What’s in the 2026-27 South Australian state Budget for your organisation?

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

Treasurer, Tom Koutsantonis, says the Budget delivers on commitments to “ease(s) cost of living pressures and supports our economic growth by building a stronger, more productive and resilient South Australia for the future”.

Funding highlights for community groups and social sector services included:

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

• $12.2 million in 2026-27 to deliver property and tenancy management services for select remote Aboriginal communities.
• $8.5 million over four years to support the establishment of a commission to undertake statewide Truth-telling and Treaty activities.

Community development

• $200 million drought loan scheme to support drought affected grain and livestock farmers.
• $55.1 million over two years community grants
• $29.7 million over four years to fund a range of local community infrastructure projects
• $2.9 million over two years for a range of grants to support community initiatives.
• $2.5 million over four years to double ongoing core funding from $1 million per annum to $2 million per annum by 2029-30 to help keep South Australians safe at our beaches.
• $2 million over four years to continue supporting local car and motorcycle clubs across South Australia
• $500 000 in 2026-27 towards the construction of a new Backpacks 4 Kids facility to be built at Rundle Reserve, Salisbury South on land provided by the City of Salisbury.

Domestic and family violence

• $673.6 million is being invested over 10 years (including $231.6 million to 2029-30) to strengthen services and lay the foundations needed to build an effective and efficient domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) system including:

Environment

• $6 million over four years for native vegetation heritage agreements on privately managed properties to support improved biodiversity.

Homelessness and housing

• $110 million over four years to build an additional 200 supported accommodation places to manage more complex South Australian Housing Trust tenants and those with specialised needs
• $30 million over five years to upgrade 300 vacant South Australian Housing Trust homes to reduce public housing vacancy rates
• $6 million over four years shared between Catherine House, Hutt Street Centre and St Vincent de Paul Society to provide homelessness support services in the Adelaide CBD.

Health

• $230.3 million over five years to implement South Australia’s commitments under the National Agreement on Foundational Supports to deliver the Thriving Kids program.
• $500,000 in 2026-27 to deliver a specialised education and wellbeing program to better support unpaid carers of people living with dementia across South Australia

Sport and recreation

• $100 million over three years for the delivery of a state-of-the-art facility supporting community, national and international gymnastics events, and providing opportunities for shared use including for other indoor sports.

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.