Industry advisors were impressed by the interesting range of projects across arts forms with elements of risk in the work.

The strongest submissions:

• showed a profound depth of practice and process
• were well-written and easy to read, avoiding jargon or vague statements
• told stories that were clear, powerful and demonstrated an urgency to share and present
• addressed the three assessment criteria carefully and critically
• discussed the innovation in the art or form, engagement with new partners or in communities scored more favourably against the alignment criterion
• where appropriate, First Nations artist/s or the artistic leadership were clearly evident in the co-design of the proposal
• where relevant, could demonstrate the links between the project and future engagement/audiences
• confirmed partners that were well matched to the ambition of the project and indicated a collaboration that was mutually beneficial
• provided a clear artistic vision and the ‘voices’ of the artistic team were present and instrumental to the delivery of the work
• included details of the organisation and its work ensuring that Industry Advisors could see how the proposal differed from business-as-usual activities for the organisation
• demonstrated exceptional artistic quality through engaging with artists of the highest calibre
• provided support material such as biographies/CVs alongside evidence of previous developments or showings were also valued
• provided compelling letters of support from stakeholders/communities/artists
• included carefully curated support material to describe the organisation and illuminate the intention of the proposed artistic work.

Industry advisors also noted the following:

• Submissions that demonstrated connection to place and community, describing meaningful types of engagement were highly regarded.
• Submissions that proposed working with targeted groups, such as the d/Deaf community or young people included permissions/endorsement for the work where their lived experience was clear.
• While recognising business-as-usual may look different in a post-Covid world, advisors supported submissions where the application was ambitious, innovating away from their current practice and working in new ways. Advisors were less supportive of works that looked to be their usual business or programming.
• Advisors were also interested in submissions where the applicant had demonstrated a life of the work beyond a presentation or engagement outcome.
• If submissions are adapting existing works, a compelling explanation must be included. Do not assume that assessors have read the original work to know why it is an important story to adapt and share.

Who can apply

• Australian organisations working in the arts and culture sector who are carrying on business in Australia and have their central management and control in Australia
• Organisations in receipt of Multi-Year Investment from Creative Australia can apply, however they must demonstrate the delivery or presentation activity is not already supported by their existing funding
• Organisations can only submit one application to the Delivery Investment stream in this closing date.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply to this fund if:

• you are an individual or group
• your organisation is based outside of Australia
• your organisation does not work in the arts and culture sector
• you have already applied to this closing date of Delivery Investment
• you have an overdue report for another Creative Australia grant
• you owe money to Creative Australia.

What can be applied for

We will support the delivery or presentation of intellectual property that is owned by Australian citizens/permanent residents and/or an Australian company. This includes a wide range of delivery activities such as:

• final creative developments that build on previous public outcomes
• adapting existing Australian work and intellectual property into new formats and media
• presentation based activities such as exhibitions, performances, publishing, recording, streaming, touring
• professional skills development and capacity building
• specialist advice and consultancies
• establishing new partnerships, collaborations, investors, or income streams
• community engagement and consultation
• market and audience development
• evaluation
• a reasonable contribution to staffing or operational costs in support of this activity.

Activities can take place nationally, internationally, online, or a combination of in-person and online (hybrid activities).

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Budgets may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. presentation or delivery activities using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are working with d/Deaf people or people with disability in your application, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artist Services to discuss your specific needs.

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

• funds to develop new works that have not already has some form of public outcome, including works in progress or pilots
• activities that create or leverage intellectual property that is majority owned by international individuals or entities
• activities that do not have a clearly defined artistic, creative or cultural component
• activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists, creative workers, or audiences
• activities that could be considered a part of ‘business as usual’ for your organisation, and do not demonstrate innovation
• activities that have already taken place
• the same activities that have already been funded by Creative Australia (for example, through your multi-year investment)
• activities that develop, produce, promote and distribute Australian narrative (drama) and documentary screen content
• activities that could be supported by Screen Australia and its allied state and territory equivalents
• activities that could be supported by Games Investment steams in the same jurisdictions
• activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

Industry advisors with diverse and relevant experience assessed the EOIs against the assessment criteria listed below and advised Creative Australia on which applicants to prioritise.

