MUSIC AUSTRALIA

Core Contribution Fund

2-year funding for eligible organisations providing services to key areas of the contemporary Australian music industry.

“New and sustainable growth requires ambitious models of investment. Traditionally, core operations and staffing have only been partially funded through project and program-specific grants. Music Australia recognises the important role of trade associations, peak bodies and member organisations – the majority of which are run on a volunteer basis or with minimal staffing support. This targeted investment will increase the strength of Australian organisations and the value they subsequently provide to their respective memberships, made up of Australian artists and industry professionals.” – Millie Millgate (Director, Music Australia)

About the program

The Music Australia Core Contribution Fund is designed to support eligible organisations providing services to key areas of the contemporary Australian music industry. It provides a 2-year investment for core operations and staffing to build stability and capacity in the Australian contemporary music sector, with a focus on industry representative, advocacy, member and/or growth and development organisations representing and/or supporting: 

  • a key sector area or membership 
  • a specific genre of music 
  • gender equity 
  • Australian artists/musicians.

Organisations may apply for between $100,000 and $140,000 for 2 years of operational costs. This equals between $50,000 and $70,000 per year, to be paid in 2 equal instalments. 

Supported expenses must last no longer than two years from the proposed start date. The applicant may determine the most appropriate start date for their organisation, the earliest being 1 January 2025. For your planning, please note that the budget template runs across two calendar or two financial years (i.e. 2025 or 2025-26 and 2026 or 2026-27).   

Please read the following grant guidelines for further information.

If you need advice about applying contact Music Australia: musicaustraliagrants@creative.gov.au or +61 2 9215 9028.  

  • Australian organisations whose primary activity is providing services to key areas of the Australian contemporary music industry 

The activity of the organisation must meet the Music Australia Council’s agreed definition of contemporary music, as follows: 

“Australian contemporary music is any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. For the purposes of Music Australia’s initial investments, the focus will be on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia.” 

  • A consortium may apply in certain circumstances, but the proposal must be funded and contracted through one member of the consortium.  
  • Music Australia requires that organisations be registered under Australian law (for example, incorporated association or company limited by guarantee) or created by law (for example, a government statutory authority).  Organisations may be required to provide a certificate of incorporation or evidence of their current legal status.    

You cannot apply for this grant if:  

  • you are a radio station
  • you are a tertiary education or private training institution
  • you are an individual or group 
  • your organisation is not legally constituted    
  • your organisation is a Trust or Partnership 
  • your organisation is in receipt of Multi-Year Investment from Creative Australia in 2024, 2025 or 2026 
  • your organisation is a pilot service delivery partner with Music Australia or Creative Australia in 2024 or 2025 
  • your organisation is a national training organisation, funded by the Australian Government 
  • your organisation’s primary activity is not supporting a sector of the Australian contemporary music industry 
  • you have an overdue grant report 
  • you owe money to Creative Australia 
  • your organisation is not registered in Australia. 

This investment will support your organisation’s core operational needs, providing stability for your organisation and building capacity in the contemporary music sector.  

This can include:   

  • staffing costs including wages and fees 
  • administration and other operational running costs 
  • professional skills development for artists and/or arts workers 
  • sector development or capacity building 
  • promotion and marketing
  • market development activity.

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

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, 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 Music Australia to discuss your specific needs.   

You can’t apply for:   

  • artistic project costs such as creating new work, artistic and/or creative development, production, performing, recording, touring or festivals – if you are seeking funding for these activities, please apply to Arts Project for Organisations 
  • the presentation of live music (for example as a live music venue or festival)
  • staffing or wage costs for international personnel 
  • operations that do not have a contemporary music focus 
  • expenses that have already been incurred 
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to Creative Australia’s 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, and 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. 

You must submit additional support material with your application. Industry Advisors will review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your activity.  

You must provide:  

  • up to 3 URLs (weblinks) that best demonstrate your organisation’s activity as it relates to this Core Contribution Fund application. These URLs may include website links, video, audio, images and written materials  
  • the organisation’s last 2 years of audited financial accounts, or equivalent financial data. 

For organisations who report on a calendar year basis this should be for 2022 and 2023; for organisations who report on a financial year basis this should be 2022-23 and 2023-24 (if available). 

You may also provide:  

  • existing business, operational or strategic plans
  • biographies or CVs of key personnel – these should be presented as a single document not longer than 5 A4 pages in total  
  • letters of support.

Individuals, groups or organisations can write letters in support of your application.  

If relevant to your organisation, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.  

You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.  

We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related 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 Artists Services.  

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).  

You can provide up to three URLs that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.  

Please note: Our industry advisors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.  

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

Other accepted file formats  

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

  • video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)  
  • audio (MP3 and Windows Media)  
  • images (JPEG and PowerPoint) 
  • written material (Word and PDF).  
  • proposals are reviewed by expert industry representatives called Industry Advisors  
  • Industry Advisors are experts in their field with relevant experience and knowledge of the contemporary music industry
  • proposals will be reviewed by Industry Advisors who will make recommendations for Music Australia to consider when making the final investment decisions for organisations
  • Industry Advisors will be published on our website following notification. Further detail on Industry Advice can be found  here.    

We will review your proposal against three selection criteria listed below.

Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what may be considered when reviewing your proposal. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

Viability

Industry Advisors will review your organisation’s track record of delivery and assess the viability of your proposal and your organisation’s demonstrated capacity to deliver its vision. We may consider:

  • value for money as evidenced in your responses and budget to deliver services to the sector
  • organisational structure and the experience of the people leading and governing your organisation
  • the financial health of your organisation, including the effective use of resources
  • the diversity and scale of income and co-funding you generate and receive (e.g. earned income, grants, memberships, sponsorship, and in-kind contributions)
  • whether your work is supported by meaningful evaluation
  • how you demonstrate cultural competencies and adherence to relevant cultural protocols, particularly if your organisation works with diverse artists, audiences or communities. Where relevant, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to
  • factors that have impacted your organisation’s financial health, planning and priorities
  • appropriate governance arrangements. You may wish to refer to our guide on  Essential Governance Practices
  • capacity to deliver the proposed services or activities
  • relevance and timeliness of this opportunity for your organisation
  • realistic and achievable planning
  • the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the activities
  • where relevant, evidence that you have considered and addressed any access issues associated with your project
  • where relevant, evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits.
Impact

Industry Advisors will assess how your activity contributes towards building a sustainable and diverse contemporary music sector. They may consider how your proposed activity:

  • contributes to building capacity in the contemporary music industry in Australia, with a focus on organisations representing:
    • a key sector area or membership
    • a specific genre
    • gender equity
    • Australian artists/musicians.
  • demonstrates collaboration and/or leadership on industry-wide issues
  • contributes to increasing diversity (including First Nations, disability, gender, LGBTIQ+, age and cultural diversity) within the contemporary music sector
  • the diversity of stakeholders that may be beneficiaries of the services to be provided
  • benefit for and impact on careers, artistic or cultural practice.
Alignment

Assessors will consider how your organisation’s vision and plan aligns with one or more of the principles and actions of the five pillars identified in the National Cultural Policy – Revive, Creative Australia’s Corporate Plan and the goals of Music Australia.

This may include:

  • First Nations arts and culture are self-determined
  • the creative workforce has the skills needed to maintain thriving careers and businesses
  • viable lifelong careers in creative fields attract and retain a broad creative workforce
  • creative careers and business models are financially sustainable
  • supporting the development of original music
  • growing the market for contemporary Australian music.

Frequently asked questions

No, the Core Contribution Fund is not for the presentation of live music.

No, the fund is for organisations whose primary activity is providing services to key areas of the Australian contemporary music industry.

MUSIC AUSTRALIA

Record Label Development Scheme

Up to $150,000 for eligible record labels to support the holistic development and success of Australian recording artists.

About the program

The Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme (RLDS) aims to support competitive Australian labels discovering, developing, and promoting Australian talent. At the heart of what they do, labels finance the production and recording of artists’ music in order to support their artistic and career development. Labels are taking on financial risk and providing the essential support, knowledge, and expertise required for artists to break through the noise. 

Concerns with Australian artist discoverability and cut through, the fragmented media environment, and the potential impacts of emergent technologies and AI-generated music, are all significantly impairing the operations of our labels sector. 

Rising production costs, the shift from physical sales to digital formats, and the need to invest heavily in artist promotion and development in a highly saturated market, all pose significant challenges to a label’s ability to remain financially viable, and subsequently invest in and support Australian talent. 

The fund aims to provide financial support to Australian record labels, from local independents through to major label subsidiaries. An injection of capital in the form of direct grants, the Record Label Development Scheme requires applicants to provide a compelling contribution to ensure that a maximum ROI is achieved from the investment. 

Grants are available from $10,000 to $150,000 to eligible Australian record labels, and Australian subsidiaries of multinational record labels, that have been operating for a minimum of 3 years.  

Applicants must demonstrate clear and measurable outcomes for the investment, which can contribute towards costs, associated with a variety of eligible activities, including: 

  • Professional recordings, that enhance and increase the quality of output, whilst also contributing to the economic wellbeing of Australian recording studios, engineers and producers.  
  • Create high quality visual production including videos, digital content and artwork. 
  • Significant marketing and promotional campaigns aimed at building an artist’s brand and increasing their visibility and market penetration.  
  • Costs associated with production, manufacturing and freight of vinyl, CDs and cassettes (preferably manufactured in Australia and using sustainable materials). 
  • Artist development that includes refining an artist’s craft, honing artistic vision and enhancing professional skills, enabling them to grow and succeed. 
  • Outlays in technology that enhance business capabilities, the recruitment of additional staff and opportunities that lead to professional development training. 

This investment will make sure Australian labels can continue to compete effectively, support their artists, and contribute to the vibrant music ecosystem in Australia.  

We will consider eligible applications through an open competitive grant process. All applicants must be pre-approved, via an eligibility check process closing Tuesday 8 October 2024 3pm AEDT in advance of the closing date. 

The Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme is a competitive program. Applicants are advised to ensure that they meet all eligibility requirements, before submitting an application.  

Please read the following grants guidelines for further information. If you need advice about applying contact Music Australia: musicaustraliagrants@creative.gov.au or +61 2 9215 9028.  

This grant is open to organisations, partnerships and sole traders that are Australian domestic record labels and Australian subsidiaries of multinational record labels and have been operating for a minimum of 3 years. Please see the FAQs below for information on how to apply as a partnership.

To be considered eligible for the Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme, applying labels must:  

  • have an ABN
  • derive most of their revenue from the exploitation of master recordings of which they own or have licensed the copyright
  • deliver A&R and creative development services to their signed artists
  • have minimum annual recorded music trade revenues of $40,000 from core business activities earned as a record label, from their Australian roster
  • have a minimum of 3 artists that all meet the eligibility threshold of 5000 followers/fans, on any one of the following platforms: Amazon Music, Bandcamp, Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Spotify, Tidal, TikTok, YouTube Music, or the artist’s mailing list
  • have a minimum of 3 active Australian musical artists on their roster. Active artists are defined as having had a release by the label in the last 18 months
  • have released at least 5 x singles and 1 x EP and/or 1 x LP of Australian artist recordings within the last 12 months.

Record labels may submit only one application, that includes multiple activities for more than one artist within the submission.  

The artistic output of the label must meet the Music Australia Council agreed definition of contemporary music, as follows: 

“Australian contemporary music is any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. For the purposes of Music Australia’s initial investments, the focus will be on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia.” 

You cannot apply for this grant if: 

  • you have an overdue grant report 
  • you owe money to Music Australia/Creative Australia 
  • you are a group.

If you or your artist/s have applied to Creative Australia for Arts Projects for Individuals or Organisations in September 2024, or any other Creative Australia program, you cannot be successful in more than one fund for the same activities.

Activities and costs we will fund may include, but are not limited, to:  

  • Recording, editing, mixing and mastering at an Australian facility by an Australian artist signed to an Australian-based label. 
  • Pre-production, studio hire, producer, engineer, session musicians, guest artists, hard drives and equipment hire. 
  • Manufacturing of physical product, e.g. vinyl mastering, vinyl/CD pressing and associated freight. Music Australia encourages environmentally sustainable practices, and labels that can demonstrate to have been guided by Green Music Australia’s Sound Country: A Green Guide on Physical Music Products, will be reimbursed the difference in expenditure per unit, upon evidence of their tax invoices after 1 July 2025. 
  • Video production incurred in Australia (i.e. music videos, videos for online marketing purposes, and video recording of live performances for promotion or sale). Costs may include; Producer; Director; Director of Photography; Camera Assistant; Grip; Gaffer; Art Department; First Assistant Director (AD); Runner; Casting; Talent/Extras; Stylist; Make-Up/Hair; Camera; Lighting; Props; Permits; Insurance; Travel (domestic only); Wardrobe; Catering/Unit; Animation/VFX; Stock Footage; Editor; Grade; hard drive.  
  • Visual representation (artwork) including design; photography; images, incurred in Australia. 
  • Digital content creation incurred in Australia (i.e. reels for online social media marketing purposes). 
  • Australian marketing and promotion activities for new recordings by Australian artists signed to the record label. May include digital marketing; radio ads; social media ads; publicist, radio promotion, and posters. 
  • Budget allocations towards software are eligible if required for an activity (such as digital infrastructure and innovation).  
  • Business development activities that contribute to the expansion of a company’s operational capacity (e.g. human resources enhancement, undertaking strategic business travel within Australia, implementing technology solutions/enhancements to optimise revenue generation and/or enhance customer/audience experience etc.).   
  • New Australian position: the cost of a new position that is being created because of the proposed activity (salaried or contract) may be included as a distinct line item in the activity budget. In the description of the activity, applicants must include an explanation of why the new position is necessary for the undertaking of the proposed activity, and if the position is intended to continue beyond the initial RLDS-supported period, a rationale must be provided for how the position will be sustained by the company. (e.g. Creative Producer/Director, Data Analyst, Digital Marketing specialist). 
  • Current/ongoing position: A portion of salaries or wages for existing Australian staff or ongoing Australian contract employees (whether part-time or full-time) that are assigned to work on the proposed activities may be included as part of the “administrative and overhead expenses” section of the budget. All labour costs included must be undertaken by Australian-based staff or contract employees, and must be directly related to the proposed 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. translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats). If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, 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 Artists Services to discuss your specific needs. 

Music Australia funding can only be used for activities that occur after  the activity start date of 1 January 2025. Therefore, any costs incurred  before  this date (i.e. pre-production, recording costs, mixing, mastering etc.) are not eligible for funding. Activity invoiced after 1 January 2025 for costs incurred before this date is not eligible.  

Items which Music Australia will not accept in a funded project budget: 

  • Touring, showcase and other live performance activity.  
  • Catering, except during music video shoots.  
  • Live performance production expenses, unless directly related to content creation for this project.  
  • Costs relating to international artists.  
  • Staff & labour costs not directly related to the activity.  
  • Staff benefit costs.  
  • Fees relating to the compilation, review, or audit of applicant financial statements. 
  • Fees relating to the procurement of services of grant writers for preparing government funding applications. 
  • Cost of General Liability insurance.   
  • Taxes that are recoverable by the recipient (such as GST).  

Funding is available in the form of a direct grant.  

  • Applicants must have minimum annual recorded music trade revenues of $40,000 from core business activities earned as a record label, from their Australian roster. 
  • Eligible applicants may apply for up to 25% of the company’s two-year average of total annual recorded music revenue from label activity.  
  • The minimum funding request is $10,000 and the maximum funding is capped at $150,000.  
  • No expense paid for from the Music Australia funding can be allocated to an artists’ recoupable ledger. 

Artist Creation Fee  

The Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme funding is available for amounts ranging from $10,000 to $150,000 plus GST.  

In addition, a mandatory 10% artist creation fee will be added to the grant amount for eligible activities. This fee covers creative and artistic services provided by the artists for the project. This includes recording activities and video production that features the recording artist.  

For example, if the label receives $50,000 in funding, an extra payment of $5,000 will be added to the funding amount, bringing the total funding to $55,000. This artist creation fee is a non-recoupable expense, to be shared amongst the artists that are featured in the project activities. 

The artist creation fee will be paid upon documentation received after 1 July 2025. 

Co-Investment 

Applicants must demonstrate co-investment either as a financial contribution towards the identified project costs, or their investment towards items not covered by the Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme such as domestic or international touring, international release and related costs, creative direction and branding and media training. The co-investment must be cash and not in-kind and is to be clearly detailed in the application budget.  

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, and 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. 

Before applying, you must read and understand these guidelines.  

  • Complete the pre-application eligibility check process no later than Tuesday 8 October 3pm AEDT electronically through the Creative Australia online Application Management System to determine eligibility. 
  • Once approved, submit a full application electronically through the Application Management System no later than Tuesday 12 November 3pm AEDT.

Pre-application Eligibility Check

To apply for the Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme, you must first ensure you meet the pre-application criteria by completing the eligibility check in the Application Management System.

The pre-application process will also determine the amount the label is eligible to apply for.

The Pre-application Eligibility Check includes the following criteria:

  • the application is for an Australian label, or Australian subsidiary of a multinational label, releasing contemporary Australian music
  • at least 3 active Australian artists on the label’s roster are supported through this funding
  • the audience engagement profile meets the minimum threshold of 5000 followers/fans for each artist, on any of the following platforms: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Spotify, Tidal, TikTok, YouTube Music, or the artist’s mailing list
  • the label has released at least 5 singles and 1 x EP or 1 x LP of Australian artist recordings within the last 12 months
  • Financial documentation (this information is used by Music Australia for the eligibility check only and is not provided to the industry advisors). This can include any or all of the following:
    • signed financial statements (including P&L & balance sheet) for the 2 most recently completed fiscal years
    • up to two years’ worth of PPCA statements
    • up to two years’ worth of streaming income statements
    • up to two years’ worth of BAS statements.

    The grant amount each label will be eligible to apply for, will be based on 25% of annual recorded music trade revenues (not profit). Please see FAQ for what income can be included to make up the minimum trade revenue

The budget is completed in the full application form. The maximum amount you are eligible to apply for will be entered by Music Australia, using the financial data provided in the pre-application eligibility check.

Anticipated outcomes for the Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme may include any of the following, depending on the type of activity undertaken. It is not expected that each applicant will achieve all the outcomes below. Applicants should provide a list of all anticipated outcomes they will report on in their final acquittal report, should their funding request be successful.  

Measurable outcomes:  

  • number of artists supported  
  • number of new recordings supported  
  • number of new performance opportunities for artists (including online)  
  • online and social media impact (metrics)  
  • traditional media impact (metrics): radio/video plays, interviews, articles, reviews, etc
  • critical success of supported projects  
  • sustainability of activity outcomes  
  • sales success of supported activities: units sold, streams, ticket revenue, etc
  • company growth/increased revenue  
  • number of international markets targeted  
  • increased revenue from international sales  
  • jobs created/retained  
  • tangible initiatives to improve or further embed diversity, equity and inclusion within company operations (i.e. staff training, hiring practices, artist signings).

For the Pre-application Eligibility Check you must provide financial documentation including any or all of the following

  • signed financial statements (including P&L & balance sheet) for the 2 most recently completed fiscal years
  • up to two years’ worth of PPCA statements
  • up to two years’ worth of streaming income statements
  • up to two years’ worth of BAS statements.

*This information does not go to the Industry Advisors and will be used by Music Australia for internal purposes only to determine the amount of funding you are eligible to apply for if you meet the pre-application eligibility criteria above.

No other support material is required for this pre-application stage.

If you are deemed eligible to submit a full application, you should include the following support material. The Industry Advisors may review this material to help them gain a better sense of your project and those involved.

