If your organisation works with or for unpaid carers in New South Wales, there is a grant open right now that is worth a close look. The NSW Carers Investment Grant Program 2026 offers between $50,000 and $100,000 to not-for-profit organisations, local councils and similar incorporated bodies that run projects helping carers get more recognition, better access to support, and greater awareness in their communities.
This guide explains who the grant is for, how much you can get, what the money can and cannot be spent on, and exactly what you need to prepare before the application window closes.
What Is the NSW Carers Investment Grant Program?
The NSW Carers Investment Grant Program 2026 is a one-off funding round run by the NSW Government’s Department of Communities and Justice. It exists to support projects that directly help unpaid carers across New South Wales, people who look after a family member or friend who has a disability, a chronic illness, a mental health condition, or who is frail due to age, without being paid to do it.
Rather than funding carer services directly (that support already exists through other channels), this program funds projects that build recognition of carers, improve how easily carers can find and access the support that already exists, and raise general community awareness of carers and the role they play.
Funded projects run for up to 15 months, starting on or after 1 March 2027 and finishing by 30 June 2028.
Why This Program Exists
Unpaid carers, people looking after a family member or friend with a disability, chronic illness, mental health condition or frailty due to age, often carry a significant load with little public recognition. Many carers do not identify as “carers” at all and are unaware of the support services already available to them. The NSW Carers Investment Grant Program is built around closing that gap. Rather than duplicating existing carer services, it funds projects run by organisations already embedded in their communities, local councils, not-for-profits, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and peak health bodies, to make carers more visible, better connected to support, and better understood by the wider community.
This focus matters for how you frame your application. A project that simply delivers more of an existing service is unlikely to fit the brief. A project that helps carers discover, understand or access support that already exists, or that lifts community awareness of what carers do and what they need, is a much closer match to what this program is designed to fund.
How Much Funding Is Available?
Successful applicants can receive between $50,000 and $100,000 per project. The NSW Government has described the process as competitive and has stated that funding is limited, so applying with a strong, well-costed project plan matters more than simply asking for the maximum amount.
The official page does not state how many grants will be awarded in total, so it is worth assuming demand will be high and preparing your application accordingly.
Who Can Apply?
This grant is aimed squarely at incorporated organisations already working in or around the carer support space in NSW, not at individuals or private businesses. According to the official program guidelines, eligible applicants include:
Incorporated not-for-profit organisations registered with NSW Fair Trading. Not-for-profit and public companies limited by guarantee that operate in NSW. Local government bodies, including councils, Joint Organisations, County Councils and Regional Organisations of Councils. Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (supporting documentation is required to confirm this status). Indigenous corporations and Local Aboriginal Land Councils registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. Trusts registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. NSW non-government organisations that were set up under their own Act of Parliament. Religious organisations operating in NSW. NSW peak carer organisations, and representative bodies for GPs, other medical practitioners, allied health professionals, pharmacists and similar service providers.
Certain NSW Government-linked bodies with Deductible Gift Recipient status are also eligible, including Local Health Districts and the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network.
To qualify, every applicant must also: operate in NSW and deliver all project activities within NSW, hold an Australian bank account, have an ABN or a NSW Fair Trading incorporation number, carry appropriate insurance (the program specifies a minimum of $10 million in public liability cover), and be able to show it is not currently subject to sanctions under the National Redress Scheme.
Who Cannot Apply
The program rules are explicit about who is excluded. You are not eligible if you are:
An individual or a group of individuals applying in a personal capacity. A sole trader. A proprietary company or any company limited by shares (that is, a standard for-profit business structure). An unincorporated organisation or informal group with no legal entity behind it. A for-profit commercial organisation of any kind. A NSW or Australian Government agency, or an entity of one, including schools, colleges, TAFEs and universities. A health or education institution whose core focus is research, including universities. An organisation applying through an auspice arrangement on behalf of another group (direct applications only are accepted).