Assessment Criteria

Your EOI was assessed against three assessment criteria. The bullet points underneath each criterion indicate what Industry advisors considered if relevant.

1. Quality

Industry advisors have assessed the quality of the artistic and/or cultural development proposed in your EOI.

Advisors considered:

• the quality and vision of the concept, story or work
• evidence of the quality and impact of the work in earlier stages of development or presentations or in its original medium or format
• the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
• who the final work is being made for, and how those people will engage with it
• the impact this presentation activity may have for your organisation, collaborators and people
• where relevant, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to.

2. Viability

Industry advisors assessed your capacity to undertake ambitious and innovative projects.

Advisors considered:

• the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
• your previous experience delivering other ambitious and innovative projects
• the financial stability of your organisation
• evidence that the initial development of your proposed work for delivery has been informed by appropriate consultation and evaluation.

3. Alignment

Industry advisors assessed the extent to which your EOI aligned with the priorities of the fund – the telling of Australian stories, and innovation.

Advisors considered:

• who holds or will hold the intellectual property and rights to your story
• the relevance of your story to contemporary Australia
• the innovation demonstrated through your partners, the mediums or art forms you will work with, who will engage with the work and the experience they may have
• how this work extends the usual practice of your organisation and collaborators
• whether this work represents innovation for the Australian creative and cultural sector.

Moderation

Final decisions on which applicants to invite to submit a full application in Stage 2 were moderated and approved by Creative Australia staff to ensure a diverse investment portfolio across both investment streams, activities, art forms, geography, representation, audiences and risk.

Creative Australia has also determined the investment level that organisations can apply for in Stage 2 and provided those organisations with any specific feedback on issues to address, or support material to provide.

Who can apply

Only organisations with a successful EOI at Stage 1 will be invited to submit a full application.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply to Stage 2 if:

• your EOI was unsuccessful in Stage 1
• you have an overdue grant report
• you owe money to Creative Australia.

What can be applied for

We will support the creation or leveraging of intellectual property that is owned by Australian citizens/permanent residents and/or an Australian company. This includes a wide range of delivery activities such as:

• final creative developments that build on previous public outcomes
• adapting existing Australian work and intellectual property into new formats and media
• presentation based activities such as exhibitions, performances, publishing, recording, streaming, touring
• professional skills development and capacity building
• specialist advice and consultancies
• establishing new partnerships, collaborations, investors, or income streams
• community engagement and consultation
• market and audience development
• evaluation
• a reasonable contribution to staffing or operational costs in support of this activity.

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

• activities where all the costs are funded through this investment; you must demonstrate other sources of income will be leveraged or contributed.
• activities that create or leverage intellectual property that is majority owned by international individuals or entities
• activities that do not have a clearly defined artistic, creative or cultural component
• activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists, creative workers or audiences
• activities that could be considered a part of ‘business as usual’ for your organisation, and do not demonstrate innovation
• activities that develop, produce, promote and distribute Australian narrative (drama) and documentary screen content
• activities that could be supported by Screen Australia and its allied state and territory equivalents
• activities that could be supported by Games Investment steams in the same jurisdictions
• activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

Your application must comply with the following protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Industry advisors with diverse and relevant experience will assess your application against the assessment criteria listed below and advise Creative Australia on which applicants to prioritise.

Please note the industry advisors who will assess your application will include some advisors from Stage 1 as well as new advisors. Please consider this when preparing your application. Do not assume all industry advisors will be familiar with the information provided in your EOI.