  1. You must include audio of at least 3-4 artist recordings (existing or demo recordings).

Additional support material may include:

  1. Other artistic support material 

This should include relevant, recent examples of artistic work.

  1. Biographies and CVs 

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.

Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.

  1. Letters of support 

Individuals, groups, or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit your label, artists or music professionals, other participants, or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.

If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the  First Nations Protocols  for more information.

You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

  1. Other support material

You may also include other evidence to support your application including the label co-investment and label and/or artist track record on music releases.

Types of support material we accept

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).

You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.

Please note:  Our industry advisors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.

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

Other accepted file formats

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

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

The assessment process will use Industry Advisors, with relevant label experience. The assessment criteria includes project viability, quality and impact. 

We assess applications against the assessment criteria and against other applications. We consider each application on its merits, based on: 

  • how well it meets the criteria  
  • how it compares to other applications  
  • whether it provides value for money.

When assessing the extent to which the application represents value for money, we will give regard to:  

  • the overall objective/s to be achieved in providing the grant 
  • the relative value of the grant sought 
  • extent to which the geographic location of the application ensures that there is a spread of successful applications from across Australia including urban, regional and remote locations  
  • the extent to which different genres of music are represented to ensure there is diverse representation 
  • the extent to which the evidence in the application demonstrates that it will contribute to meeting the outcomes/objectives. 

After applicant and activity eligibility have been confirmed, applications will be assessed by a panel of Industry Advisors against to the following 3 criteria:  

Quality 

Advisors will assess the calibre of the artists and label staff involved and the quality of the music. They may consider: 

  • the track record of the key artists involved and their previous releases 
  • the degree to which the applicant demonstrates that it has the track record and organisational capacity (financial, human resources) to effectively execute the activities including their achievements, as evidenced by their biography and professional profile
  • the presence of diversity among leadership, staff, or contract employees, particularly underrepresented communities within the music industry   
  • the degree to which diversity is reflected within the applicant’s roster 
  • the cultural value of the project for Australian audiences. 
  • the strength of the artistic support material provided.

Impact 

Advisors will assess the impact your application will have on the growth and sustainability of original contemporary Australian music. They may consider: 

  • thoroughness of the applicant’s description of the proposed activity and its anticipated impacts  
  • degree to which expected results are well documented in the application, including a description of tangible, measurable, and realistic goals and a clear explanation of anticipated return on investment (ROI)
  • good and achievable range of project KPIs
  • potential to assist with increasing levels of Australian music on radio
  • potential to impact online audiences with significant streams/views/shares/likes/sales
  • applicant’s potential to achieve strong measurable critical and/or commercial impact  
  • extent to which the application demonstrates forward thinking strategic planning and focus on long-term growth and sustainability  
  • degree to which the company can leverage the investment to strengthen its profile/capital/human resources pool for future investment and growth  
  • how the work will support the development of First Nations, or female and/or non-binary, music artists.  

Viability 

Advisors will assess the viability of your budget, release strategies and marketing plans. They may consider: 

  • how viable and achievable the project is (as evidenced by the budget accuracy, release timelines and planning) 
  • the strength of the overall release plan, including the marketing and promotion campaign and audience development strategy, including evidence of demand   
  • the resources supporting the project (including financial and/or in-kind) 
  • effectiveness of the applicant’s articulation of its financial capacity to undertake the proposed activities  
  • stability and strength of the applicant’s financial position based on company’s financial statements  
  • the strength of the key people and partners involved, including confirmations of their involvement and their track record delivering similar recorded works and output
  • appropriate safety and wellbeing practices in place for artists and studios  
  • risk assessment on the project team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants must have minimum annual recorded music trade revenues of $40,000 from core business activities earned as a record label, from their Australian roster. Please note that this figure is your revenue, not profits.

Eligible applicants may apply for up to 25% of the company’s two-year average of total annual recorded music revenue from label activity. 

The sources of revenue that could be counted towards your total includes the following:

  • on-demand streaming 
  • downloads
  • physical sales (CDs/Vinyl)
  • synchronisation licensing fees (for TV/film/advertising/games)
  • public performance and broadcast rights
  • brand partnerships where an artist endorses a product and the label receives a cut
  • label merchandise
  • artist merchandise if the label receives a cut
  • distributor advance on future earnings.

You must register for GST, if your business turnover (GROSS income) is $75,000 or over. If your label is registered for GST, then it’s likely a good indicator that you should clear the threshold minimum of $40,000 annual trade revenue.

If you have a Partnership ABN you will need to nominate someone to register and apply as an Individual. We do not accept registrations from Partnerships. In the application form you can nominate your Partnership to administer the grant.

CREATIVE FUTURES FUND

Delivery Investment

About the program

The Creative Futures Fund will support the creation and sharing of Australian stories and new ways for people to engage with them.

Creative Futures Fund: Delivery Investment will bring new Australian stories to life so people can engage with and experience them.

It is for works in their final stages of development that are ready for presentation. Investment can be used to adapt existing works that have already had a public outcome, develop and deepen partnerships, secure co-investment, realise and share the work, and capture the impact this has had for you, your collaborators and those experiencing the work.

We are seeking great ideas that are ambitious, unexpected and innovative. This includes new works and projects that may leverage existing intellectual property. The innovation could be in the story, the artforms or mediums used, the partners and artists you work with, or the way you will present or share the work.

The investment available is significant, so we want to know what that investment may help you do what wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Funding business as usual activity is not a priority.

The fund will only support Australian stories, for example the intellectual property must be majority owned by Australian creatives, be an Australian concept, with subject matter that is relevant to contemporary Australia.

Investment of between $250,000 and $1,500,000 will be negotiated with successful recipients.

Applications will be accepted and assessed in two stages:

  • Stage 1: an initial Expression of Interest (EOI) where you propose the story you want to bring to life, who you plan to work with and the level of investment you are seeking.
  • Stage 2: a small number of organisations will be invited to develop their EOI into a full application, which will provide detail on how the work will be realised, your partners, how people will engage with the work, the budget, milestones and risk management.

The final amount of investment and any deliverables will be negotiated directly with successful applicants. This may include the recoupment of funds where appropriate. The investment we provide may vary (higher and lower) from the amount requested at Stage 2.

Supported activity can commence from March 2025 onwards and must be completed within three years.

Further background on this fund can be found here.

Stage 1 EOIs closed.

The Australian Government is committed to this investment program and future iterations and new rounds will be announced in 2025.

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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.

The closing date for full applications is Tuesday 3 December 2024, 3pm AEDT.

Please note that Stage 2 is by invitation only.

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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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).

Watch our information session here and below.

Frequently asked questions for Stage 2 applications

  • Applications will be reviewed by Industry advisors who will make recommendations for Creative Australia to consider when making the final investment decisions. The panel of advisors are selected based on their differing arts practice knowledge and experience.
  • Some Industry advisors are participating in both EOI and Stage 2 reviews. We will endeavour to engage a portion of Industry advisors to review across both stages, however this information will not be made public.
  • The full list of Industry advisors will be published on our website following notification of the outcomes of Stage 2.

Only the most competitive organisations have been invited to submit a full application.

28 applicants across both the Development and Delivery streams (10%) have been invited to submit a full application in Stage 2. The success rate will be higher at this stage than at EOI stage.

You may request the same amount as you asked for in your EOI. The final amount of investment and any deliverables will be negotiated directly with successful applicants. The investment may vary (higher or lower) from the amount requested.

The questions and support material requirements are outlined in the guidelines for each stream. You may replicate or update information provided in your EOI, including financial information.

You will need to submit budget details including all income and expenditure for the duration of your project. with explanation of the main assumptions underlining key budget estimates. Partners and their income contributions should also be included in the budget.

You will also need to provide 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.

Support material requirements are included in the guidelines. Please consider submitting materials to demonstrate confirmed partnerships and collaborations alongside artistic examples of your work.

Ensure you abide by the support material limits. Industry advisors are not required to read/view any material that exceeds the limits.

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

The only support material we will accept after the Stage 2 closing date is audited accounts for the 2023/24 financial year.

If you need to submit these accounts after the closing date, please send them to creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au. Be sure to include your application reference number in the email.

Please note, late support material is not distributed to Industry advisors with your application. We make a note of it on file and bring it to the attention of Industry advisors at our discretion.

CREATIVE FUTURES FUND

Development Investment

About the program

The Creative Futures Fund will support the creation and sharing of Australian stories and new ways for people to engage with them.

Creative Futures Fund: Development Investment can support the creation and testing of new ideas and works, the establishment of new partnerships, collaborations and skills to lay the foundations for future delivery. This stream is also suitable for applicants who are testing their work in the market.

We are seeking great ideas that are ambitious, unexpected and innovative. This includes new works and projects that may leverage existing intellectual property. The innovation could be in the story, the artforms or mediums used, the partners and artists you work with, or the way you will present or share the work.

The investment available is significant. We want to know what that investment may help you do that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Funding ‘business as usual’ activity is not a priority.

The fund will only support Australian stories. The intellectual property must be majority owned by Australian creatives, be an Australian concept, and have subject matter that is relevant to contemporary Australia.

Investment of between $50,000 and $250,000 will be negotiated with successful recipients.

Applications will be accepted and assessed in two stages:

  • Stage 1: an initial Expression of Interest (EOI) where you propose the story or work you want to develop or adapt, and the level of investment you are seeking. (Now closed)
  • Stage 2: a small number of organisations will be invited to develop their EOI into a full application, which will detail the development process, partners, budget, milestones and risk management.

The final amount of investment and any deliverables will be negotiated directly with successful applicants. The investment may vary (higher or lower) from the amount requested at Stage 2.

Supported activity can commence from March 2025 onwards and must be completed within two years.

Further background on this fund can be found here.

Stage 1 EOIs closed.

The Australian Government is committed to this investment program and future iterations and new rounds will be announced in 2025.

