Submissions are now open for the Sydney Water’s annual Community Grants Program to support local community groups that deliver projects within Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and the Illawarra area, that help build thriving and sustainable communities.
These grants are not for-profit initiatives. By partnering with the community, they can make an even bigger impact. This grant can help turn your creative ideas into impactful actions that will drive a sustainable water future.
Program Themes and Focus Areas
Water education
Projects that educate the community about the connection to water, it’s cultural value, water in the environment and water efficiency to ensure a resilient water future.
Your project must have a clear call to action that will inspire, and drive behaviour change surrounding water in the community.
Example educational topics:
Natural and urban water cycle, where water comes from and goes after use
First Nations connection to water/waterways
Impacts of the changing climate to water – Water conservation to change water use behaviours
Wastewater education, e.g. including what not to put in the sink and down the toilet
Healthy stormwater management
Example initiatives:
Create educational assets, such as children’s books, podcasts, videos, posters to circulate with the community
Other creative methods to educate and engage the community
Healthy Waterways
Projects that support the health of the waterways including rivers, beaches and green spaces which interact with waterways.
Your project must benefit the health of the local aquatic environments.
Example initiatives:
Cleaning up rivers, beaches, lakes etc.
Litter reduction in aquatic spaces
Promoting aquatic biodiversity
Water conservation
Projects that reduce, reuse, recycle water, to lower water consumption and drive a resilient water future.
Your project must result in significant water savings through the development and implementation of water saving technologies, devices, appliances and systems.
Examples initiatives:
rainwater capture and reuse
water recycling
installing water saving devices
developing smart technologies to save water.
Funding Information
Through the Community Grants Program, eligible community groups can apply for a grant of up to $10,000 (minimum of $5,000).
Eligibility Criteria
Grant applications are sought from community-minded organisations and groups who share the vision of driving a sustainable water future.
The Applicant must have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or be registered as a notfor-profit organisation.
The Program is open to (but not limited to) the following groups within the Sydney Water’s area of operation (Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and the Illawarra):
councils working in partnership with community groups
public health or allied health body and housing co-operatives who can facilitate grassroots projects with community groups.
Ineligible
The following people/groups cannot apply:
Sydney Water employees/contractors or their immediate family members
organisations that in Sydney Water’s opinion, expose Sydney Water to a reputational risk
organisations with links to negative impacts on the environment or health
anyone else or any other proposed projects or initiatives that Sydney Water considers inappropriate or not aligned with its business objectives, values, or policies.