Assessment Criteria

Your application will be assessed against three assessment criteria. The bullet points underneath each criterion indicate what industry advisors may consider if relevant. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

1. Quality

Industry advisors will assess the quality of the artistic and/or cultural presentation activities proposed in your EOI.

Advisors may consider:

• the quality and vision of the concept, story or work
• the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
• who the proposed work will be made for, and how they may engage with it
• contribution to a diverse cultural expression in the context of the wider Australian arts sector.

2. Viability

Industry advisors will assess the viability of your application, including your capacity to successfully complete

Advisors may consider:

• your capacity to realise this new work
• the role of partners or collaborators
• whether your plan and use of resources is realistic and achievable, including contingencies and risk management
• the timeliness and relevance of the work for your organisation and collaborators
• the diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship, philanthropy, in-kind contributions
• how you aim to evaluate the impact of this work.

3. Impact

Industry advisors will assess the expected impact this presentation will have on your organisation, your collaborators and those engaging with the proposed work.

Advisors may consider:

• new partnerships and collaborations established or deepened through the activity
• how the delivery or presentation of your work will build the capacity and skills of you and your collaborators to work in new ways with new mediums, art forms or audiences
• the level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking within this work, organisation and wider sector
• how the work will reach and engage with new people in new ways, and evidence that there is demand for this
• the potential for new revenue streams or markets for your work
• the potential benefit and impact on careers, artistic or cultural practice in the wider sector.

Moderation

Final decisions on which applicants to invest in will be moderated and approved by Creative Australia staff to ensure a diverse investment portfolio across both investment streams, activities, art forms, geography, representation, audiences and risk.

Creative Australia will also determine the investment level that will be made, along with any special conditions and deliverables. Where appropriate, we make seek specialist advice from industry professionals.

Decisions will be approved by the Creative Australia Executive team.

Your full application must be submitted via Creative Australia’s Application Management System.

Creative Australia staff will create a draft application for you and advise you when it is ready to access via the grantee portal.

Please note the industry advisors who will assess your application will include some advisors from Stage 1 as well as new advisors. Please consider this when preparing your application. Do not assume all industry advisors will be familiar with the information provided in your EOI.

The application form contains the following questions:

• Tell us about your organisation as relevant to this application focusing on key people, highlights and achievements, in no more than 2,400 characters.
• Tell us about the Australian story you want to tell and the work that you plan to deliver/present and how it differs from your usual practice. Describe the artistic vision, the process you will undertake, and the intended outcomes of the delivery/presentation, in no more than 5,600 characters.
• Explain who owns or will own the work you will be delivering/presenting. Where relevant, describe the intellectual property and any agreements that you have in place, in no more than 3,200 characters.
• Tell us who you are planning to reach or engage with through this new work, how you plan to do this, and how this may extend your usual practice, in no more than 3,200 characters.
• Explain what role your partners will play in the delivery/presentation of the new work. Where relevant, describe any new connections or partners you will work with from the public, commercial and private sectors, in no more than 2,400 characters.
• Tell us what impact this delivery/presentation will have on your organisation, your collaborators and partners, and those engaging with the new work, in no more than 5,600 characters.
• Provide details on up to three (3) Key Performance Indicators (KPI) or goals you aim to achieve through the delivery of this work, in no more than 2,400 characters.
  (Please note that any KPIs or goals may be included in your funding agreement if successful. They may be subject to further negotiation between your organisation and Creative Australia.)
• Detailed information on key personnel and collaborators, including their confirmed involvement.
• A detailed list of activities and a timeline including milestones and key deliverables.
• A detailed budget for the duration of your project.
  • Income includes in-kind support, cash contributions and other leveraged income.
  • Expenditure including all activities associated with presentation/delivery costs. Your budget should also include further details on how royalties and other income will be distributed (if applicable).
  • Financial information on your organisations latest forecasted operating results. If you are a calendar year-end organisation, please include a total of actual results for 9 months to 30 September 2024 and forecasted results for 3 months to 31 December 2024. If you are a financial year-end organisation, please provide actual results for the year ended 30 June 2024.