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.
  1. 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.

The closing date for full applications is Tuesday 3 December 2024, 3pm AEDT.

Please note that Stage 2 is by invitation only.

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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.
  1. 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).

Watch our information session here and below.

Frequently asked questions for Stage 2 applications

  • Applications will be reviewed by Industry advisors who will make recommendations for Creative Australia to consider when making the final investment decisions. The panel of advisors are selected based on their differing arts practice knowledge and experience.
  • Some Industry advisors are participating in both EOI and Stage 2 reviews. We will endeavour to engage a portion of Industry advisors to review across both stages, however this information will not be made public.
  • The full list of Industry advisors will be published on our website following notification of the outcomes of Stage 2.

Only the most competitive organisations have been invited to submit a full application.

In total 28 applicants across both the Development and Delivery streams (10%) have been invited to submit a full application in Stage 2. The success rate will be higher at this stage than at EOI stage.

You may request the same amount as you asked for in your EOI. The final amount of investment and any deliverables will be negotiated directly with successful applicants. The investment may vary (higher or lower) from the amount requested.

The questions and support material requirements are outlined in the guidelines for each stream. You may replicate or update information provided in your EOI, including financial information.

You will need to submit budget details including all income and expenditure for the duration of your project with explanation of the main assumptions underlying key budget estimates. Partners and their income contributions should also be included in the budget.

You will also need to provide 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.

Support material requirements are included in the guidelines. Please consider submitting materials to demonstrate confirmed partnerships and collaborations alongside artistic examples of your work.

Ensure you abide by the support material limits. Industry advisors are not required to read/view any material that exceeds the limits.

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

The only support material we will accept after the Stage 2 closing date is the year end operating results.

If you need to submit these accounts after the closing date, please send them to creativefuturesfund@creative.gov.au. Be sure to include your application reference number in the email.

Please note, late support material is not distributed to Industry advisors with your application. We make a note of it on file and bring it to the attention of Industry advisors at our discretion.

LIFECYCLE: First Nations Recording Grants

A collaborative initiative NATSIMO providing 12 grants of $20,000 for new music recordings by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creators.

MUSIC AUSTRALIA
EXPORT DEVELOPMENT FUND

International Market and Audience Development

Up to $10,000 matched funding to support international promotional and content creation activities.

About the program

The Music Australia Export Development Fund is a bold partnership between the Australian Government and the Australian music industry – a matched funding initiative, designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists.   

The program has been developed to support emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is made available to Australian citizens or permanent residents who are current practising music professionals. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, DJ/producers and electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers. 

The International Market and Audience Development fund (Category 3) is designed to support activity that includes international promotional and content creation activities with matched funding of $2,000 to $10,000. Find out more in What you can apply for.  

Before starting your application for the Export Development Fund, please complete the Go Global Toolkit quiz, selecting ‘Creative Industries’. 

Application checklist 

Please check the following before submitting your application to ensure it is eligible: 

□ you are a current practising solo artist, instrumentalist, band, ensemble, DJ/producer and electronic artist, producer, songwriter and/or composer

□ your export activity starts within the eligible dates for this round

□ you have included evidence of your matched funding in the Support Material

□ your activity meets the definition of contemporary Australian music

□ you have read ‘What you can apply for’ in the guidelines (see below) and are applying to the correct category for your proposed activity

□ check your support material links are active, shared with appropriate permissions, and do not require a password

□ you have read ‘What makes a stronger application’ below. 

To guide initial investments, the Music Australia Council endorsed the following definition of ‘contemporary music’, which you must meet to be eligible. 

“Australian contemporary music is any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. For the purposes of Music Australia’s initial investments, the focus will be on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia”.  

If you don’t meet the definition above for contemporary music, you may be eligible to apply for our Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups, Arts Projects for Organisations, or International programs.

  • Activity must start between 1 July 2025 and 30 September 2025 and be completed within 12 months.  
  • You can submit a maximum of one application to each category of the Music Australia Export Development Fund. Ensure each application is targeted to the individual category you are applying for.  
  • The budget in your application must demonstrate matched funding (see ‘Budget & Matched Funding’ for more information), and evidence of this matched funding must be supplied in your support material. 
  • open to Australian artists, composers and creators individually or in groups
  • organisations and music businesses may apply on behalf of their artists  
  • if you have been successful in a previous round of the Export Development Fund, you are eligible to apply again, however funding priority may be given to first time recipients
  • First Nations applicants are encouraged to apply.  

You cannot apply for this grant if:  

  • you have already submitted an application to this category
  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to Creative Australia
  • you have applied to our Arts Project grant rounds for the same activity. 

A minimum of $2,000, up to a maximum of $10,000, and the applicant must demonstrate matched funding of an equal or greater amount to the grant request. 

The International Market and Audience Development fund (Category 3) is designed to support activity that includes: 

  • implementing an international PR and promotional campaign
  • implementing an international radio campaign
  • creating content such as music video clips, social media reels, and lyric translations which are targeted towards international audiences
  • implementing a global digital marketing strategy. 

As well as costs directly associated with the activity listed above, you may apply for all costs associated with completing your export activity. Eligible costs include but are not limited to: 

  • artist and creative worker fees 
  • flights, accommodation, per diems, ground transport costs 
  • travel insurance 
  • visas 
  • freight or baggage costs 
  • childcare, carer and access costs 
  • tickets and/or registration costs to attend events 
  • costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your activity. 

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. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats). 

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, 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 Artists Services to discuss your specific needs. 

  • activity that does not meet the Music Australia definition of contemporary music  
  • activity in Australia (regardless of country of residence) 
  • the manufacture of albums and merchandise 
  • passport application costs 
  • international relocation expenses 
  • capital expenditure (such as studio infrastructure and instrument purchases) 
  • planning and preparation such as arranging or booking dates, venues, contracts, travel and visas, and rehearsals in your country of residence, are not eligible activities for the purposes of this grant and should not be included in the activity details section of your application. We encourage and expect considered planning and preparation of your activities in advance of the proposed international activity dates you are applying for. If you are unsure about the eligibility of any part of your proposed activity, please contact musicaustraliagrants@creative.gov.au. 

You must complete the budget in the application form. Please note for this category, your budget should equal or be close to a net zero balance as activity in this category is unlikely to demonstrate income at this stage. If there is a small surplus or deficit, we ask that you explain this in the application form. 

You must provide evidence of your matched funding in your support material. If you do not provide this evidence your application may be deemed ineligible. Please see the list below for examples of evidence you can supply, watch the  video, or  contact Music Australia  if you have questions. 

What we mean by ‘matched funding’: 

  • you are required to match the Music Australia Export funding for your project on at least a 50:50 basis
  • your share of project costs is 50% of eligible expenditure up to the maximum grant limit and all remaining costs not met by the grant
  • you cannot use in-kind (non-financial) contributions for matched funding
  • you cannot use other federal, state or local government grant sources for matched funding
  • you must provide evidence in your application support material of your matched funding. 

Evidence can include: 

  • advanced ticket sales for an upcoming tour 
  • festival guarantees 
  • previous tour reconciliations 
  • advance from a label or publisher 
  • merchandise sales 
  • upcoming or past royalty payments 
  • commitment to a future sync placement 
  • available bank balance (provide a document or screenshot of the account balance and account name – removing other personal and transaction details) 

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, and 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. 

Applications to the International Performance and Touring Activity fund will be assessed through Industry Advice.  

Learn more about  how we assess your application. 

Assessment Criteria 

As well as meeting the eligibility requirements, you must address three assessment criteria in this category.  Industry advisors will review your application using the criteria below.  

Viability 

Assessors will consider whether your activity is feasible. Some ways to consider viability are listed below: 

  • the activity is confirmed, with letters of confirmation provided
  • evidence of matched funding is provided at a minimum of 50% of the total budget   
  • realistic budgeting and touring logistics
  • the relevance and timeliness of the proposed activity
  • the skills and abilities of those involved, and their relevance to the activity
  • well-researched and rationalised activity, particularly if this is your first engagement with an international market
  • measures being applied to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
  • measures being applied to ensure the proposed activity is accessible
  • where relevant to the project, evidence that the protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to, or the relevant cultural protocols for the international jurisdiction in which you are working. 

Impact 

Assessors will consider the impact of your activity. This includes the extent to which this activity develops an international market or relationship, strengthens international networks, grows global audiences, and increases artist profiles. 

Alignment  

Assessors will consider how your activity meets one or more of the principles and actions of the five pillars identified in the National Cultural Policy – Revive, and the goals of  Music Australia. 

This may include: 

  • First Nations arts and culture are First Nations-led 
  • artists and arts workers have career structures that are long-term and sustainable, supported by vocational pathways 
  • creative industries and practice are future focused, technology enabled, networked and globally recognised, including through reciprocal exchange, export and cultural diplomacy 
  • arts and culture are generative (creating new works and supporting emerging artists) and preservative (protecting heritage and conserving cultural memory) 
  • development of original music 
  • growing the market for contemporary Australian music 
  • training and skills development for artists, and industry professionals 
  • activities that promote the Government’s international arts and cultural engagement and cultural diplomacy priorities 
  • discoverability and working with digital service providers and radio networks to support Australian contemporary music. 

You must submit support material with your application. The industry advisors will review your support material, including evidence of your matched funding and whether the activity is confirmed. It can also be used to gain a better understanding of your activity, and arts practice. 

Your application may be ineligible if it does not include support material providing evidence of your matched funding. 

We strongly advise you to include evidence of confirmed activity (such as letters and invitations).   

The following support material may also be included with your application:   

  • how cultural protocols have been or will be observed and permissions obtained (if relevant to your activity)
  • evidence of your practice relevant to the activity for which you are seeking funding, such as a website link, audio and/or video links (maximum duration 10 minutes in total), images and/or written material
  • biographies and CVs for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in the activity (no longer than 2 A4 pages in total)
  • letters of confirmation from collaborators and/or venues directly involved in the activity (up to 5 letters of confirmation, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page)
  • letters of support (up to 2 letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page), these should not be from individuals or organisations financially involved in the activity
  • risk management: for international travel, you may submit a one-page risk management plan (in any format). If you require a template, you can  download a template here.   

