Multicultural festivals and events program guidelines

I am pleased to announce the 2026-27 Multicultural Festivals and Events Program.

Victoria’s diversity is one of our greatest strengths and a defining part of who we are. Generations of multicultural and multifaith communities have helped shape our vibrant state, and their contributions continue to enrich our shared identity.

The Victorian Government is committed to supporting multicultural communities as they celebrate their heritage. Festivals and events play a vital role in keeping traditions alive and sharing them with all Victorians. They foster connection, understanding and respect across the many cultures that call Victoria home.

In 2026-27, the Multicultural Festivals and Events Program will provide more than $5 million for events delivered between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027.

An extra $1 million will be available through the Regional Multicultural Festivals and Events Fund to support events held outside metropolitan Melbourne.

As we launch this year’s program, we acknowledge the enormous contributions multicultural communities make in Victoria. Their traditions, resilience and generosity strengthen our state, and through this program, we look forward to supporting the festivals and events that bring Victorians together.

Ingrid Stitt MP

Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria

Introduction

What types of grants are available?

Grants of up to $50,000 are available. The program has three funding streams to support activities that meet the program’s objectives:

1. Small stream (up to $5000)
2. Medium stream ($5,001 to $15,000)
3. Large stream ($15,001 to $50,00)

You can visit the MFE program acronyms and definitions page to help you understand key terms.

The program is open to all eligible community organisations. To make access fairer, the program gives priority to communities that face more challenges when hosting events or reaching audiences.

These communities are:

• rural and regional communities
• new and emerging priority communities
• events that clearly include or engage:
  • Women
  • Young people
  • LGBTIQA+

These communities may sit across multiple priority groups and often have fewer resources and networks. Giving them priority helps make cultural celebrations possible across the whole state and builds stronger community connections.

If your application meets a priority group eligibility, you may receive:

• lower attendance requirements
• reduced or no matched funding requirements
• no maximum funding limit
• a higher score in the “Engagement with priority groups” criteria.

More information is available on the funding eligibility pages:

• Small stream (up to $5000)
• Medium stream ($5,001 to $15,000)
• Large stream ($15,001 to $50,000).

Events funded by this program must be respectful and open to all Victorians.

Acknowledgement of Country or a Welcome to Country

We encourage events to include an Acknowledgement of Country or a Welcome to Country. An Acknowledgement of Country recognises that Victoria has a strong and proud Aboriginal history and pays respect to the Traditional Owners.

More information is available on the First Peoples State Relations website: Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners.

Accessibility

Your organisation must make sure the event can be enjoyed by everyone, including people with disability. This includes but is not limited to:

• Easy physical access – Choose a venue that people can move around safely and easily. For example, entrances, paths, and toilets should be accessible for wheelchair users and people with mobility needs.
• Cultural and language inclusion – Think about language needs and cultural sensitivities so all Victorians feel welcome. This could include using clear, simple promotional materials, offering interpreters, or providing bilingual signs.
• Financial accessibility – Events must be free so everyone has an equal opportunity to attend.

Environmental impact

Your organisation must take steps to reduce harm to the environment. This includes:

• making the event more environmentally friendly
• managing waste responsibly. For example:
  • advertising online instead of printing lots of paper
  • avoiding single-use plastics.

General eligibility

These are the basic rules that all applicants must meet before applying.

Funding stream eligibility

You can apply for one of the following funding streams.

Who can apply

Your organisation must meet all four conditions below:

1. You must be an incorporated legal entity under one of the following:

• the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic) registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria
• the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
• an Act of Parliament. You must provide a copy of the Act with your application.

2. You must have a current Australian Business Number (ABN) matching the organisation’s name in your application

3. You must be a not-for-profit demonstrated under one of the following:

• registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC)
• registered as an incorporated association with Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV). This entity type is considered not-for-profit.
• registered as a company limited by guarantee with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
• a social enterprise with a clearly stated purpose or mission related to supporting multicultural communities in Victoria.

4. You should have no overdue final reports from previous Victorian state government funded grants (including Multicultural Affairs grants) by 31 August 2026 for applications in Round 2.

If you are an unincorporated association or community organisation without an ABN, you can apply using an auspice. See Auspiced applications for more information.