You must submit support material with your full application. The Industry Advisors will review this material to help them assess your proposed activity.

We strongly recommend you curate the support material you provide to make it relevant, targeted and easily accessible.

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is targeted and relevant to your submission.

Creative Australia will not view any URLs that require log in or to sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to applications or documents that require users to log in or pay for access.

If you are linking to sites or files that are private or password protected, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.

You can include a maximum of:

• 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording, and/or
• 10 images, and/or
• 15 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of writing, scripts and letters of support/confirmation).

If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

• video (MP4, Windows Media)
• audio (MP3, Windows Media)
• images (JPEG, PowerPoint)
• written material (Word, PDF).

We do not accept support material submitted via post. Support material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au.

You must provide the following essential support material.

1. Artistic support material

Please provide up to 3 URLs (weblinks) that best demonstrate your organisation’s artistic works for presentation/delivery. These URLs may include video, audio, images and written material. The Artistic support material you include should provide clear evidence of the artistic and cultural quality of your proposed activities.

2. Letters of support/confirmation

You must provide letters to evidence your organisation’s engagement with communities or key partners that are named in your application – these may be included as one of your 3 URLs or uploaded as support material.

If you are working with a targeted group or community to develop your work, please upload a community engagement plan as a part of your support material, see point 7.

3. Bios/CVs of the key personnel

You must provide bios/CVs of key personnel to indicate the skills/expertise and relevance of your key artists and creative workers involved in your development presentation/delivery.

4. Risk and management

Applicants are required to submit a risk management plan for the duration of the project.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to use this template. The document should not exceed 3 pages.

You may want to consider the following details:

• Identify Risks: Engage key stakeholders, including staff, board members, and volunteers, to brainstorm and identify potential risks relevant to the activities or events of the organisation.
• Description and Likelihood: For each identified risk, provide a clear and concise description of the risk, including its potential causes and consequences. Assess the likelihood of each risk occurring on a scale e.g. low, medium, high.
• Potential Impact: Evaluate the potential impact of each risk. Consider impacts on the organisation’s objectives, finances, reputation, and stakeholders etc. Assess the impact on a scale, e.g. low, medium, high.
• Ownership and Responsibility: Assign ownership of each risk to the appropriate individual (i.e. board, program lead, producer, production manager or operations team etc.) responsible for managing and monitoring the risk.

5. Marketing and communications plan

Please provide a high-level marketing and communications plan outlining your key selling points and strategies for marketing/engagement. The purpose of this document is to explain how you will effectively engage with your audience for the delivery /presentation of the new work. Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may want to include the following details:

• Outline the key selling points for the work
• Describe your target audience/community and how you intend to reach them.
• The anticipated timelines for carrying out your marketing / communications strategies
• Identify resources required to deliver the strategy
• Personnel responsible for implementation

The document should not exceed 2 pages.

6. Evaluation approach

Applicants are required to submit a document outlining your approach to evaluating your presentation/delivery. Your 3 KPIs or goals should be clear and measurable. Applicants may want to consider goals including audience targets, new partnerships and new income sources.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to include the following details,

• The KPIs or goals as noted in your application. There should be no more than 3
• The anticipated timeline of when these will be completed
• Personnel responsible for implementation
• Indicators of success, e.g. how will you know you have achieved your goal

The document should not exceed 1 page. Please note that any KPI targets included may be subject to further negotiation when funding agreements are finalised.

7. Community engagement plan

If you are working with a targeted group or community for the development of your work, you must upload a Community Engagement Plan. The purpose of this document is to explain how you will effectively engage with your community to develop your work. The document should not exceed 2 pages.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to include the following details:

• List and identify community organisations and representatives to be invited and involved, e.g. Traditional Owners or Elders, LGA representatives, key community members, representatives of targeted groups.
• Identify the aims or goals for engaging with the community representatives.
• Identify when/how the community engagement will occur, eg modes of communications and timelines.
• Identify how decisions will be made and who owns these decisions/content produced
• Identify any resources required.