We prefer to receive information via web links (URLs).  

You may submit up to three URLs per application. For example, you could include a link to your website, a link to a video or audio file, and a link to scanned documents demonstrating your matched funding and letters of confirmation.   

If you are not able to provide URLs, you may upload support material as attachments (up to two PDF or Word documents). You may collate documents to include multiple pages. 

We do not accept support material submitted by post.  If you need help submitting material online, or you are not sure what support material to submit,  please  contact us. 

After 12 months and four rounds of the Export Development Fund, we have summarised what makes a stronger application below.  

  • do not assume assessors have existing knowledge of the artists’ work or activity, regardless of how well known the artist or group is
  • complete all sections of the application form in detail – including the Activity Details and Budget sections
  • use the Activity Details section of the application form to list the proposed dates, activity, location/s and whether the activity is confirmed, and ensure that this matches the activity outlined in the application text
  • if applying to more than 1 category, be clear about the plan for the specific category you are applying for – do not copy the same text across each application. Each category is assessed on its individual merits, by different assessment panels
  • include clear evidence of ALL your matched funding and label this in your support materials as ‘Matched funding evidence’
  • ensure links included in the support material section remain active for 2 months after the closing date, with sharing enabled without the requirement for passwords
  • include clear, concise and relevant support material that is easy to access, including letters of confirmation from collaborators directly involved in the activity
  • clearly explain why the time is right for the proposed activity, and the potential impact
  • clearly demonstrate why the applicant/s are targeting the proposed country/ies or territory/ies for the activity
  • show a well thought-out, realistic and productive timeline of activity, leveraging available opportunities
  • explain who the artist/s you will be working with are and why you are working with them, including specific names and organisations
  • include all, or a high proportion, of confirmed activity
  • use metrics and data, such as streaming numbers and audience/engagement insights (where relevant), to strengthen the application
  • include a clearly articulated budget with costs that are commensurate to the proposed activity. 

We encourage those who have applied and been unsuccessful for previous rounds of this fund to use this feedback to strengthen their application and re-apply for future rounds where possible (noting date eligibility requirements). 

Watch our webinar information session (here or below) with Music Australia Director Millie Millgate and Council member Danielle Caruana (aka Mama Kin) to learn more about the scheme and how to apply.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, this fund runs four times per year. Please note that opening and closing dates are provisional and may change.  

2025/26 dates coming soon 

Yes – please contact our Artist Services team to discuss your accessibility requirements. More information on accessibility is available on our website: Accessibility.

Yes, we do. More information is available on our website: Languages other than English.

Yes, please note that references to an organisation throughout the application form also includes commercial companies such as a record label, management firm or publisher.  

As you can only make one application per category using your Fluxx account, we suggest your artist(s) set up an account in their name to apply.  

You should include the full cost of flights and accommodation in each application in case you are only successful in one. If successful in more than 1 category, your granted amount may be revised to avoid duplication of expenses.  

Please indicate whether expenses have been duplicated across multiple applications by answering yes or no to the question: ‘Expenses included in other Music Australia applications’.   

Please contact Artist Services or Music Australia to discuss how best to apply – do not enter a partnership or trust ABN as the ABN for an individual account in the application management system.  

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Contemporary Music Touring Program

This program provides up to $50,000 to support national tours by musicians performing original contemporary music.

About the program

The Contemporary Music Touring Program (CMTP) supports national touring activity undertaken by Australian musicians performing original Australian contemporary music.

The tour must comprise of performances in at least three venues or locations outside of the performer’s hometown. Tours that include regional and remote destinations, or which assist performers residing in regional and remote areas to tour, are a priority for funding.

Grants are available from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the number of tour venues or locations in regional or remote areas.

If you think you will have difficulty submitting your application online, please contact Artists Services.

Who can apply

Individuals or organisations may apply to tour live music performances within Australia. Touring musicians must be performing original Australian contemporary music. Funding can be provided to performers, managers, agents, and music networks on behalf of professionals working in the Australian music industry. Applications must contain one tour only.


Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for a grant if:

  • your tour does not involve the presentation of original Australian contemporary music
  • you received a grant, or administered a grant, from Creative Australia in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted
  • you owe money to Creative Australia.

What you can apply for

Under the Contemporary Music Touring Program, performances of original Australian contemporary music can include a wide range of different musical styles.

The tour must comprise of performances in at least three venues or locations outside of the performer’s hometown. Tours that include regional and remote destinations, or which assist performers residing in regional and remote areas to tour, are a priority for funding.

  • If your itinerary contains only metropolitan performances, you may request up to $15,000.
  • If your itinerary contains at least one regional or remote performance, you may request up to $25,000.
  • If 75% of your itinerary is to remote and/or very remote locations, you may request up to $50,000.
  • Please note: The minimum grant amount you can apply for is $5,000.
  • The Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) helps determine the regional and remote reach of the tour. To find out if you meet the ARIA rating to qualify for additional funding, begin a grant in our online system. When you get to the ‘Outline your project’ section, the system will automatically look up the ARIA code once you enter the details of the state, town and postcode of the location you are searching for. To assist in planning your tour, you can download the ARIA Code list from our websiteto search for the relevant ARIA codes. If you need help with your application, contact an Artists Services Officer.

Joint tours, where two or more independent performers are undertaking the same tour itinerary, are eligible under this program. These should be submitted as a single application. In such cases, the funding caps still apply.

We encourage the inclusion of additional activities which extend opportunities for community participation, such as workshops, master classes and all-age performance.

You may apply for costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your activity.

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

  • If you are an applicant with a disability, or are working with artists with disability, 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 an Artists Services Officer to discuss your specific needs.

Australian music media advertising spend uplift

Music Australia will provide an additional $5000 for a limited number of successful applicants to advertise their funded touring activity through local Australian music media.

This includes the eligible activities below: please note that this list is not exhaustive and you may include other local options as appropriate to your tour locations.

  • Purchase radio carts on community radio – find a station here
  • Buy commercial radio advertising – find a station here
  • Advertise in media publications dedicated to Australian music
  • Artwork creation (such as ad asset creation in line with the publication ad specs).

While you may undertake the following marketing and promotional activities for your tour, they are not eligible to be funded by the $5000 Australian music media advertising spend uplift:

  • employing a publicist
  • engaging a digital marketing firm
  • hiring a radio promotions person
  • advertising of any kind on any social media platforms
  • undertaking an influencer campaign.

What can’t you apply for

You can’t apply for:

  • a tour to fewer than three venues or locations outside the performer’s home town
  • overseas tours
  • tours by non-Australian performers
  • tours which are primarily schools-based (except for applications seeking remote or very remote touring funds where the school is the primary venue in a remote or very remote location)
  • tours that do not involve the presentation of original Australian contemporary music.

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, and 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.

Applications to the Contemporary Music Touring Program will be assessed by a panel of peers drawn from the Music sector.

Peers will primarily refer to the information supplied in applications and support material to make their assessment. They may also consider their own engagement with the work, relevant professional experience, and advice from our staff.

Peers will assess your application against the following three criteria:

Quality

Peers will assess the calibre of the artists and arts workers involved and the quality of the music. They may consider:

  • the strength of the artistic support material provided
  • the track record of the key artists involved, including their achievements, as evidenced by their biography and professional profile.

Impact

Peers will assess the impact your application will have on the development of Australian culture. They may consider:

  • proposed additional community activities included in the tour itinerary, such as workshops, master classes or all-age performances
  • any partnerships or collaborations with local personnel or organisations in touring locations
  • benefits provided through the tour to people in touring locations (e.g. local emerging artists, audiences)
  • regional extent of the proposed tour, as indicated by the geographical locations of the proposed itinerary.

Viability

Peers will assess the viability of your budget and touring logistics. They may consider:

  • how viable and achievable the project is (as evidenced by the budget, itinerary and planning)
  • the quality of the marketing/audience development strategy, including evidence of demand in proposed locations
  • the resources supporting the project (including financial and/or in-kind)
  • the strength of the people, presenters and partners involved, including confirmations and their track record delivering similar tours
  • appropriate safety and wellbeing practices in place for artists, venues or locations and audiences
  • where relevant, evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits.

Additional material can be submitted to help support your application. Peers will review support material to gain an understanding of the quality of your work, and where relevant, the skills and role of other artists or partners involved.

We do not accept support materials submitted via post. Application-related 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, please contact Artists Services.

You can submit the following support material with your application:

1. Artistic support material

You can submit up to three URLs (weblinks) to written material, images, video or audio as a recent example of your work. Peers may review up to:

  • 10 pages of written material
  • 10 images
  • 10 mins of video or audio recording.

Learn more about support material, including how to submit late confirmations after the closing date, and advice on how to get examples of your work online.

In some circumstances we will accept support material in another format. Please contact Artists Services for further advice.

2.  Additional artist information

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae summary of any additional artists involved in your project. All bios should be included as a single document and a maximum of two pages in total.

3.  Letters of support

Where appropriate, you can include up to five letters from proposed participants in support of your project. All letters of support should be included as a single document and a maximum of five pages in total.

4. Environmental impact

If your project has an environmental impact, you should provide evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits. Arts On Tour’s Green Touring Toolkit and Green Music Australia’s Sound Country provide provides detailed information and resources for artists and arts organisations on how to mount a sustainable tour.

Arts Projects for Organisations

This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences and communities.

 

About the program

This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences and communities. Organisations that undertake arts programs, projects, or that provide services to artists, are welcome to apply.

Organisations can propose a single project, a suite of projects or an annual program of activity.

Grants are available from $20,000 to $100,000. Supported activities must last no longer than two years from the proposed start date.

