Hawkesbury community organisations have until 5pm on Friday 30 October 2026 to put forward small infrastructure projects for the latest round of the Stronger Communities Programme.
Grants of between $2,500 and $20,000 are available, with $150,000 allocated to each federal electorate. The program aims to fund projects that provide a social benefit to local communities.
Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman is inviting expressions of interest from community groups and not-for-profit organisations with an ABN. Her office says the funding is intended for small projects that can be delivered within six months.
Previous rounds in Macquarie have helped pay for defibrillators for soccer clubs, laptops and websites for Men’s Sheds, and energy-efficient whitegoods for a community kitchen, according to Ms Templeman.
“I love reading about the projects that sporting clubs, historical groups, musical societies and other community groups have in mind,” she said.
Ms Templeman urged groups to check the current grant guidelines before submitting an expression of interest, even if they had sought funding in an earlier round.
Submitting an expression of interest is the first step. Under the federal program, organisations selected by their local MP are then invited to make a formal grant application, which is assessed against the program’s criteria.
Groups can find the Macquarie expression of interest form on Ms Templeman’s website or call her office on (02) 4573 8222. The local expression of interest deadline is 5pm Friday 30 October 2026; the later deadline shown on the federal grants website applies to formal applications from invited organisations.