We may request additional support material specific to your application, as recommended by the Industry Advisors and staff who reviewed your EOI.

Recipients of the fund will be notified in late February 2025 and announced in March.

If your application is successful, we will give you a draft investment agreement that specifies the amount of investment we will provide, the proposed payment schedule, milestones, deliverables, and any other conditions of investment. For commercial projects, this may include financial recoupment. We will negotiate the final version of this agreement with you.

We will pay you once you have accepted your investment agreement and any reports or deliverables you must provide us with have been approved.

You may be asked to participate in evaluation activities with Creative Australia staff and external evaluators at various times throughout your project. These may include working with Creative Australia’s delivery partners, (eg Climate Action Services).

Feedback on Stage 1 Expression of Interest

Industry Advisors were impressed by the range of projects across art forms with elements of risk in the work.

The strongest submissions:

• showed a profound depth of practice and process
• were well-written and easy to read, avoiding jargon or vague statements
• told stories that were clear, powerful and demonstrated an urgency to share and present
• addressed the two assessment criteria carefully and critically
• discussed the innovation in the art or form, engagement with new partners or in communities scored more favourably against the alignment criterion
• where appropriate, First Nations artist/s or the artistic leadership were clearly evident in the co-design of the proposal
• where relevant, could demonstrate the links between the project and future engagement/audiences
• confirmed partners that were well matched to the ambition of the project and indicated a collaboration that was mutually beneficial
• provided a clear artistic vision and the ‘voices’ of the artistic team were present and instrumental to the delivery of the work
• included details of the organisation and its work ensuring that Industry Advisors could see how the proposal differed from business-as-usual activities for the organisation
• demonstrated exceptional artistic quality through engaging with artists of the highest calibre
• provided support material such as biographies/CVs alongside evidence of previous developments or showings were also valued
• provided compelling letters of support from stakeholders/communities/artists
• included carefully curated support material to describe the organisation and illuminate the intention of the proposed artistic work.

Industry Advisors also noted the following:

• Submissions that demonstrated connection to place and community, describing meaningful types of engagement were highly regarded.
• Submissions that proposed working with targeted groups, such as the d/Deaf community or young people included permissions/endorsement for the work where their lived experience was clear.
• While recognising business-as-usual may look different in a post-Covid world, advisors supported submissions where the application was ambitious, innovating away from their current practice and working in new ways. Advisors were less supportive of works that looked to be their usual business or programming.
• Advisors were also interested in submissions where the applicant had demonstrated a life of the work beyond a presentation or engagement outcome.
• If submissions are adapting existing works, a compelling explanation must be included. Do not assume that assessors have read the original work to know why it is an important story to adapt and share.

Who can apply

• Australian organisations working in the arts and culture sector who are carrying on business in Australia and have their central management and control in Australia.
• Organisations in receipt of Multi-Year Investment from Creative Australia can apply, however they must demonstrate the development activity is not already supported by their existing funding.
• Organisations can only submit one application to the Development Investment stream to this closing date.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply to this fund if:

• you are an individual or group
• your organisation is based outside of Australia
• your organisation does not work in the arts and culture sector
• you have already applied to this closing date of Development Investment
• you have an overdue report for another Creative Australia grant
• you owe money to Creative Australia.

What can be applied for

We will support the creation or leveraging of intellectual property that is owned by Australian citizens/permanent residents and/or an Australian company. This includes a wide range of development activities such as:

• research and development
• creative development and experimentation
• adapting existing Australian work and intellectual property into new formats and mediums
• work in progress showings, prototypes, pilots and other forms of market testing and evaluation
• professional skills development and capacity building
• establishing new partnerships, collaborations, investors, or income streams
• community engagement and consultation
• market and audience development
• a reasonable contribution to staffing or operational costs in support of this activity.