If your organisation falls into one of these categories, this particular program is not available to you, though other NSW or federal grant programs may still be relevant to your work.
What Can the Funding Be Used For?
The grant covers expenses directly tied to delivering your approved project. Applicants need to submit a detailed, itemised budget showing exactly how the funds will be spent. Examples given by the program include:
Community events and activities that raise awareness of carers and their needs. Tools and resources that help carers find and access existing support services more easily. Education and awareness initiatives aimed at the broader community, service providers, or carers themselves.
Importantly, the program is not designed to fund direct service delivery that duplicates or supplements existing supports such as My Aged Care, the NDIS, or the Thriving Kids initiative. It also cannot be used to fund a research component as part of the project.
What the Funding Cannot Be Used For
The official guidelines rule out a long list of costs, and it is worth checking your proposed budget against this list before you apply:
Activities or programs that have already received funding previously, or claiming funding twice for the same activity. Costs that are already covered by another government grant or subsidy. Activities that overlap with what is already covered by the Commonwealth Carer Gateway. Any costs incurred before your application is submitted (the program will not fund anything retrospectively). Permanent staff salaries and wages, although paying a workshop facilitator or a guest speaker for a specific session is allowed. Ordinary running costs such as rent, insurance, utilities, or software subscriptions that your organisation would have regardless of this project. Commercial, for-profit activity of any kind, or using the grant to cover existing debts or budget shortfalls. Capital works or the purchase of equipment. Anything connected to gambling, alcohol, tobacco or other drug promotion. Interstate or overseas travel.
If your project idea depends heavily on any of the above, you will likely need to rework your budget or project scope before applying.
Key Dates
Applications opened on 30 October 2026. The program closes at 5:00pm on Friday, 20 November 2026. The official page does not state which time zone this closing time refers to, so if you are applying from outside New South Wales, it is worth treating this as Sydney time and submitting well before the deadline rather than cutting it close. The online application system is set up to shut off automatically at the stated closing time, and no late submissions are accepted after that point.
Funded projects cannot start before 1 March 2027 and must be fully completed by 30 June 2028, giving successful organisations a window of up to 15 months to deliver their project.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted through the NSW Government’s online grants management system, SmartyGrants. If you have not used this platform before, you will need to register and create a password before you can start your application. The system allows you to save your progress and come back to it later, but your application only counts as officially lodged once you click the final submit button, and you will receive a confirmation email once that happens.
As part of the application, you will likely be asked to upload evidence of your bank account details and a current certificate of currency for your public liability insurance. The guidelines also note that a valid insurance certificate must be provided before any grant agreement with a successful applicant can be finalised, so it is worth having this document ready in advance.
Documents and Information You Should Prepare
Before you start your application, gather the following so the process goes smoothly:
Proof of your organisation’s legal structure, such as your incorporation certificate, ABN registration, or (for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations) your supporting documentation. A current certificate of currency showing at least $10 million in public liability insurance. Your organisation’s bank account details. A clear, written project plan that explains what you will do, who it will help, and how it builds recognition, access, or awareness for carers. A detailed, itemised project budget that only includes eligible costs. Evidence that your project will be delivered entirely within NSW.
Taking the time to prepare these documents before you open the online form will make the application process considerably faster and reduce the risk of running out of time before the 20 November deadline.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A number of applicants lose out on grants like this one for avoidable reasons. Keep these in mind:
Including costs that are explicitly excluded, such as capital works, equipment purchases, or permanent salaries, which can see parts of a budget rejected or the whole application marked down. Proposing a project that duplicates an existing service such as My Aged Care or NDIS supports rather than complementing it. Applying through an auspice arrangement when the program requires a direct application from an eligible, incorporated entity. Leaving the public liability insurance certificate until after submission, when it is needed as part of finalising a grant agreement. Submitting close to the 5:00pm deadline on 20 November 2026 without allowing time to fix technical issues, given the system shuts off automatically and does not accept late submissions. Underestimating how competitive the round is and submitting a vague project plan rather than a specific, well-costed one.
