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HEY Grants

The Healthy Equal Youth (HEY) Grants are an annual small grant round for LGBTQIA+ projects and initiatives. 

Grants aren’t just provided to LGBTQIA+ based services but are also given to mainstream organisations to support the further breakdown of barriers that exist for LGBTQIA+ young people in all spaces.

Round 16 HEY Grant applications will open in mid-2026.

The grant categories

  • Youth-led projects for LGBTIQA+ young people with innovative projects they know will support their LGBTIQA+ peers. A youth-led application must be proposed and led by people who are under 25! (They can get people older than that to proofread and assist them).
  • Social Connectedness projects for services to expand or improve their support for LGBTIQA+ young people, and for targeted projects for LGBTIQA+ young people that will improve their mental health and wellbeing.

The HEY Grants are administered by the HEY Partners.

Who should apply?

Any organisation or project designed to support LGBTQIA+ young people in Victoria is encouraged to apply. Applications from outside of Victoria will not be considered.

HEY actively encourages applications that are led by, and designed for:

  • LGBTIQA+ rural and regional young people
  • LGBTQIA+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people
  • LGBTQIA+ disabled young people, and LGBTQIA+ neurodiverse young people
  • LGBTQIA+ young people of colour, and LGBTQIA+ young people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities
  • LGBTQIA+ community members who are underrepresented in services and programs, such as asexual and aromantic young people, or young people with intersex variations

Round 15 Eligibility updates

In our 15th year of the HEY Grants, we want to thank our supporters for their ongoing commitment subscribing to the HEY Grants, which have become a beloved part of the LGBTIQA+ youth community. So much so we've had to put some new guidelines in place!

For applications from 2025 onwards, you are not eligible if you have been successful in receiving funding for an application in the same category, two years in a row. 

This is to make sure we are supporting a broad range of innovative programs designed and led by LGBTIQA+ young people to take place across Victoria.    

How do I apply?

Before submitting your application on SmartyGrants, we advise you to prepare some of your responses beforehand so that you can make your application process as smooth as possible.

There are some key questions that you will be asked to respond to as part of your application. Here are some templates you should use as a way to prepare and refine your responses before adding them to your full application on SmartyGrants once submissions open:

Youth Led projects
Social Connectedness projects

Please note, you will need to copy and paste the information you write in these documents onto SmartyGrants for your application to count.

How to use SmartyGrants

  1. Once submissions open, click the link from this webpage which will take you to SmartyGrants.
  2. Here you'll be presented with a page where you can either preview your application or start a submission.
  3. If you start a submission, you'll be presented with a log on screen where you can register.

You can save progress on your application at any time on SmartyGrants. If your application is approved, this is also where you'll be asked to file progress reports once your project has been funded.

What projects and activities will be funded?

The HEY Grants funds activities across Victoria that increase LGBTIQA+ young people's:

  • Sense of belonging in their community
  • Sense of pride in their identity
  • Social connections and networks
  • Understanding and supports for mental health
  • Understanding of support services and how to access them
  • Access to safe, supportive, inclusive spaces

Projects and activities led by young people, or with evidence of meaningful youth participation, will be prioritised.

 

Read our FAQs

Previous grant recipients

Round 15 of the HEY Grants provided $100,000 to 15 projects and organisations across the state. The grants were selected by a panel of LGBTIQA+ community members, and prioritised new applicants who will address intersections and gaps in LGBTIQA+ services. 

See our previous recipients

Round 15

  • Cypher Culture Inc.

    Naarm Ballroom Emerging Leaders program - $9,000

    Cypher Culture and Dancehouse will partner with Naarm Ballroom to support emerging young artists (under 25) to design and deliver a series of kiki balls rooted in vogue dance culture, a global LGBTQIA+ artform and community practice centring queer, trans and culturally diverse young people. The project will provide mentorship, training and paid opportunities for youth to gain curatorial and production experience. Through workshops, rehearsals and multiple public balls at Dancehouse, participants will build skills, confidence and social connections, while strengthening belonging and pride within Naarm’s youth ballroom (vogue) and street dance communities. 
  • Unity Libyan Inc.

    Strong Together: Empowering Young Women through Inclusive Sport and Wellbeing - $5,000

    A youth-led wellbeing and sport program empowering young women, especially LGBTQIA+ and culturally diverse participants, through inclusive physical activities, peer connection, and creative workshops. The project promotes gender equality, mental health, and pride in identity while creating safe, supportive spaces across Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
  • Swan Hill Rural City Council

    Equalize Program - $10,000

    The Equalize Program is a new initiative designed by LGBTQIA+ young people to build a more inclusive community in Swan Hill. The program has three key focus areas: Objective 1) Support SAGA (Swan Hill Sexuality and Gender Alliance) with Pride Month, IDAHOBIT Day, and Wear It Purple Day activities. Objective 2) Deliver events and advocacy projects in partnership with local youth groups, including the Novo Youth Council and Headspace Youth Reference Group, including social media campaigns, youth events, and advocacy training. Objective 3) Provide training and education for teachers, youth workers, and LGBTQIA+ young people about services and supports.
  • Anglicare Victoria