Activities can take place nationally, internationally, online, or a combination of in-person and online (hybrid activities).

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Budgets may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. development activities using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are working with d/Deaf people or people with disability in your application, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artist Services to discuss your specific needs.

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

• activities that create or leverage intellectual property that is majority owned by international individuals or entities
• activities that do not have a clearly defined artistic, creative or cultural component
• activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists, arts professionals or audiences
• activities that could be considered a part of ‘business as usual’ for your organisation, and do not demonstrate innovation
• activities that have already taken place
• the same activities that have already been funded by Creative Australia (for example, through your multi-year investment)
• activities that develop, produce, promote and distribute Australian narrative (drama) and documentary screen content
• activities that could be supported by Screen Australia and its allied state and territory equivalents
• activities that could be supported by Games Investment steams in the same jurisdictions
• activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

Your application must comply with the following protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Industry advisors with diverse and relevant experience assessed the EOIs against the assessment criteria listed below and advised Creative Australia on which applicants to prioritise.

Assessment Criteria

EOIs were assessed against two assessment criteria. The bullet points underneath each criterion indicate what Industry Advisors considered if relevant.

1. Quality

Industry advisors assessed the quality of the artistic and/or cultural development proposed in your EOI.

Advisors considered:

• the quality and vision of the concept, story or work
• the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
• who the proposed work will be made for, and how they may engage with it
• the impact the development activity may have for your organisation
• where relevant, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to.

2. Alignment

Industry advisors assessed the extent to which your EOI aligned with the priorities of the fund – the telling of Australian stories, and innovation.

Advisors considered:

• who holds or will hold the intellectual property and rights to your story
• the relevance of your story to contemporary Australia
• the innovation demonstrated through your partners, the mediums or art forms you will work with, who will engage with the work and the experience they may have
• how this development extends the usual practice of your organisation and collaborators
• whether this development represents innovation for the Australian creative and cultural sector.

Moderation

Final decisions on which applicants to invite to submit a full application in Stage 2 were moderated and approved by Creative Australia staff to ensure a diverse investment portfolio across both investment streams, activities, art forms, geography, representation, audiences and risk.

Creative Australia has also determined the investment level that organisations can apply for in Stage 2 and provided those organisations with specific feedback on issues to address, or support material to provide.

Who can apply

Only organisations with a successful EOI at Stage 1 will be invited to submit a full application.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply to Stage 2 if:

• your EOI was unsuccessful in Stage 1
• you have an overdue report for another Creative Australia grant
• You owe money to Creative Australia.

What can be applied for

We will support the creation or leveraging of intellectual property that is owned by Australian citizens/permanent residents and/or an Australian company. This includes a wide range of development activities such as:

• research and development
• creative development and experimentation
• adapting existing Australian work and intellectual property into new formats and mediums
• work in progress showings, prototypes, pilots and other forms of market testing and evaluation
• professional skills development and capacity building
• establishing new partnerships, collaborations, investors, or income streams
• community engagement and consultation
• market and audience development
• a reasonable contribution to staffing or operational costs in support of this activity (for organisations not receiving multi-year investment from Creative Australia).

What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

• activities where all the costs are funded through this investment; you must demonstrate other sources of income will be leveraged or contributed
• activities that create or leverage intellectual property that is majority owned by international individuals or entities
• activities that do not have a clearly defined artistic, creative or cultural component
• activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists, creative workers or audiences
• activities that could be considered a part of ‘business as usual’ for your organisation, and do not demonstrate innovation
• activities that develop, produce, promote and distribute Australian narrative (drama) and documentary screen content
• activities that could be supported by Screen Australia and its allied state and territory equivalents
• activities that could be supported by Games Investment steams in the same jurisdictions
• activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

Your application must comply with the following protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Industry advisors with diverse and relevant experience will assess your Stage 2 application against the assessment criteria listed below and advise Creative Australia on which applicants to prioritise.

