From expanding a neighbourhood kitchen garden to equipping local sports clubs with defibrillators and a program supporting food entrepreneurs, a wide range of local initiatives have been delivered thanks to the NSW Ports Community Grants Program.
As the program enters its sixth year, it remains focused on empowering grassroots organisations.
And once again, local community groups, not for profit organisations, sports clubs and schools are invited to submit their grant applications to help fund projects or programs that benefit members of their local communities.
The program offers one-off grants of up to $25,000, for local initiatives, projects and services operating within eligible postcodes in the vicinity of NSW Ports’ sites at Port Botany, Port Kembla and the Enfield and Cooks River Intermodal Terminals.
NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas said the grants highlight a continued focus on partnering with local groups to deliver positive outcomes.
“Our Community Grants Program reflects NSW Ports’ commitment to the neighbourhoods in which we operate. Over the program’s history we’ve supported more than 80 local projects, and we are delighted to be able to continue to work with grassroots organisations to build stronger, more vibrant communities around Port Botany, Port Kembla and our intermodal terminals.”
“Beyond the grants themselves, what we continue to see through this program is an amazing number of people who contribute their time and their energy to make a difference in their community. It is a real privilege to be able to be a part of that and to be able to help them achieve those objectives.”
The program supports projects that deliver positive outcomes across the areas of education, health, economic development, the environment, arts and culture, social welfare and emergency services.
FoodLab Sydney, near Enfield Intermodal Terminal, successfully applied for a 2025 NSW Ports Community Grant which CEO Jamie Loveday says was used to support 10 food entrepreneurs to grow their skills and knowledge of the hospitality industry and its regulations.
“The grant has really been able to open doors, not just for us to grow in the way we translate some of our course material, but also to be able to welcome a whole new cohort of entrepreneurs again,” he said.
“These participants will go on to employ many people from their own communities and that is a very important thing for the hospitality industry.”
Through its international trade gateways, NSW Ports’ operations contribute $13.6 billion annually to the State’s economy and support around 65,000 jobs through the supply chain – many of them in the local community.
To apply for the NSW Ports 2026 Community Grants Program, or for more information, visit: nswports.com.au/2026-community-grants. Applications close at 5pm on Sunday 12 April 2026.
