Events, public programming, activations and local businesses have an important role in shaping the unique experiences and character of places, attracting people to activity centres and creating a vibrant destination for all.
Our Activation Grants program reflects the City of Stonnington's vision to be a vibrant, creative city that enhances its thriving and unique places and delivers positive economic, community and sustainability impacts for our communities.
Full information on the Grants program, including terms and conditions, can be found in the Activation Grants guidelines(PDF, 479KB).
Grant objectives
The Activation Grant program supports local businesses, organisations and individuals to deliver innovative, creative and interactive activations and experiences and test new ideas in our outdoor public spaces within our activity centres.
The grant supports projects that meet the following objectives and priorities outlined in the Council Plan and its connecting Place-Led Economic Development (PLED) Strategy.
The following key objectives have been identified as priorities:
- increase visitation to our outdoor public places
- increase economic activity in our municipality
- improve place perceptions and experience
- grow the local economy.
For more information, view the Business Support and Activation Policy(PDF, 1MB).
City of Stonnington activity centres
The City of Stonnington is located in Melbourne's inner southeast, alongside the Yarra River. It includes the suburbs of:
- Armadale
- Kooyong
- Malvern
- Malvern East
- Prahran
- Toorak
- parts of Glen Iris
- South Yarra
- Windsor.
The municipality has a range of activity centres, from clusters of local shops to renowned high streets and Australia's largest shopping centre, Chadstone. Activity centres play a significant role in the liveability and character of Stonnington by providing places for socialising, working, shopping and living.
Each of Stonnington's activity centres has its own economic, community and environmental role depending on its size and position and can be categorised in the hierarchy as outlined below.
- Stonnington's larger activity centres: predominately located in the western half of the municipality, have a broader economic role, attracting visitors from within and beyond Stonnington.
- Stonnington's smaller neighbourhood activity centres: predominately located in the eastern half of the municipality, serving a local population and providing day-to-day services for residents and workers.
- Chadstone Shopping Centre: a major hard-top activity centre and a key driver of Stonnington's visitor economy.
Examples of activation concepts
Examples of activation concepts that can be considered as part of this program include, but are not limited to:
- precinct-specific public exhibitions or performances
- temporary public art installations
- creative lighting installations and projections
- temporary public urban garden initiatives
- interactive sustainable initiatives
- community health and wellbeing activities
- outdoor intergenerational activities and games
- experimental projects in the public realm that lead visitors through a precinct, such as augmented reality trails.
Support
Application and concept help
Applicants are encouraged to contact a City of Stonnington officer to discuss any proposed ideas, specific needs or additional support that may be required to complete and submit an application.
Where required, our team will be there to assist with the development of the activation concept, providing experience, expertise, and recommendations to help create a placemaking focused activation concept.
To request help, email placemaking@stonnington.vic.gov.au
Working with the community
We encourage collaboration with other businesses, business groups or community groups. Engaging with these groups has a broader benefit for our activity centres, businesses and community in the City of Stonnington.
Start conversations with these groups as early as possible. The conversations can sometimes be slow moving due to resourcing and schedules. Please allow plenty of time to engage with external groups.
Letters of support from these groups can strengthen your application.
Marketing support
City of Stonnington can provide you with help to promote your project via e-newsletters, Facebook and What's On Stonnington. However, as an grant recipient, it is your responsibility to market your own project.
Applicants are encouraged to email What's On Stonnington directly at whats_on@stonnington.vic.gov.au.
Your email should include:
- project name
- description
- dates
- times
- ticket information
- any other information relevant to your project.
We will do our best to support and promote projects when we can, but this can vary depending on what else may be happening within the City of Stonnington.
It is a requirement that the City of Stonnington logo be displayed on your marketing collateral. The City of Stonnington must sign off on your use of the logo. All marketing collateral must also be approved by to an Activation Grant Officer before publication.
We request that collateral for promotion is submitted in a timely manner as approvals can take time.
Auspicing
What is Auspicing ?
Often, auspice organisations will enter into agreements to assist individual artists and local community groups so that valuable community projects get off the ground. Auspicing can be viewed as a larger organisation assisting an individual or community group to apply for a grant and then managing or overseeing elements if successful.
Your application will require an auspice if you are an individual or community group that is not incorporated. To apply for the grant, you will need to enter into an auspice arrangement with a not-for-profit incorporated organisation that has an Australian Business Number (ABN).
What is an incorporated organisation?
An incorporated organisation, or incorporated association, is incorporated in a state or territory under that jurisdiction's laws. Incorporation establishes it as a not-for-profit legal entity separate from its individual members.
You can recognise an incorporated association by the word 'Incorporated' or the abbreviation 'Inc.' after its name.
Often, arts, cultural, recreational, and diverse community groups are established as an incorporated organisation. An incorporated organisation must meet the requirements and regulations of the state or territory in which it is incorporated.
More information about incorporated organisations can be found on the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.
What does the auspice organisation do?
The auspice organisation is responsible for ensuring that the grant funds are utilised as outlined in the formal 'Sponsorship Agreement'. This includes:
- receiving, banking, managing and administering the grant funds
- ensuring that the applicant uses the funding on time
- making sure the money is accounted for (acquitted)
- signing the acquittal form.
An auspice organisation may also provide additional support and/or request additional involvement, such as:
- providing insurance for the project
- acting as a mentor for the successful applicant
- monitoring project progress
- administering a fee for auspice services, negotiated between you and the organisation.
What auspice arrangements are required for a grant application?
As part of the grant application, you are required to provide the auspice organisation's contact information, financial documents, and evidence that they are an appropriate legal entity, such as their Certificate of Incorporation and an Auspice Agreement Form.
It is important to spend time with the auspice organisation so that they understand your proposed project and you both agree with the auspice arrangement. Once a written Auspice Agreement Form has been obtained and signed, you must provide a copy as part of the application.
What if an Auspice Agreement is not received in time?
Preferably, we would like applicants to have finalised their auspice agreements before submitting their applications.
However, if, for some reason, the final agreement has not been received before submission, a one-week extension to submit your agreement can be granted.
After this time, pre-eligibility checks of applications will commence.
If you require this extension, please include all correspondence with your auspice organisation in your grant application and advise that the agreement will be provided within the week.
It is the applicant's responsibility to submit this agreement via email to placemaking@stonnington.vic.gov.au