Please read the following grant guidelines.

If you need advice about applying, contact an Artists Services Officer.

Who can apply

You can only submit one application from your organisation’s account to each closing date for Arts Projects for Organisations.

Only organisations may apply to this category.

Organisations that provide a service to the arts may apply.

International organisations can apply for projects that benefit practicing Australian artists, their work or Australian audiences.

Applications for funding to the First Nations panel must come from First Nations organisations.


Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for a grant if:

  • you have already applied to this closing date for Arts Projects for Organisations
  • you are applying to our International Engagement Fund for the same activities
  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to Creative Australia
  • you are an individual or group
  • you receive multi-year investment through the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework
  • your organisation receives an amount of over $160,000 per year through any Creative Australia multi-year investment program in the years 2025 to 2028 – if you are unsure please contact your Multi Year Investment Manager or Artists Services.

What can be applied for

We fund a range of activities, for example:

  • professional skills development, including mentoring and residencies
  • the creation of new work
  • practice based research
  • creative development
  • experimentation
  • collaborations and exchanges
  • touring
  • festivals
  • productions
  • exhibitions
  • performances
  • publishing
  • recording
  • activities to develop the arts sector
  • promotion and marketing
  • market development activity
  • activities that creatively engage communities.

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

If your project involves a partnership or collaboration with organisations in the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework you must discuss your application with us before applying. The Partnership Organisation must make a significant contribution to the activity, and the outcome must not be already programmed in the mainstage season of the company.

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. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, 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 Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.


What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

  • projects or activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists or arts professionals
  • projects or activities that do not have a clearly defined arts component
  • projects that have already taken place
  • the same projects you are applying for via our International Engagement Fund
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to Creative Australia’s 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.

You must choose which peer assessment panel you wish to apply to.  The panels are:

Learn more about assessment panels. If you are unsure which peer assessment panel to choose, contact Artists Services.

Learn more about how we assess your application.

You must address three assessment criteria in this category. For some criteria, you will be asked to choose between two or more options.

Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what peers may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

First criterion

You must choose one of the following two options:

Quality of artistic or cultural activities

Peers will assess the quality of the artistic and cultural activities at the centre of your proposal. They may consider:

  • vision, ideas and artistic rational
  • benefit and impact on careers, artistic or cultural practice
  • level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking
  • rigour and clear articulation of creative, engagement or development processes
  • significance of the work within area of practice and communities
  • contribution to diverse cultural expression
  • timeliness and relevance of work
  • quality of previous work
  • responses to previous work from artistic or cultural peers, or the public.

or

Quality of services for the arts

Peers will assess the quality of the services for the arts at the centre of your proposal.

They may consider:

  • quality of the services provided
  • impact of services for artists, arts professionals, participants, or audiences
  • diversity and breadth of those benefitting from the services
  • capacity-building potential, including a contribution to sustainable arts practice
  • skills and professional development opportunities for artists and arts professionals
  • breadth and quality of community engagement, partnerships, and collaborations
  • responsiveness to identified need or demand
  • innovation and improvement of operating models and frameworks.

Second criterion

Viability

Peers will assess the viability of your proposal.

They may consider:

  • capacity to deliver the proposed activities or services
  • relevance and timeliness of proposed activity
  • skills and ability of artists, arts professionals, collaborators, or participants involved, and relevance to activity
  • realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including, where relevant, contingency and safety plans for activities involving public presentation, national or international travel
  • meaningful evaluation
  • appropriate payments to participating artists, arts professionals, collaborators, participants, or cultural consultants
  • the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
  • governance arrangements
  • role of partners or collaborators, including confirmation of involvement
  • diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship and in-kind contributions
  • where relevant to the project, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to
  • evidence of appropriate consultation and engagement with participants, audiences or communities
  • where relevant, evidence that you have considered and addressed any access issues associated with your project
  • where relevant, evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits.

Third criterion

Alignment

The third criterion tells us how the outcome of your proposal aligns with our strategic goals, as described in our Corporate Plan.

You must choose one of the four options that best reflects the primary outcome of your proposal. Please contact Artists Services if you are unsure which criterion to select.

Peers will consider how your proposal aligns to the strategic objective you select. Remember, you do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

Australians are transformed by arts and creativity

This criterion is about Australian audiences and experiences. For example, your project may

  • create inspiring artistic and cultural experiences and works
  • provide opportunities for communities to come together, celebrate and connect
  • provide creative and accessible experiences in unexpected places and ways
  • increase and diversify participation in arts and culture, particularly among diverse cultural groups and regional / remote communities
  • increase the experience of First Nations arts and culture by Australians
  • explore emerging mediums and digital technologies to create, share and experience art, creating connections with new audiences
  • demonstrate strong audience development and engagement strategies.
  • foster international opportunities that benefit Australian audiences.

or

Our arts reflect us

This criterion is about diversity, access, and equity. For example, your project may

  • enhance, strengthen, and celebrate community and social connections
  • address barriers to participating in or experiencing arts and culture
  • support artistic and creative work that reflects the diversity of contemporary Australia
  • support artists and arts professionals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those in regional and remote Australia, to make work
  • supports artists and arts professionals with disability to extend their arts practice, networks, or skills
  • support First Nations people’s artistic and cultural expression
  • engage young people in the creation of work
  • promote the diversity of Australian arts and creativity internationally.

or

First Nations arts and culture are cherished

This criterion is about First Nations self-determination and artistic and cultural expression. For example, your project may

  • strengthen and embed First Nations arts and culture within arts and cultural organisations, leadership roles and sectors
  • grow experiences of First Nations arts and culture by supporting artists and organisations to create and present work locally and/or internationally
  • promote greater access and participation in First Nations arts experiences
  • support international opportunities for First Nations arts and cultural practitioners
  • support First Nations young people’s artistic and cultural expression
  • uphold First Nations cultural rights through self-determination and recognition of cultural and intellectual property.

or

Arts and creativity are thriving

This criterion is about creation, capabilities, distribution, and reach. For example, your project may

  • enable Australian artists to create new works
  • enable risk taking, experimentation and freedom of expression in the creation and realisation of new works
  • develop the skills and capabilities of artists and arts professionals
  • develop sustainable and viable artists careers and arts organisations, including diverse income streams or business models
  • support a safe environment and wellbeing for people working in the arts
  • enable national or international opportunities for Australian artists and arts professionals
  • engage international audiences and communities with Australian work
  • use emerging technologies to experiment with content, format, delivery, or business models
  • develop strong partnerships and collaborations.

The types of questions we ask in the application form include:

  •  a title for your project
  • a summary of your project
  • a brief description of the organisation applying
  • an outline of your project and what you want to do
  • a timetable or itinerary for your project
  • a description of the outcome your project delivers
  • a projected budget which details the expenses, income, and in-kind support of the project
  • supporting material as relevant to your project, including examples of your work, bios of additional artists, and letters of support or permission from participants, communities, First Nations organisation, and Elders.

You should submit support material with your application. The peer assessors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project.

We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related 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 Artists Services.

There are four types of support material you may submit:

1. Artistic support material

This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work, or the services you provide.

Types of support material we accept

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).

You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.

These URLs can include a total of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording
  • 10 images
  • 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing).

Please note: Our peer assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.

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

Other accepted file formats

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

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

2. Biographies and CVs

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.

Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.

3. Letters of support

Individuals, groups or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.

If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.

You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

4.  Letter of confirmation

If your application involves an international presentation, you must provide letters of confirmation from your presenting partners, such as festivals and venues. Each letter must include confirmation of any invitations, partners fees or contributions to the activity, whether cash or in-kind.

Please provide a single link to all letters, or scan the letters into one PDF file and attach to your application.

Frequently asked questions

Download our FAQs for using the Application Management System in Word and PDF.

You can only submit one application per closing date to each of the following categories: Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups, Fellowships and Arts Projects for Organisations.

You will receive your grant payment within two weeks of accepting your funding agreement. Please note we pay our grants in the financial year which they are approved. We will not adjust payment timelines to the particular circumstances of individuals.

The deadline for applications is at 3:00pm AET on the closing date. We strongly recommend submitting before this. Administrative and technical support is only available during office hours (Monday-Friday) 9am to 5 pm AET. Late applications will not be accepted.

Please refer to the Languages Other Than English page.

We do not accept applications submitted via post. Any material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your application online, please contact Artists Services.

We do not amend, correct, update or change any part of your application once it has been submitted. However, if you receive additional confirmations for activities or artists after the closing date you may alert us to these, and we may bring them to the attention of peer assessors at the assessment meeting. These updates could include confirmation that a proposed activity will take place, a partnership has been secured, or funding from another source has been received.

You can update us about such confirmations by contacting us. Briefly describe the nature of the confirmation and cite your application reference number.  You do not need to send us copies of confirmation emails from third parties – if we need to see evidence of the confirmation we will request it.

If you wish to update your application once it has been submitted, but the closing date has not yet passed, you can submit a new, updated application and request to withdraw the original one by emailing operationsservicedesk@creative.gov.au

Grant applications can be found and are submitted through our online system. If you are using the system for the first time you will need to register your details before filling out a grant application form.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date. Please see the guidelines page for the grant category you are interested in for more details.

We accept applications in the following artforms and arts practice areas: First Nations Arts and Culture, Community Arts and Cultural Development, Emerging and Experimental Arts, Multi-Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre, Visual Arts and Literature.

If you are unsure of which assessment panel you should apply to, and for more information about what constitutes Community Arts and Cultural Development, Multi-Arts and Emerging and Experimental Arts, please refer to the Investment FAQs page.

We define a ‘group’ as two or more individuals who do not form a legally constituted organisation.  This can include co-collaborators and collectives.  Groups are not eligible to apply to programs open only to organisations.