How Competitive Is This Grant?
The official guidelines describe the funding as limited and the selection process as competitive, but do not publish the total number of grants on offer or the total funding pool. Given the wide range of eligible organisation types, from local councils to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to peak health bodies, it is reasonable to expect strong demand. Organisations with a clear, specific project that directly builds carer recognition, access or awareness, backed by a realistic and fully compliant budget, will be best placed to stand out.
What to Prepare Before You Start
If you are considering applying, use the time before 20 November wisely:
Confirm your organisation meets every eligibility requirement, including the insurance and NSW-based delivery conditions, before investing time in a full application. Draft your project plan first, in plain language, so you can see clearly whether it fits the program’s focus on recognition, access and awareness rather than direct service delivery. Build your budget against the eligible and ineligible cost lists in this guide so you are not caught out partway through. Register for a SmartyGrants account early so you are not held up by account creation on the day you plan to submit.
What Happens After You Submit
Once you click submit in the online portal, you will receive a confirmation email showing your application has been lodged. The official guidelines do not publish a specific assessment timeline or notification date for this round, so applicants should not assume a particular response date and should instead watch for direct communication from the Department of Communities and Justice once the 20 November 2026 closing date has passed and assessment is under way.
Because a valid public liability insurance certificate is required before any grant agreement can be finalised with a successful applicant, it is worth renewing or confirming this cover well ahead of time rather than leaving it until after you are notified of an outcome. Organisations that are approved but cannot promptly provide this documentation risk delays in getting their funding agreement signed and their project under way.
Building a Stronger Application
Because the guidelines describe the process as competitive without publishing exact numbers of grants on offer, the strength of your project plan and budget will matter more than how much you ask for. A few practical habits tend to separate stronger applications from weaker ones in grant rounds like this:
Be specific about the problem your project solves for carers, rather than describing a general program of activities. Link every budget line back to an eligible cost category, and remove anything that strays into capital works, equipment, or ordinary operating costs before you submit. Show how your project avoids duplicating existing supports such as My Aged Care, the NDIS or the Commonwealth Carer Gateway, and instead helps carers find, understand or access what is already there. Where possible, demonstrate existing reach or relationships within the carer community your project is meant to serve, since this helps show the project is achievable within the 15-month delivery window.
Related Funding Options
If your organisation does not fit this program, or you want to explore other sources of funding while you wait to hear back, it is worth looking at other state grant programs for New South Wales. Our guide to NSW state grants for small businesses covers a wider range of current NSW funding rounds, and our overview of community development grants is a useful starting point for not-for-profits and community organisations looking at options beyond this single program.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NSW Carers Investment Grant Program?
It is a NSW Government grant program, run by the Department of Communities and Justice, that funds one-off projects helping to build recognition, access to support, and community awareness for unpaid carers across New South Wales.
How much funding can my organisation receive?
Successful applicants can receive between $50,000 and $100,000 per project. The exact number of grants to be awarded has not been published.
Can individuals or sole traders apply?
No. This program only accepts applications from incorporated organisations such as not-for-profits, local councils, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and similar bodies. Individuals, sole traders and standard for-profit companies are not eligible.
When does the program close?
Applications close at 5:00pm on Friday, 20 November 2026. The online system shuts off automatically at this time and does not accept late submissions.
Can the grant be used to directly deliver carer support services?
No. The program is designed to fund projects that improve recognition, access and awareness around carers, not to fund direct service delivery that duplicates supports already available through programs such as My Aged Care, the NDIS or the Commonwealth Carer Gateway.
When do funded projects need to run?
Funded projects must start on or after 1 March 2027 and be completed by 30 June 2028, giving successful applicants up to 15 months to deliver their project.
Need Help Understanding Your Grant Options?
Grant guidelines can be detailed, and working out whether your organisation and project genuinely fit a program like this one takes time. If you would like to talk through your options, call Grants Assist on 1300 005 999.
