consider, the application form allows applicants to indicate the number of members in the District Team, the business name and location of each member, the sector that each member represents, as well as the type of business that they are (e.g. a restaurant or museum).

Is applying as a registered/incorporated not-for-profit organisation with letters of support from supporting/participating businesses sufficient as an entity type?

Entity requirements are detailed in the Program Guidelines (p.6). Districts Teams must be an Incorporated Association (at the time of application) or an Alternative or Proposed Entity.

See the Program Guidelines (p.6) for further detail on entity requirements.

Can we apply for funding for activities that volunteers are completing now?

Provided that the activities are Eligible activities in accordance with the Program Guidelines (pp.8-9) then you may apply to use the grant funding for that purpose.

Do we need to strictly follow the templates?

Templates are provided as a resource for applicants, but there is space to elaborate in the free text fields. For any issues with the templates, please contact us for support.

Can a business that isn’t geographically bound make an application on behalf of a district?

Even if your organisation is not located in a particular district, you might still be part of a District Team. We recognise that collaboration is not limited to geography - you just need to consider whether your vision and contribution aligns with those of the District Team.

Can an organisation represent multiple teams in different areas?

As detailed in the Program Guidelines (p.7), a business is eligible to participate in only one District Team, with the exception of businesses operating multiple venues under one ABN.

Businesses operating multiple venues under one ABN are eligible to participate in more than one District Team, provided that:

  • each venue participates in only one District Team
  • each venue operates at a different address
  • the venue name and address are specified in the application form, in addition to the business name.

Note: an agency providing services to the District Team may be treated as a supplier to the District (as opposed to a member) and identified in the project plan and budget of an application.

Do the five partner businesses need to be in the same local area or could there be one local business with four from outside the area?

The Program Guidelines do not specify any requirement that members must be located in the same area, but consideration should be given to the ability to align on a vision for the district.

What is and is not eligible? Are trade events eligible?

The Assessment Panel will consider whether the activities proposed in an application align with the Eligible activities outlined in the Program Guidelines and the objectives of the Program.

Note that while trade events are listed as an example of an eligible activity (p.8), consumer events/activations are listed as an ineligible activity (p.9).

How will you approach applications where there are two parties applying for funding in overlapping areas?

All applications will be assessed on their merit as individual applications.

Who is on the assessment panel? Are there industry representatives on the panel?

As detailed in the Program Guidelines (p.13), the Assessment Panel will be chaired by DEIT and include senior representatives from at least two different NSW Government agencies. There are no industry representatives on the Panel. However, external experts/advisors may be invited to provide advice as part of the assessment process.

Is it possible to change the contact and log-in details of our District Team in SmartyGrants if we have changed our lead member and who will be submitting the application?

Yes, provided the application has not been submitted. Please send your request to [email protected] and provide the new contact person and their email address for us to change the District Team’s access in SmartyGrants.

How will the ‘entity requirements’ eligibility criteria be assessed for District Teams applying as an ‘Alternative or Proposed Entity’?

For Alternative and Proposed Entities, the ‘eligibility check’ referred to in the Program Guidelines (p.13) will only be undertaken on the nominated Lead Applicant against the eligibility requirements outlined in page 6 of the Program Guidelines to determine whether the application for the District Team will proceed to the next assessment stage.