An ‘organisation’ is a legally constituted organisation that is registered or created by law. For example, incorporated associations, companies limited by guarantee or government statutory authorities are all defined as organisations. Organisations that are not legally constituted are not eligible to apply for funding in grant categories that are open to organisations only. Organisations may be required to provide a certificate of incorporation or evidence of their current legal status.  Funding programs for organisations are not intended for sole traders or partnerships.

No, applying to a government program will not count as one of your applications to Creative Australia per year.

Yes. However, the contact person for group applications must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Yes, provided that the project that they are proposing directly benefits Australian artists or the Australian arts sector.

We provide funding to practising artists or artsworkers. While you may not regularly earn income from your practice, you must be identified and recognised by your peers as a practising artist or artsworker. This may include cultural practitioners, editors, producers, curators and arts managers.

No; if you have an overdue grant acquittal you will not be eligible to apply for any further grants.

The following eligibility requirements apply to applicants to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Arts Assessment Panel:

  • Individuals – must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
  • Groups – the members of the group must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
  • Organisations – the majority of the governing body of the organisation must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

No; only Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents may apply for funding. Foreign nationals who are permitted to live and work in Australia by holding visas such as a Special Category visa or a Bridging visa are not eligible to apply.

Yes. Creative research and development is a key component of the creative process and can be funded through our Arts Projects grants.

Yes. We accept applications in languages other than English, including Auslan.

If any part of your application requires translation into English, please contact the Artists Services team at least six weeks before the closing date of the round to which you intend to apply. We will use our best and all reasonable endeavours to assist in having some or all of the material translated. However we reserve the right to refuse an application in a language other than English if we believe there is no genuine reason to accept such an application, or if the time-frame for translation precludes us from making the materials available for assessment in the round to which it was submitted.

If you wish to request an application form in a language other than English, please contact the Artists Services team at least 12 weeks before the closing date of the round to which you intend to apply.

We reserve the right to refuse an application form translation request if we believe there is no genuine reason for the request. We also reserve the right to refuse an application form translation if the time-frame for translation prevents us from providing a translated form in time for assessment in the round to which it was submitted.

If you supply examples of creative content in a language other than English, we may engage an industry expert to give the peer assessors an evaluation of its artistic merit.

You can speak with our staff in your first language. Please telephone the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 (local call anywhere in Australia) and ask to be connected with Creative Australia.

Applications that focus solely on academic studies, or are for activities that are part of assessable coursework are unlikely to be successful with our assessment panels. Assessment panels are also unlikely to support applications requesting the costs of academic fees or courses.

If you wish to apply for study costs, explain to the panel how your project extends, or supplements, the course’s standard curriculum requirements. Also, bear in mind that your project will be assessed on artistic merit of the work.

If you are applying for an Arts Projects grant for funding to complete a training program, course, workshop or diploma, explain how doing so will impact positively on your career or practice.

While we can support screen-based art, we do not generally support activities associated with feature film, television, or documentary. See Screen Australia, the Federal Government’s primary agency for production of Australian screen activity.

No, we do not offer quick response grants. Outside of our regular grants program, we do offer other grants and opportunities.

Yes. Early career artists are eligible to apply for funding through our Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups grant and a number of other opportunities listed on our website.

Yes. Organisations can propose a program of projects and/or activities. This could be an organisation’s full artistic program for a given calendar year or more, for example.

We encourage applicants to be mindful of the following considerations:

  • The activities should each contribute toward a clear, unifying overall objective – for example, the organisation’s artistic vision.  It is important to demonstrate the rationale for the inclusion of these activities and how the overall program will align with the organisation’s vision.
  • In proposing a program consisting of multiple projects or activities, it is possible that some individual projects may be less compelling than others. If you are submitting an application proposing multiple activities or projects, we encourage you to ensure that a similar level of consideration, planning, and artistic merit is common to each to avoid one component of your program potentially letting down the others.
  • You may wish to consider using one of the three URLs you can provide as support material to link to a document that provides more detail about each individual project or activity in your program.

Read more about how your application is assessed by Peer Assessor and Industry Advisors here.

Yes, if relevant. If your project has an environmental impact, you should provide evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits. Arts On Tour’s Green Touring Toolkit provides detailed information and resources for artists and arts organisations on how to mount a sustainable tour.

As a national arts funding body, all our grant rounds are competitive. Success rates are usually between 15% and 20%.

Yes. Projects must have a start date that falls after we notify you of the outcome of your application, and no later than one year from that date. We will notify you of the outcome of your application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date.

You can have your application assessed by the multi-art form peer panel if your project involves multiple separate art form-specific activities. This could include, for example: a festival that incorporates music, literature and theatre, or a project that has no one specific arts practice focus.  However, if your project does involve more than one area of arts practice, you still have the option to choose one of the single art form panels, which you think will best relate to your work, to assess your application.

Our multi-art form assessment panels are made up of artists and arts workers from a range of art form areas. Peers may include those from specific art form areas (e.g., music or visual arts), peers who work across several art forms, and/or peers who work in interdisciplinary practice.

Community Arts and Cultural Development practice is a community-based arts practice and can engage any art form. There are many variations of how community arts and cultural development works are made, developed and shared, and as such, there is no one model. What is at the core of this practice, however, is the collaboration between professional artists and communities to create art. The activity must be undertaken by with and for the communities involved. The artists and arts working facilitating the project should be highly skilled in these processes, and the activities should reflect the energy and qualities of the community.

No. However, applications involving venues and partners are likely to be more competitive if their involvement is confirmed.

In this context, the term ‘emerging’, refers to emerging art forms, not artists who are at the emerging stage of their careers.

Emerging and experimental arts practice is characterised by the exploration of challenging new concepts in the creation and experience of arts and culture. It plays with or invents new forms, methodologies, technologies or explores non-material ideas.  These sometimes include art/science research collaborations, bio art, live art, socially engaged practices and new technologies.

If you’re unsure about which assessment panel to select, contact the Artists Services team.

The First Nations Arts and Culture assessment panel consists entirely of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander industry professionals across art forms and across states and territories.

We also encourage First Nations applicants to apply to other art form assessment panels (for example visual arts, music and literature).

Our staff are available to assist you in understanding the purpose of the grant, application requirements, and submitting your application. Staff can assist over email, phone and using Skype. We cannot review application drafts.

Additional support can be discussed where needed. Where the additional support required is beyond the scope of what our staff can provide, we may recommend speaking to an appropriate organisation for further assistance.

The best applications are those where the voice of the artist comes through. Where possible you, as the artist, should write your application. Your manager or producer may administer the grant on your behalf to undertake the financial and reporting requirements.

No. You can only submit one application to the round.

If you are applying as an unincorporated entity, unincorporated association, or partnership you do not need to have an administrator for your grant. However, you must be able to provide an ABN and bank account that are in the group’s name. If you cannot do this, you must nominate an administrator. For more information about this, please contact us.

All individual or organisation grant applicants based in Australia must have an active Australian Business Number (ABN). Individual applicants without an ABN may have their grant administered by an individual or organisation with an ABN. Organisations operating outside of Australia do not need an ABN to apply. Individuals based outside of Australia may not need an ABN to apply, depending on their circumstances (please check with your accountant or tax advisor).

The name of the applicant must match the name of the ABN and the name of the bank account we pay the grant into. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you cannot provide an ABN and bank account that are in the same name as the applicant, you will need to nominate an administrator for your grant.

For more information about this, please contact Artists Services.

Grants can be considered income by Centrelink. The amount is generally assessed as a lump sum and could affect your Centrelink payment for the financial year. Artists who are running a business (even on a small scale) may have their grant treated differently. It is possible to have your grant paid to an administering body if you wish.

Applicants should contact Centrelink on 13 28 50 for advice. Additionally, Centrelink’s Financial Information Service (FIS) is an education and information service available to everyone in the community and may be of benefit to applicants who also receive assistance through the social security system. To contact FIS phone 13 23 00.

Yes. We expects that artists professionally employed or engaged on funded activities will be paid for their work in line with industry standards. Payment of artist fees should be reflected in your application budget.

For more information, see our Payment of Artists page.

Yes. Organisational administrative costs should be reasonable and directly related to project delivery. They should generally not exceed 10% of the total budget, although this will depend on the nature of the project. If those costs are higher, your application may be less competitive.

Grants may be considered part of your income in a financial year and may be subject to tax. You must determine your own taxation liabilities. We suggest you consult your financial adviser or contact the Australian Taxation Office on 13 28 66.

No. We encourage applicants whose projects will take place in regional and remote locations to budget accurately and realistically, we recognise that costs may differ between regions and major cities.

If you are GST-registered when you receive a grant, we’ll pay the grant amount plus GST. The budget provided in your application should be exclusive of GST.

Yes. Access costs are viewed as legitimate expenses and may be included in an applicant’s budget.

We recognise that funding may be required for access costs incurred for applicants with disability, or for costs associated with working with artists with disability who have access needs (e.g., use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, or support worker/carer assistance). We encourage you to ensure that your work is accessible to everyone. Therefore, your budgets may also include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, materials in other formats such as Braille or CD).

The application form calculates your grant request as the difference between your total cash income, and your total cash costs. The gap between these two numbers is the grant request. In-kind contributions are not included in this calculation.

(Total cash costs) – (total cash income) = grant request.

For example:

($50,000 cash costs) – ($30,000 cash income) = $20,000 grant request.

Yes. Childcare is a legitimate expense to include in your budget.

We encourage our applicants to seek funding from other sources to cover the complete costs of their projects. While it does depend on the size of your grant request, we would expect that applicants with large requests would also secure funding from elsewhere to cover all costs associated with a large-scale project.

Yes. Volunteer out-of-pocket expenses, such as telephone calls or petrol for travel, are recognised as legitimate expenses and may be included in an applicant’s budget.

Yes. In-kind support refers to resources, goods and services (for example, use of a venue, materials, and people’s time) provided by yourself or others either free of charge, or below market value. Detailing in-kind costs in the budget is important as it gives peers a full understanding of the viability of your project and levels of support you are receiving. In-kind costs are also an expense so, when you save your application, any in-kind income you included will auto-populate to the expenses side of the budget.

