Open Streets Program

Applicants must be a council within NSW. Each council may only submit a single application.

Projects must:

• Be located:
  • on one or more streets that are in Council or NSW Government ownership, and
  • on streets that are primarily used for vehicles, and
  • at the heart of one or more local centre/s.
• Temporarily close or partially close a street/s to vehicles in a location specified above.
• Deliver events and activations on the selected street/s that:
  • are free for the community to access (Note: Free ticketed events are acceptable for managing attendance), and
  • are inclusive to all members of the community, and
  • occur on a single day or multiple days, and
  • encourage engagement and support from local businesses, business associations, asset owners and major nearby employers, providing them with an opportunity to play a role in the events and activations.
• Support local employment and local businesses.
• Be held by January 2025, but may commence events and activations as soon as a funding agreement is in place and the necessary approvals are obtained by council.

Projects may:

• Include events and activities held across multiple streets. Cohesive programming is encouraged.
• Involve programming partnerships with a local gallery, school, library, arts organisation or similar, which is encouraged.
• Include council co-funding, which is encouraged.

Funding may be used for:

• Costs associated with street closures including traffic control, signage, barriers or other infrastructure and cleaning.
• The installation of new public placemaking activations, art and/or street murals, where they can clearly be shown to support the event or activation.
• Event infrastructure, including leasing of equipment.
• Event production, including operations, logistics and technology providers.
• Engaging artists, performers, musicians, or other creative workers.
• Engaging a local creative, art, culture or learning institution for program development and delivery.
• Any other service or resources (up to a reasonable proportion of the funding amount) provided they contribute to delivering the event or activity and approved by TfNSW.
• Events and activities already in planning, provided councils demonstrate how the funding will expand the scope and amplify what is already planned. Note: Funding cannot be used to offset expenses of an existing or planned activation or event but can be used to extend the scope of an event.
• Microgrants to local businesses, community groups, schools or similar, to encourage organisations and businesses in the area to participate in programming (up to 10% of total partnership funding), provided the grants are consistent with the partnership criteria and program objectives.

Funding cannot be used for:

• Projects that involve permanent capital works, with the exception of murals.
• Funding for works that are considered to be part of council’s ongoing maintenance and management of a site.
• Funding of personnel or staff positions.
• Projects requiring ongoing funding from NSW Government, or retrospective funding to cover any project component that is already complete or underway.
• To offset expenses of an existing or planned activation or event, but can be used to extend the scope of an event (e.g. a daytime event into the night-time).

Ineligible projects include: 

• Activations that include any type of participation fee.
• Activations occurring after January 2025.
• Projects that are located on streets that are not primarily used by vehicles.
• An existing or planned activation or event except where the project is an extension of the scope of an existing event (e.g. a daytime event into the night-time).