    Pride Connections Club - $5,000 

    Pride Connections Club is aimed at bringing together LGBTIQA+ young people and their allies in Bass Coast. The Pride Connections Club will meet monthly at the Wonthaggi YES Youth Hub for activities that foster connectedness and positive mental wellbeing. Anglicare Victoria will leverage our strong connections with other local service providers to identify and engage LGBTIQA+ young people and establish referral pathways for additional support. Through the Pride Connections Club, it is hoped that LGBTIQA+ young people experience stronger social bonds, increased confidence and self-esteem, and a greater sense of belonging within the local community.
  • Macedon Ranges Shire

    Pride Formal - $5,000

    Pride Formal is an event for LBGTQIA+ young people and allies with the objective to build peer relationships through social connectedness. This event aims to improve mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ young people by providing a safe space for them and their allies to gather, be affirmed, celebrate, and support each other. The Pride Formal event is a part of a shared agreement between the Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council, and Mount Alexander Shire Council to rotate the delivery of a dance annually for LGBTQIA+ young people (and their allies) living, working and recreating in Central Victoria.
  • Strathmore Secondary College

    StandOut! Program - $1,000

    StandOut! is a dedicated social club for LGBTIQA+ students at Strathmore Secondary College. The group meets weekly at lunch time, supervised by staff who identify as LGBTIQA+ themselves. The space aims to create social connection for young people, improve their wellbeing outcomes and reducing discrimination in the school community. The group will continue to expand on youth-led events that are run throughout the school year, such as bake sales, craft fairs and silent discos. They expect this to assist in creating a more inclusive environment at Strathmore Secondary College for all students.
  • Rochester Secondary College

    Stand-Out Club - $3,000

    Rochester's student-led Pride Club creates a safe, inclusive, and supportive space for LGBTIQA+ students at Rochester Secondary College. They run peer-led events, workshops, and social activities that foster connection, celebrate diversity, and promote mental health and wellbeing for all students.
  • Asexual Fantasies and Hopeless Aromantics - $1500

    This is a cabaret being performed as part of Midsumma's 2026 season. It is an exploration of experiences with asexuality and aromanticism, told through an eclectic mix of songs from Queen to Golden age soprano.
  • Hamilton YUMCHA

    The Adventures of Bowie: Promoting LGBTQIA+ Awareness and Inclusion - $10,000

    This project will see the creation of a digital character and animated story series based on our Hamilton YUMCHA group’s mascot, Bowie the sheep. It aims to bring Bowie to life as a colourful, engaging character that captures the imagination of young people and the wider community. Bowie will share educational messages about LGBTQIA+ experiences, inclusion, and diversity. The project will also empower YUMCHA members to develop skills in character design, animation, voice acting, and storytelling. Bowie’s videos will be available on YouTube as an educational resource, and Bowie will feature across social media and future local campaigns and events.
  • The Aletheia Project - $10,000

    The Aletheia Project is a youth-led health initiative empowering female-identifying LGBTQIA+ youth from culturally + linguistically diverse backgrounds to understand, advocate for, and own their health. Through creative education, workshops and storytelling, Aletheia bridges the gap between health systems and the young people they serve - building safe spaces where youth can explore identity and wellbeing without stigma or shame. Partnering with councils and youth organisations, Aletheia develops inclusive digital and in-person resources, translating complex health information into accessible, stereotype-free knowledge. Our ultimate goal is to amplify youth voices in shaping an inclusive, informed and empowering health landscape across Victoria.
  • Qwids - $10,000

    Qwids (short for Queer Kids) is a queer group where people know there are other queer people their age. It's a nice, chill space to hang out. It helps people feel connected and proud of who they are. Qwids is a group formed for and by LGBTQIA+ 6–12-year-olds in Melbourne.
  • Berry Street - Education First Youth Foyer Shepparton


    Survive with Pride - $10,000


    Survive with Pride will create essential kits for LGBTQIA+ young people in the Yorta Yorta region who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Drawing on lived experience, they will collaborate with local services to provide inclusive, gender-affirming support through material aid. Each kit will include seasonal essentials, health and service resources, joy- and pride-inducing items, and gender-affirming products, tailored as masc, femme, or neutral. By sourcing items through donations and community partnerships, they hope to offer practical support and affirming care to young people facing challenging housing and social circumstances.
  • Merri-Bek City Council


    Party 4 Pride: Celebrating Merri-bek's Queer Young People - $5,000


    Party 4 Pride will be a life-affirming, identity-celebrating evening for LGBTQIA+ young people to make friends, connect to community, enjoy performances, dance, and be their true selves. Merri-bek Council’s ‘Queer Collective’ youth committee aim to host this event for Pride Month 2026, supported by Amped Up and neighbouring councils.
  • Queer Fashion Parade - $8,500

    Queer Recycled Fashion Parade will take place at ECOSS Youth Fest 2026. There are a lot of queer youth who don't know how to do make up and they're too scared to ask. There will be workshops leading up to the fashion parade that teach people how to do feminising make up, and to help them make their costumes. The idea is that they can make something that represents how they would love to present themselves in the world. That they can flaunt about feeling great with a very supportive environment, meet new friends in a proud environment.
  • Yarra Ranges Council


    Yarra Ranges Queer Youth Writer's Collective - $7,000


    Yarra Ranges Queer Youth Writer's Collective: a youth-led, free, in-person, regular gathering of young queer writers (15-25) giving each other peer-feedback, a safe space to create and share, connection to the local queer creative community, sharing ideas and learning, with young people at the heart of co-designed projects and facilitation.