What’s in the 2026-27 NT Budget for your organisation?

For not-for-profits, community organisations and social enterprises, the 2026-27 budget contains a mix of opportunities and challenges.

Treasurer Bill Yarn, says the budget is designed to deliver “growth, certainty and security for Territorians” while improving the Territory’s long-term financial position.

Key funding and grant programs

Housing and homelessness

• $1.8 billion to support urban and remote housing and address barriers entering the housing market.

• $782 million for new and upgraded remote and urban housing, infrastructure to support land release and improved community amenity.

• $137 million is committed for housing and community amenity-related capital grants

• $7.5 million will be invested Maloerroe-ma Pathway Program, a new youth homelessness hub, in partnership with Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation.

Community safety and justice

• More than $1.7 billion in public order and safety, and $832 million in social protection to reduce crime and deliver safer and more resilient communities. This includes $654 million for police.

• $4.4 million over three years for a revised suite of business security initiatives, including extending and expanding safer business grants, and establishing a new safer precincts grant, which will provide grants to combat crime and antisocial behaviour in common property spaces in significant business precincts.

• $262 million for new and upgraded corrections infrastructure including $192.2 million allocated to construct new work camps in Darwin and Katherine.

Disaster recovery and resilience

• More than $130 million on the capital works program for flood recovery and resilience initiatives including:

• $100 million for the new Flood Recovery Fund to rebuild critical infrastructure and support Territory communities and

• $30.5 million has been allocated to the Roads Repair Package to rebuild key infrastructure damaged by flooding.

Cost-of-living support

• Over $290 million to deliver a range of concessions and subsidies to help Territorians with cost-of-living pressures.

Education and young people

• $158 million to upgrade schools and education facilities to support improved student outcomes.

• $119.5 million to construct the new Palmerston Secondary Special Education School and deliver upgrades to Driver Secondary School and Rosebery Secondary School.

Community infrastructure

• $20 million in community infrastructure in Darwin and Palmerston

• $1 million in additional funding to establish the community grant program. The program will help local councils, sporting organisations, community and cultural organisations to support essential upgrades including:

• lighting, irrigation, change rooms, accessibility improvements, and safety or compliance works as well as other operational support.

Areas where funding is forecast to decrease

According to ABC reporting based on analysis of the NT Budget papers:

• Mental health funding is forecast to decrease from approximately $135 million to $130 million next financial year.

• Funding for domestic, family and sexual violence services is forecast to decrease from around $71 million to $63 million.

• Funding for Aboriginal town camps and homelands is expected to decrease by around $5 million.

Source: ABC News analysis of the 2026–27 NT Budget papers.

What should organisations watch next?

As always, the budget papers provide high-level funding allocations, but many details about grant programs, commissioning opportunities and departmental priorities will emerge over coming months.

The months ahead will reveal how the budget’s headline commitments translate into practical funding opportunities and partnerships for the community sector.

If you’re a Funding Centre member, make sure you’re ready to act when funding opens:

• Help sheet: How to find budget grants in the Funding Centre database

• Video tutorial: How to adjust your Funding Centre alert settings

Setting up alerts can help ensure you don’t miss relevant opportunities as they are released, some programs might begin accepting applications shortly after Budget announcements.

New to Funding Centre?

Are you a council or peak body? Explore SmartySearch for an easy-to-integrate, up-to-date grants search tool for your website.

Are you a grantseeker? Join Funding Centre for access to a comprehensive grants database, tailored alerts, and Drafter, our AI tool to help you prepare applications.