NSW Heritage Grant Program - Small Grants program for Local History and Archives

NSW Heritage Grant Program - Small Grants program for Local History and Archives is sponsored by Royal Australian Historical Society (administered on behalf of the NSW Government). This program provides funding for local historical research by community groups and individuals that celebrate Australian local history, express the diversity of Australian culture, and highlight pivotal Australian historical events and issues in a local context.

Local History Grants Program - Royal Australian Historical Society RAHS Home > Local History Grants Program Create NSW Local History Grants Program The Local History Grants Program is a Create NSW devolved funding program administered by the Royal Australian Historical Society on behalf of the NSW Government. It supports research and publication projects that explore local, community and regional history across NSW.

The program was formerly known as the Cultural Grants. In 2026, applications will be submitted by email rather than online using SmartyGrants. The guidelines and application form are available below.

Once completed, please send your application and attachments to grants@rahs. org. au .

The RAHS will distribute $65,000 + GST in grants this year, with individual projects eligible for up to $6,000 + GST. This increase has been made possible through the ongoing support of Create NSW. Applications open on 28 April 2026 at 10 am and close at midnight on 23 June 2026.

Applications are now closed. For any enquiries, please email grants@rahs. org.

au Please download and read the guidelines carefully to confirm that your organisation and project are eligible to apply. After reviewing the guidelines, please contact the RAHS on (02) 9247 8001 to briefly discuss your project. Alternatively, you can email us at grants@rahs.

org. au and we can arrange a time to call you. This step helps us confirm eligibility early and ensures you do not spend time preparing an application that may not be suitable.

A team member will confirm whether you can proceed to the next stage. You will be asked to confirm in the application form that you have read and understood the guidelines and have discussed your project with the RAHS. Download the application form in Word or PDF format and email it, along with your attachments, to grants@rahs.

org. au We will acknowledge receipt of applications within two business days. If you do not receive confirmation, please contact us.

Please keep attachment sizes manageable to ensure your application is received. As a guide, emails should be under 20MB. A key requirement of the grant is that one of your attachments must be a quote that matches the amount you are applying for.

APPLICATION FORM (PDF) | APPLICATION FORM (WORD) Quotes: What you need to get right for your grant application The most common issue we see is applications submitted without a valid quote, or with a quote that does not match the amount requested. Your application must include a quote.

A quote is a written estimate from a supplier or service provider for the work you are seeking funding for, for example printing, digitisation, conservation, editing or design.

To be valid, your quote must: clearly describe the work or service being provided and time frame (2026/2027) include the supplier’s name and contact details show the total cost, including or excluding GST match the amount requested in your application an email with a rough price an estimate without detail an old quote from a similar type of project that you have previously delivered Applications without a valid quote, or where the quote does not match the amount requested, cannot be assessed.

Common feedback from Assessors: Tips to strengthen your application These are the most common issues we see in applications and how to avoid them. 1. Confirm your project is eligible Read the guidelines carefully and speak with the RAHS before applying.

Projects that do not meet the eligibility criteria cannot be assessed. 2. Be clear about what you are delivering Clearly describe what your project will produce, for example a book, digitised collection or oral history interviews.

Avoid vague descriptions. 3. Show why the project matters Explain why your project is important and how it contributes to understanding the history of NSW, its people or places.

4. Demonstrate community benefit Be clear about how your project will increase access to history, support research or education, or preserve important resources. 5.

Present a clear and consistent budget Your budget should align with your quote and clearly show how funds will be used. 6. Include relevant supporting material Attach documents that support your application.

Avoid including large amounts of unrelated material. 7. Be realistic about time and delivery Ensure your project can be completed within the timeframe and includes achievable milestones.

8. Proofread your application Clear, well written applications are easier to assess and compare. 9.

Make sure your organisation supports the application Applications should be approved by your organisation, for example your committee or board. If you have any questions, please get in touch early. We are happy to help.

Local History Grant Acknowledgement All recipients of Local History Grant funding must publicly acknowledge the support of the NSW State Government and the RAHS by using the appropriate logos on publications, invitations, banners, any other printed or electronic material undertaken in relation to the funded activity, any products developed as a result of the funded activity, organisation websites (in a position appropriate to the level of support) and any other promotional material.

Failure to include this acknowledgement can result in the cancellation of your grant and the return of your grant funding. The acknowledgment must include the below wording and the logos of both Create NSW and the Royal Australian Historical Society: This project is supported by Create NSW’s Local History Grant Program, a devolved funding program administered by the Royal Australian Historical Society on behalf of the NSW Government.

Please contact the RAHS for a soft copy of the relevant logos. Contributing Digitised Newspapers to Trove Newspapers provide unique insights into the past and remain an important historical research source. The Local History Grants Program provides funding for digitising newspapers to make them available on Trove.

The National Library of Australia (NLA) established the Australian Newspaper Digitisation Program in 2007, a project that has made over 20 million pages of digitised newspapers available online through Trove. The NLA has contributor guidelines and an outline of the workflow process that will be useful for applicants. The recipients of the Cultural Grants are published in History magazine.

Click the images to learn about past recipients.