Please note the industry advisors who will assess your application will include some advisors from Stage 1 as well as new advisors. Please consider this when preparing your application. Do not assume all industry advisors will be familiar with the information provided in your EOI.

Assessment Criteria

Your application will be assessed against three assessment criteria. The bullet points underneath each criterion indicate what industry advisors may consider if relevant. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

1. Quality

Industry advisors will assess the quality of the artistic and/or cultural development proposed in your EOI.

Advisors may consider:

• the quality and vision of the concept, story or work
• the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
• how the work will be developed, and where appropriate, how communities or targeted groups have been consulted/engaged.
• who the proposed work will be made for, and how they may engage with it
• relevance and the importance of the proposed Australian story and its contribution to diverse cultural expression in the context of the wider Australian arts sector.

2. Viability

Industry advisors will assess the viability of your application, including your capacity to successfully complete the activities proposed.

Advisors may consider:

• your capacity to undertake this development, including your organisational stability
• the role of partners or collaborators
• whether your plan and use of resources is realistic and achievable, including contingencies and risk management
• the diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship, philanthropy, in-kind contributions
• how you aim to reflect on, respond to and potentially evaluate this work
• where relevant, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to.

3. Impact

Industry advisors will assess the expected impact this development will have on your organisation, your collaborators and those engaging with the proposed work.

Advisors may consider:

• new partnerships and collaborations established or deepened through the activity
• how the development will build the capacity and skills of you and your collaborators to work in new ways with new mediums, art forms or audiences
• the level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking within this work, organisation and wider sector
• the timeliness and relevance of this development for your organisation and collaborators
• how the work will reach and engage with new people in new ways, and evidence that there is demand for this
• the potential for new revenue streams or markets for your work
• the potential benefit and impact on careers, artistic or cultural practice in the wider sector.

Moderation

Final decisions on which applicants to invest in will be moderated and approved by Creative Australia staff to ensure a diverse investment portfolio across both investment streams, activities, art forms, geography, representation, audiences and risk.

Creative Australia will also determine the investment level that will be made, along with any special conditions and deliverables. Where appropriate, we make seek specialist advice from industry professionals.

Decisions will be approved by the Creative Australia Executive team.

Your full application must be submitted via Creative Australia’s Application Management System.

Creative Australia staff will create a draft application for you and advise you when it is ready to access via the grantee portal.

Please note the industry advisors who will assess your application will include some advisors from Stage 1 as well as new advisors. Please consider this when preparing your application. Do not assume all industry advisors will be familiar with the information provided in your EOI.

The application form contains the following questions:

• Tell us about your organisation as relevant to this application focusing on key people, highlights and achievements, in no more than 2,400 characters.
• Tell us about the Australian story you want to tell and the work that you plan to develop and how it differs from your usual practice. Describe the artistic vision, the process you will undertake, and the intended outcomes of the development, in no more than 5,600 characters.
• Explain who owns or will own the work you will be developing. Where relevant, describe the intellectual property and any agreements that you have in place, in no more than 3,200 characters.
• Tell us who you are planning to reach or engage with through this new work, how you plan to do this, and how this may extend your usual practice, in no more than 3,200 characters.
• Explain what role your partners will play in the development of the new work. Where relevant, describe any new connections or partners you will work with from the public, commercial and private sectors, in no more than 2,400 characters.
• Tell us what impact this development will have on your organisation, your collaborators and partners, and those engaging with the new work, in no more than 5,600 characters.
• Tell us how you intend to evaluate the impact of the new work you are developing, in no more than 2,400 characters.
• Detailed information on key personnel and collaborators, indicating their confirmed involvement.
• A detailed list of activities and a timeline including milestones and key deliverables.
• A detailed budget for the duration of your project.
  • Income includes in-kind support, cash contributions and other leveraged income.
  • Expenditure including all aspects of the development.
  • Financial information on your organisations latest forecasted operating results. If you are a calendar year-end organisation, please include a total of actual results for 9 months to 30 September 2024 and forecasted results for 3 months to 31 December 2024. If you are a financial year-end organisation, please provide actual results for the year ended 30 June 2024.