Who cannot apply

The following organisation types are not eligible to apply:

• unincorporated associations (unless applying with an eligible auspice)
• state and federal government departments, agencies and sports regulatory bodies
• individuals and sole traders
• public companies limited by shares (unless they can prove they are not-for-profit)
• commercial (for-profit) businesses
• Local Government Authorities (LGAs), including LGA-managed, operated, administered and regulated trusts. LGAs can act as an auspice for an unincorporated organisation
• registered public or private primary and secondary schools, preschools, TAFE institutes and universities. Community language schools are eligible and can act as an auspice for an unincorporated organisation
• organisations that have not followed the rules of previous Multicultural Affairs grants
• groups delivering projects that are the responsibility of another Victorian Government department
• hospitals and health service organisations
• organisations that already receive government funding for a multicultural event between 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.

Auspiced applications

You can apply using an auspice arrangement for the:

• small and medium stream
• large stream if you are
  • a new and emerging priority community organisation or
  • a rural or regional organisation.

An auspice organisation can support more than one application.

What events and activities can be funded

• one day events
• multiple events held within 30 days that share the same theme or focus. Your application must explain why the events are culturally important and how they are linked together
• events that celebrate cultural and religious dates or festivals
• activities that help different communities connect, share and understand each other
• hybrid events that are in-person and online (for example, live-streaming, to reach people across the state).

Important: All promotional materials must clearly say “free entry”.

What events and activities cannot be funded

• sporting competitions (modern or contemporary sports tournaments)
• digital only activities (for example, online campaigns or events with no in-person element)
• invite-only, members-only events or VIP-only events or areas
• exhibition-only events (events that only display items without other activities)
• events that promote political parties, candidates or political causes
• conferences
• events that charge an entry fee
• fundraising events
• events focused mainly on commercial activities (for example, trade events, business activation or markets where selling goods is the main purpose)
• events already funded by the department
• events used to cover an organisation’s ongoing operating costs
• events that are dependent on recurrent annual funding
• events or related deliverables funded under an election commitment
• events advertised only in a language other than English (you can advertise in other languages, but English must also be used)
• events that run longer than 30 days
• a series of events within 30 days that do not share a clear cultural theme (or where the connection is not explained in the application)
• performance-only or talent showcase only events (if they do not include other activities for attendees)
• gala dinners
• events held in restaurants
• events held at residential settings or in private offices
• events or activities primarily funded by another state, federal or local government program
• events or activities that are the responsibility of another government body
• events or activities that have already started or finished (including anything done before the grant is approved)
• private-sector projects delivered as part
  of a Victorian Government contract.

Matched funding (Large stream only)

The MFE program provides an opportunity for the Victorian Government to co-invest in multicultural festivals and events. Funding provided under the MFE program is considered a contribution to total event costs, and events should not rely on the contributions of this program.

Matched funding forms part of the eligibility criteria for the MFE large stream. It is not required under the small or medium stream, or for large stream applications under the RMFEF.

Your matched funding can come from your organisation and other sources, such as partners and other grants.

A portion of matched funding can be contributed in-kind (for more information see ‘In-kind contribution’ definition). It is important to consider that different ratios apply. Organisations applying under the large stream will only be eligible to receive the amount of funding they have matched, according to the requirements in the large stream eligibility table (see ‘Large stream eligibility’).

For example, if you are a metropolitan organisation applying for $50,000 and can only demonstrate (through the budget section) that you can contribute $25,000 as matched funding, you will only be considered eligible to receive up to $25,000.

The following are examples of matched funding calculations.

Metropolitan applications

If you request $20,000 from the program, your organisation must contribute $20,000 towards the event. Up to $10,000 of your matched funding contribution can be from in-kind support.

New and emerging priority community applications

If you receive $18,000, your organisation must contribute $6,000 in matched funding.

In this example, the entire $6,000 can be in-kind.

Quotes for expenditure items of $10,000 and over

For medium and large stream applications to be eligible, you must attach evidence of expenditure for all budget items of $10,000 and over, where MFE program funds will be used to support the cost. Evidence of expenditure includes quotes and must be for the event that you are seeking funding for.

You do not need to supply a quote if you can break down the total amount into smaller line items in the budget template.

For example, if the total performer fees are $10,500, you can explain this in the budget as:

• performer 1 - $3,500
• performer 2 - $3,500
• performer 3 - $3,500

A quote will be ineligible if:

• it does not include the letter head and ABN of the company providing the service or item
• the quote does not match the activity, service or cost listed in the budget
• the quote is older than 24 months before the application deadline
• the MFE template budget does not match the costs in the online application budget section.

Partnerships

Working in partnership means your group works together with at least one other community organisation to plan and run your event.

Partnering with another organisation can help you by:

• building understanding and stronger relationships between different communities
• sharing knowledge, which can make your organisation stronger when delivering events
• reaching more people, including communities from different cultures, faiths and locations
• sharing resources, such as venues, volunteers, equipment or marketing, and gaining access to useful networks.

