Precinct Activation Grants

The Precinct Activation Grants 2026 - 27 are open to businesses in our smaller neighbourhood precincts to deliver a combined event or activity that provides enhancement, collaboration, and local economic activity.

The grant aims to:

• create a sense of place
• support local business
• encourage spending and visits
• create unique experiences for locals and visitors.

Grant submissions must meet one or more of the following objectives:  

• Aims to creates vibrancy and interest in the neighbourhood activity centre.
• Promotes the centre to increase visitation and economic prosperity.
• Demonstrates collaboration with local businesses and community to develop, plan and deliver an activation.
• Delivered within the centre or within 50 metres of an activity centre.

The activation must be free and accessible to the public.

Precinct Activation Grants will fund in-precinct activations and projects that:

• encourage visitors and spending
• enhance the visitor experience
• are temporary in nature (up to 3 months) and do not change any precinct infrastructure
• showcase local talent, culture, and stories
• build community pride and are open and inclusive
• provide opportunities for visitors to engage with local businesses
• bring five or more businesses together to deliver benefits to the entire precinct.

Activations that we consider part of the program include but are not limited to:

• small footprint festivals and markets (closing roads with trams not permitted)
• fairs, expos and exhibitions
• pop-ups and public space entertainment
• interactive outdoor games and activities
• music and street performances
• temporary public art installations
• creative lighting installations
• health and wellbeing activations
• outdoor sporting events
• night-time activations
• fun sustainable initiatives

For a full list of what is funded, please refer to the Precinct Activation Grants 2026-27 guidelines(PDF, 836KB).

The Precinct Activation Grant will not fund projects, proposals, events or activations that:

• take place outside Stonnington’s 20 eligible precincts
• occur outside the grant period of 1 October 2026 to the end of May 2027.
• require major or main road street closures   
• occur more than 50 metres from the designated precinct
• rely solely on the City of Stonnington and do not show a 20% financial or in-kind contribution from organising businesses
• aim to attract visitors to a single precinct business rather than the broader precinct
• occur on private property.
• involve private functions, dinners and receptions, promotional opportunities or brand activations
• are held online only
• have already started or been completed
• are closed to the public
• offer attendance by invitation or membership only
• do not demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility   
• are not accessible and inclusive or discriminate against any individual or community group.

For a full list of what is funded, please refer to the Precinct Activation Grants 2026-27 guidelines(PDF, 836KB).

The grant is only available to businesses or not-for profit organisations located in these Stonnington precincts.

• Punt Road, Windsor
• Prahran East Village
• High Street, Armadale (at Orrong Rd)
• Beatty Avenue, Armadale
• Kooyong Village
• Malvern Hill Village
• Malvern Village
• Tooronga on High Street
• Wattletree Village
• Central Park Village
• Glen Iris Village
• Darling Village
• Malvern East Terminus
• Waverley Road, Malvern East (corner Belgrave Road)
• Malvern Valley, Malvern East
• Holmesglen, Malvern East
• Waverley Road, Malvern East (corner Warrigal Road)
• Hawksburn Village
• Gardiner Village
• Waverley Road, Malvern East (Dandenong Road – Tooronga Road to Bates Street)

For the full list of eligible and ineligible businesses, please refer to the Precinct Activation Grants 2026-27 guidelines(PDF, 836KB).

To be eligible for a grant of up to $15,000, the applicant(s) must meet the following requirements:

• Group of five or more registered businesses in the one centre, which can show a commitment to working together to deliver a project in their neighbourhood activity centre.   
• Businesses have a current ABN or are registered not-for-profit.
• Businesses are registered for GST and Workcover.
• A lead applicant business accepts funding and signs agreement on behalf of the group (all participating businesses must be listed with clear roles and responsibilities)
• Businesses take out Public Liability Insurance (PLI) of no less than $20 million per incident are prepared to upgrade PLI if required.
• There are no pending acquittals or debts to the City of Stonnington.   
• Recipients are over the age of 18 years.   
• Detailed proposal includes objectives outlined in the guidelines and a presentation to an assessment panel.
• Minimum co-contribution of 20% of the total project budget for the delivery of the event or activation – can be in-kind, cash or a mix of both.

Ineligibility criteria

The following are ineligible for Precinct Activation Grants:

• Businesses located within Special Rate Scheme areas, specified major activity centres, shopping centres under single management, or outside the City of Stonnington.
• Applicants without an ABN, GST and WorkCover registration
• Businesses with compliance issues, unpaid debts, or outstanding acquittals with the City of Stonnington.
• Applicants who have already received or been refused funding for the same project in the same financial year, or who have not satisfactorily acquitted previous funding.
• Businesses with links to electronic gaming machines, political organisations, government bodies, grant-making entities, and those primarily focused on fundraising.
• Applications that do not meet eligibility or assessment criteria, including having fewer than five participating businesses.

Submit an online application via the SmartyGrants website. Applications will open on 22 June and close on 26 July.

Event permits

It is important to understand the costs and requirements before you apply for the grant. Once you work out what your project will be, check out our Apply for an event permit page to see whether you need a permit. 

For more information, contact our event permit officer via (03) 8290 1102 or filmandeventpermits@stonnington.vic.gov.au

Successful applicants must submit an acquittal report by June 2027, including evaluation data. Council can provide a reporting template and QR code to assist with measuring event success.