Ahead of this year's NAIDOC Week - themed 50 Years of Deadly - later this year, small grants to help Aboriginal groups and organisations in NSW host community celebrations are on offer.
Aboriginal Affairs NSW is allocating $500,000 towards local events and activities.
Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations and other eligible groups and organisations are able to apply for grants between $1,000-$5,000 for costs like venue and equipment hire, payments to those running workshops, for artists and involved Elders, and to purchase art and catering.
Activities like festivals, exhibitions, gatherings, sporting competitions, cultural events, projects and others must be held in NSW, though can take place outside of the NAIDOC Week 2026's official window of July 5-12. The timeline stretches from July 1 through to October 31.
Last year's grants funding supported 179 community-led events take place across the state.
"Aboriginal Affairs NSW is proud to support NAIDOC events that bring communities together to share stories, showcase culture, and celebrate our resilience," Acting Deputy Secretary of Aboriginal Affairs NSW Trish Oxford (Ngemba) said.
"These NAIDOC Grants will support Aboriginal communities to celebrate and strengthen cultures right across NSW.
"If you want to apply for a grant and you're not sure how, I encourage you to get in touch with your local Aboriginal Affairs NSW regional team. They'll be able to help guide you on the process of applying."
Grants cannot be used to cover costs or allow use of alcohol at celebrations, for staff wages, will take place outside of the state or are for 'the exclusive benefit of the applicant organisation'.
In addition to ACCOs, the following groups and organisations are eligible:
- An unincorporated Aboriginal group that has entered into an agreement with an eligible organisation to auspice the funding
- A not-for-profit organisation incorporated under the relevant State or Federal legislation and able to demonstrate the delivery of culturally safe projects in collaboration with Aboriginal organisations and/or communities
Aboriginal Affairs outlines intended outcomes for funded projects as "Increased knowledge of Aboriginal histories, cultures and achievements across communities in NSW" and "Improved sense of well-being and pride in Aboriginal communities as NAIDOC Week theme is supported and celebrated".
Other eligibility requirements for grants apply, with applications open until March 22.
Applicants are able to contact Aboriginal Affairs NSW's Community Investments team and regional offices for support.
With its history dating back to as early as the 1920s, William Cooper and others' activism, Day of Mourning civil rights efforts of the late 1930s, the National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC, now NAIDOC) has been recognised as a week-long event since 1975.
In 2026, 50 Years of Deadly acts as "both a reflection and a declaration", the National NAIDOC Committee stated on announcing this year's theme in late January.
"It acknowledges the strength it has taken to reach this milestone, not by chance, but because generations of people refused to be silenced. It recognises the organisers, artists, activists and communities who carried NAIDOC forward year after year, ensuring it remained grounded in culture and community," the Committee said.
NAIDOC co-chair Steven Satour said the theme "recognises the leadership and cultural authority that carried this movement forward and affirms that NAIDOC's next chapter will be shaped by community leadership, long-term vision, and a stronger, more sustainable future".
Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Malarndirri McCarthy encouraged all Australians to celebrate NAIDOC Week in 2026, "and recognise the positive contributions First Nations people have made to their communities and our country".
