The NSW Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner is inviting local business collectives in Greater Sydney to participate in its second annual Uptown Accelerator.

Modelled on the achievements of the YCK Laneways precinct in Sydney’s CBD – the first collaborative multi-business collective of its type in the city’s 24-Hour Economy – the Uptown Program pilot was launched in late 2022. The aim of the Accelerator was to educate local operators on new ways of doing business, no longer as competitors in a demanding market, but as partners united by a collective vision. 

During the first Uptown Accelerator, teams learnt how to build effective business pitches, how to cultivate sponsorship relationships, and how to coordinate and optimise business activities across multiple venues to achieve a shared goal. 

Key to the first Uptown Accelerator’s success was its emphasis on enhancing the existing strengths of local business communities with new knowledge and collaborative thinking.

“We’ve known for a long time that Brookvale East had some incredible assets, businesses and tenants, but we had all been operating in silo. The Uptown Accelerator cemented for us that local business collaboration plays a vital role in fostering economic growth, creating job opportunities, and building a strong sense of community pride and support that can create beneficial awareness for everyone who contributes,” says John Meredith, Team Leader for the Brookvale Arts District Team.

“To get in front of potential partners was incredibly valuable,” said Belinda Daly, Team Leader of the Balmain Rozelle District Team. “It was also an opportunity to learn from other districts and understand the characteristics that set us apart and discover the unique stories we want our District to tell.”

21 diverse districts receive funding boosts

A diverse range of going-out districts are set to emerge across Greater Sydney with the NSW Government announcing the first successful recipients of the Uptown Grant Program.

Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said 21 successful districts across eight different local government areas in Sydney will each receive up to $200,000 to coordinate their efforts and build further consumer engagement.

“This is an exciting opportunity for groups of businesses and creatives in areas across Sydney who’ve laid out their visions to create well-known precincts with unique offerings for locals and visitors to enjoy,” Graham said.

“Owners have enough on their plate with the day-to-day running of their businesses. The Uptown Grant Program allows these districts to hire dedicated resources to manage their combined initiatives, including events, marketing and operations.”

The program follows the successful completion of the Uptown Accelerator late last year, where more than two dozen district teams took part in workshops to amplify the potential of their night-time economy. 

NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said the program follows the successful completion of the Uptown Accelerator late last year, in which more than two dozen district teams took part in capability and vision-building workshops.

“The Uptown Program is a key element of our 24-Hour Economy Strategy, encouraging place-based collaboration, branding and storytelling within districts, and providing a platform for them to innovate with reduced risk and ultimately become self-sustainable in the future,” Rodrigues said.

The 21 Greater Sydney recipients

• Balmain Rozelle
• Brookvale Arts District (BAD)
• Chippendale Collective
• Eddy (Central Station and Eddy Avenue Precinct, Sydney) 
• Green² (Green Square) 
• Haymarket Precinct 
• HQ Sydney (Hollywood Quarter Sydney – Precinct of Commonwealth, Campbell and Wentworth Streets, Surry Hills) 
• KXQ (King’s Cross Quarter, Kings Cross) 
• Koreatown (Eastwood) 
• Paddo Collective (Paddington) 
• Stanley Street District (North Darlinghurst)
• YCK Laneways Association Inc (Sydney CBD) 
• Rainbow Precinct (Darlinghurst) 
• Pyrmont+Ultimo24/7 – Powered by Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce (Pyrmont, Ultimo) 
• UpTown Sydney CBD 
• Walsh Bay Arts Precinct 
• 2077 A.D. – Hornsby After Dark 
• DuskDown (Freshwater) 
• New Sydney Waterfront Company District Team (Sydney Harbour) 
• Little India Harris Park Business Association Inc (Harris Park)
• The Gathering (Blacktown)

Learn more about the Uptown Acclerator here.

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