Support for Special Achievers 2025/2026

The Support for Special Achievers Program supports gifted and talented people who live in the Camden LGA. The program provides a monetary grant to assist to meet the costs of participation in cultural, academic or sporting events. Applicants must be representing either NSW or Australia through a recognised sporting or cultural organisation and been selected on merit.

Applicants representing NSW may apply for up to $750 and applicants representing Australia may apply for up to $1000. Successful applicants will receive 10% of the total cost of their application. (E.g. if the total of the application is $5000, a successful applicant will receive $500)

Applications under this program can be made at any time.

Please note that processing time may be at least up to 6 weeks due to the volume of applications and the number of signatures required. Timeframes will also increase if all paperwork is not submitted correctly so please make sure all of your invoices and/or receipts match your budget and your documentation is correct. 

The program guidelines and operating procedures ensure that monetary or in-kind donation requests to Council is dealt with in a fair and equitable manner and are consistent with the principles of community wellbeing.

• The cultural/academic/sport activity shall be of amateur status and generally promoted by a non-profit organisation;
  
  
• A special achiever, for the purposes of this program, is one who has been selected on merit, to represent NSW or Australia in their chosen fields of endeavour;
  
  
• Evidence of selection involving a merit based process must be provided;
  
  
• Council may grant a donation to an applicant under this program once every Council term (4 years);
  
  
• The recipient shall be a resident of the Camden Local Government Area;
  
  
• Payments under the policy will be calculated on the basis of 10% of costs with a maximum payment of $1000 for applicants representing Australia or $750 for applicants representing NSW;
  
  
• Evidence of the costs incurred must be provided with the request.

• Written applications must provide information to meet the eligibility criteria;
  
  
• An applicant can only apply for the grant once during a Council term (4 years);
  
  
• Applications can be made retrospectively within 12 months of the event;
  
  
• Applications are assessed by Council officers against the eligibility criteria and approved by the Mayor and General Manager;
  
  
• Applicants must provide invoices/receipts for each of the costs they have included in their application;
  
  
• Details of approved support are reported to Council annually.