You must submit support material with your full application. The Industry Advisors will review this material to help them assess your proposed activity.

We strongly recommend you curate the support material you provide to make it relevant, targeted and easily accessible.

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is targeted and relevant to your submission.

Industry advisors will not view any URLs that require log in or to sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to applications or documents that require users to log in or pay for access.

If you are linking to sites or files that are private or password protected, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.

You can include a maximum of:

• 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording, and/or
• 10 images, and/or
• 15 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of writing, scripts and letters of support/confirmation).

If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

• video (MP4, Windows Media)
• audio (MP3, Windows Media)
• images (JPEG, PowerPoint)
• written material (Word, PDF).

We do not accept support material submitted via post. Support material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au.

You must provide the following essential support material.

1. Artistic support material

Please provide up to 3 URLs (weblinks) that best demonstrate your organisation’s artistic works for development. These URLs may include video, audio, images and written material. The artistic support material you include should provide clear evidence of the artistic and cultural quality of your proposed activities.

2. Letters of support/confirmation

You must provide letters for your application to evidence your organisation’s engagement with communities or key partners that are named in the application  – these may be included as one of your 3 URLs or uploaded as a file.

If you are working with a targeted group or community to develop your work, you must upload a community engagement plan as a part of your support material. See point 5.

3. Bios/CVs of the key personnel

You must provide bios/CVs of key personnel to indicate the skills/expertise and relevance of your key artists and creative workers involved in your development.

4. Risk and management

Applicants are required to submit a risk management plan for the duration of the project.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to use this template. The document should not exceed 2 pages.

You may want to consider the following details:

• Identify Risks: Engage key stakeholders, including staff, board members, and volunteers, to brainstorm and identify potential risks relevant to the activities or events of the organization.
• Description and Likelihood: For each identified risk, provide a clear and concise description of the risk, including its potential causes and consequences. Assess the likelihood of each risk occurring on a scale e.g. low, medium, high.
• Potential Impact: Evaluate the potential impact of each risk. Consider impacts on the organisation’s objectives, finances, reputation, and stakeholders etc. Assess the impact on a scale, e.g. low, medium, high.
• Ownership and Responsibility: Assign ownership of each risk to the appropriate individual (i.e. board, program lead, producer, production manager or operations team etc.) responsible for managing and monitoring the risk.

5. Community engagement plan

If you are working with a targeted group or community for the development of your work, you must upload a Community Engagement Plan. The purpose of this document is to explain how you will effectively engage with your community to develop your work. The document should not exceed 2 pages.

Your plan does not need to follow a specific proforma however you may wish to include the following details:

• List and identify community organisations and representatives to be invited and involved, e.g. Traditional Owners or Elders, LGA representatives, key community members, representatives of targeted groups.
• Identify the aims or goals for engaging with the community representatives.
• Identify when/how the community engagement will occur, e.g. modes of communications, events and timelines.
• Identify how decisions will be made and who owns these decisions/content produced
• Identify any resources required.

We may request additional support material specific to your application, as recommended by the Industry Advisors and staff who reviewed your EOI.

Recipients of the fund will be notified in late February 2025 and announced in March.

If your application is successful, we will give you a draft investment agreement that specifies the amount of investment we will provide, the proposed payment schedule, milestones, deliverables, and any other conditions of investment. We will negotiate the final version of this agreement with you.

We will pay you once you have accepted your investment agreement and any reports or deliverables you must provide us with have been approved.

You may be asked to participate in evaluation activities with Creative Australia staff and external evaluators at various times throughout your project. These may include working with Creative Australia’s delivery partners, (e.g. Climate Action Services).