Your partnership letter must explain how the other organisation will help deliver the event.

What your partnership letter must include:

• the partner organisation’s name and ABN, and be signed by someone who is authorised to sign for that organisation
• a clear description of what the partner organisation will do, including their roles and responsibilities in planning and delivering the event.

Letters that are not eligible:

• general letters of support that only show endorsement and do not explain a clear role
  in the event
• letters from non-community organisations, such as Members of Parliament, local council representative, businesses, individuals or sole traders. Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with the following to show cross-cultural partnerships:
  • a new and emerging priority community organisation, or
  • an organisation from outside your own community.
  • Intercultural and interfaith partnerships are also strongly encouraged.

All applications will be checked to make sure they meet the eligibility requirements. This is called an eligibility assessment.

For more details on funding stream eligibility see information on:

1. Small stream (up to $5000)
2. Medium stream ($5,001 to $15,000)
3. Large stream ($15,001 and over)

Small stream applications only go through an eligibility assessment.

Only medium and large stream applications that pass the eligibility check will move to the next stage, called a merit assessment. A merit assessment looks at the quality, impact and community benefit of your event.

If a medium or large stream application does not meet a specific merit criterion (such as priority group engagement or demonstrated capacity) it will receive no score for that criterion.

Merit assessment criteria (medium and large stream only)

To make sure your application is accepted, remember to:

• read the 2026-27 MFE program guidelines carefully before starting your application online
• check the application closing time and date and set a reminder
• fill out the application form as early as possible
• make sure the event meets all eligibility criteria for the stream you are applying under. Use the checklist in the appendix section to prepare all items
• answer all questions and upload the correct documents
• attend an information session. For available sessions, please visit the Multicultural Festivals and Events Program webpage
• submit your application through the online portal by 3pm on Monday 31 August 2026 for Round 2 applications
• only submit one application per organisation. Please note that organisations and any affiliated organisations with the same ABN can only submit one application per round. If you submit more than one application, the department will only assess the first application
• Applications should not assume they will receive funding, nor the level of funding requested. If your application is successful, the funded amount may be less than what you requested. Consider other funding sources in case your application is unsuccessful or only partly funded
• events previously funded are not guaranteed to receive funding, and the amount of funding may vary
• do not make commitments until you are formally notified of the outcome of your application.

Please note: we will not accept late or incomplete applications or documentation.

Funding agreements

• if your organisation is successful, you must sign the Victorian Common Funding Agreement (VCFA) within 30 days of receiving the funding offer
• if you do not sign the agreement in time, the department may withdraw the grant
• the VCFA will explain:
  • the terms and conditions
  • how you can use the funds
  • what you must deliver and by when
  • your reporting requirements
• you will receive the VCFA electronically, and it must be signed online by the deadline
• printed copies are not accepted
• if you do not sign the VCFA, you will not receive the funding.

Use of funds

Your organisation must:

• use the grant during the activity period set out in the VCFA
• meet all conditions listed in your letter of offer or funding agreement, such as
  • minimum attendance
  • matched funding (if required)

If these conditions are not met, you will need to return the funds.

Insurance

• all funded events must have public liability insurance
• it is the responsibility of the organisation to source an appropriate insurance provider.
• you do not need to submit proof when signing the VCFA, but insurance must be in place for your event. This a condition of funding.

Good and Services Tax (GST)

If your organisation is:

• registered for GST: GST will be added on top of your grant amount
• not registered for GST: you will receive only the grant amount (no GST added).

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) treats grants and sponsorships as taxable income.

For tax or GST questions, call 13 28 66 or visit the ATO website.

Final reports

• if you receive funding, you must complete an online final report through the Grants Gateway portal
• the report must meet all requirements listed in your funding agreement.

Information sessions

• there will be online information sessions to help you with the application process
• we will deliver these sessions online
• dates, times and details will be available on the Multicultural Festivals and Events Program webpage.

Contacting the Multicultural Affairs Programs and Grants team

We encourage you to ask for advice with your application. Asking questions can help strengthen your application and make the process easier. Contact the Multicultural Affairs Programs and Grants team by:

• phone on 1300 112 755
• or email multicultural-festivals.events@dpc.vic.gov.au

More information

• to access the program’s frequently asked questions and application form guidance, please visit the Multicultural Festivals and Events Program webpage
• for information and guidance on the below topics and other resources, please visit applying and reporting multicultural grants
  • how to write a grant application
  • grant terminology explained
  • understanding in-kind contributions
  • auspice and partnership applications
  • case studies.