Additional information

When choosing the artform assessment panel for your application, consider which group of assessors will have the experience and background to best appreciate its merits.  

If you are not sure which panel to choose, contact us. 

Use this section to introduce yourself, your project partners and your project aims. 

  • Introduce yourself or your organisation in more detail. Don’t assume the assessors are familiar with your work. Talk about your background, how you work, and what you value. 
  • Don’t use this section to simply list key achievements. You can attach a CV/bio that provides this information in the support material section. 
  • Speak in your own voice, using the first person. 
  • Be concise, clear, and succinct. Avoid jargon. Talk about the project in the way that you would with your peers and colleagues. 
  • Use bullet points and subheadings where appropriate. 
  • Avoid generalisations, repetition, and hyperbolic or unsubstantiated claims. 
  • If you are applying on behalf of a group or organisation, use this section to talk about your key collaborators and partners. How does the group or organisation function creatively? What do each of its members bring to the whole? How do you work together? What drew you to working with each other? 
  • If your project involves a major project partner, provide information about them and how they will be involved. 
  • Describe the project clearly in terms of ‘what,’ ‘why’ and ‘how’. 
  • Provide the context and background of your project. 
  • Focus on what makes your project distinctive, original, and innovative. How is it different from your past work? What do you expect the impact of your project to be for you, the arts sector and Australian culture? 
  • Make it easy for assessors to understand the creative rationale behind your project.  
  • Describe your expected outcomes. 
  • What are the ideas at the centre of your project? Why are those ideas exciting? 
  • How will the public experience the project? 
  • Explain the steps you are going to take to deliver your project.  
  • Provide a clear, detailed, well-planned timetable in the ‘Activity Details’ section. Use this section to show the major milestones, events, and stages in your project. 
  • Explain how your proposal is timely and time sensitive. 
  • Situate the project within the context of your career progression, or your organisation’s long-term objectives. Explain where you have come from, where you are going, and why this project will help take you there. 
  • Think about any questions and concerns that the assessors might have regarding your application. Try to answer these pre-emptively. 
  • Leave as little room for doubt or ambiguity as possible. 
  • Show that you have considered and planned for any risks associated with pandemic, flood, fire, or other force majeure events. 
  • Choose the elective third assessment criterion that relates most directly to your project’s strengths. Your choice should reflect the main outcome of your project.  
  • If your proposal involves working with First Nations artists, communities, or subject matter, you must provide evidence of genuine consultation and consent. It is essential to implement adhere to our First Nations Protocols and demonstrate the practical application of these in your budget by including appropriate fees for Elders and/or consultants. You can find the Protocols here. 
  • If your project involves community engagement and participation, provide evidence of genuine community consultation and support. Be sure to outline your community engagement strategy and show that the community supports the project.  
  • If you have any questions about your project, contact us. 
  • Ask for what you need. Don’t underestimate the cost of delivering your project. 
  • Pay all artists, including yourself, fairly. Where possible, use relevant industry awards and rates of pay. Show how you have calculated the wages and fees for those involved in the description field. 
  • Be detailed and transparent.  
  • Break down large budget items and show your calculations in the description field.  
  • Where possible, diversify your income sources. 
  • Include the value of in-kind contributions that are being offered to your project. In-kind contributions are goods or services that are offered free of charge or at a discounted rate. 
  • Consider how you will provide accessibility assistance for audience members and project participants. Include those costs in your budget.  
  • If you have any questions about your completing your budget, contact us. 
  • Follow the limits set for support material in the published guidelines. 
  • Use the ‘Support Material’ section to include CVs and bios from your key collaborators and partners. 
  • Check your URLs to ensure that they work.
  • Assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in to, or sign up to, an online platform. 
  • If you use a file hosting system such as Dropbox or WeTransfer, make sure your links are public and have not expired. 
  • Supply high-quality, relevant support material. It should demonstrate the merit and ideas of your project. Where you have collaborators, include examples of their work. 
  • Ensure your support material corroborates the claims you have made in the written component of your application. 
  • Provide letters of support. These should demonstrate that your work is held in high regard by others, especially those involved in the project. 
  • If you have any questions about your support material, contact us. 
  • Reread your application carefully before you submit it, checking for errors. 
  • Consider asking friends or colleagues who are familiar with your work to review your draft application. 
  • If you are having trouble submitting your application, contact us well before the closing date and time. 

Once you submit your application, we will send you an email acknowledging that we have received your application.

After we receive your application, we first check it meets the eligibility criteria for the grant or opportunity to which you are applying.

Applications to our grant programs are assessed by arts practice peer panels using the published assessment criteria for the relevant grant program.

We aim to notify you of the outcome of your application no later than 12 weeks after the published closing date for the grant round.

Once all applications have been assessed, you will be contacted about the outcome of your application.

If you have been successful, you will also be sent a funding agreement. This outlines the conditions of funding, how you will be paid and your grant reporting requirements.

The following accordion items outline these stages in more detail.

If your application is successful, you will receive an email telling you a grant is offered. You must then agree to the conditions of your grant, which represents our contract with you – this can be done online, by email or by letter. Payment of a grant will not be made until the grant conditions have been agreed and accepted by all the relevant parties.

You should not start a project that depends on a grant until all relevant parties have agreed and accepted the grant conditions and we have evidence of this acceptance on file.

Standard grant conditions require you to, among other things:

  • seek approval before making a change to a funded project (for example, changes in the activity budget; changes to key creative personnel; or changes to start or end dates)
  • respond to our requests for information about the project or grant
  • satisfactorily account for how the grant is spent (if you do not you will be required to return all the money which you cannot satisfactorily account for)
  • comply with all relevant laws
  • acknowledge our support in all promotional material associated with the project, including use of the Creative Australia logo and a standard text of acknowledgement
  • provide artistic and financial acquittal reports at the end of the project
  • return any unspent grant funds at the completion of your project or on notice from us to return such unspent funds.

Grant agreements must be signed by a legal entity – either a legally constituted organisation or an individual. For unincorporated groups, see the section on administered grants.

All individual or organisation grant applicants based in Australia must have an ABN. Individual applicants without an ABN may have their grant administered by an individual or organisation with an ABN. Organisations operating outside of Australia do not need an ABN to apply. Individuals based outside of Australia may not need an ABN to apply, depending on their circumstances (please check with your accountant or tax advisor).

The name of the applicant must match the name of the ABN and the name of the bank account we pay the funds into. There are no exceptions to this rule. If applicants cannot provide an ABN and bank account that are in the same name as the applicant’s name, they will need to nominate an administrator for their grant.

Groups/ensembles/collectives, unincorporated associations/ unincorporated entities and other bodies with no legal status do not need an administrator if they have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) and bank account in their name. If they are unable to provide an active ABN and bank account that matches the name of the applicant, they must nominate an administrator. The name of the administrator must match the name of the ABN and bank account into which we pay the funds  if the application is successful.

If we approve your application you will need to accept the conditions of the grant in a funding agreement.

After you accept your funding agreement online, we will automatically generate a payment for the grant on your behalf. You do not need to send us an invoice.

After you accept the funding agreement, we will pay the grant directly into your nominated bank account within two weeks. Grant payments cannot be postponed.

If you do not wish to have the grant funds paid directly into your bank account, you can choose to have your grant administered by another individual or legally constituted organization. Please note this does not apply to Arts Projects – Organisations.

When you apply, you will be asked to provide an active Australian Business Number or ‘ABN’. The ABN that you provide must match the name of the applicant (or the administering body, if you have nominated one). When you accept your funding agreement, you will be asked to enter the details of the bank account you wish the grant to be paid into. The name associated with that bank account must match the name in which the ABN has been registered.

When you have completed your project, you must acquit your grant by providing a grant report. The grant report provides detail on your funded activities and how the  funding was spent.

Please read your funding agreement to check details of the grant acquittal material you should provide.

The grant report is where you tell us:

  • how you spent your grant
  • what the artistic outcomes of your funded activity were.

If you do not provide a satisfactory grant report, we will not make any further payments that may be due to you, and you will not be eligible  to apply for further grants. We may also ask you to pay back all or part of the funding provided to you.

We use grant reports to fulfil obligations of accountability to the Australian Government. They are also essential to the development work of Creative Australia. The reports help us evaluate the achievements of funded activities, monitor the effectiveness of grant categories and ensure our policy development is consistent with the experience of artists in the field.

Reporting for Multi-year Funded Organisations

Organisations that receive multi-year funding are required to submit financial, statistical, and artistic reporting on an annual basis.

All reporting is submitted online via our arts organisations reporting system.

If you are not sure what reporting you need to submit as part of your annual reporting, or what information to provide, please get in touch.

All recipients must acknowledge that Creative Australia provided funding for their activities. When you acquit your grant, we will ask you how you acknowledged us.

For printed or online material use our logo and this phrase:

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. OR,

(Company Name) is assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.

Logos for download.

Where projects do not have a public outcome, or do not produce any printed or online material, you will need to think about how best to acknowledge Creative Australia funding.

Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups

Up to $50,000 for a range of activities and projects, both national and international, across all art forms.

 

About the program

This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences and communities.

Grants are available from $10,000 to $50,000. Supported activities must not last longer than two years from the proposed start date.

Please read the following grant guidelines.

If you need advice about applying, contact an Artists Services Officer.

Easy English

Click here to read in English how to apply.

Who can apply

You can only submit one application to each closing date for Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups.

Only individuals and groups may apply to this category. You must be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident, and a practicing artist or arts professional.

Applications for funding to the First Nations panel must come from First Nations individuals or groups.


Who cannot apply

You cannot apply for this grant if:

  • you have already applied to this closing date for Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups
  • you are applying to our International Engagement Fund for the same activities
  • you have an overdue grant report
  • you owe money to Creative Australia
  • you are an organisation.

What can be applied for

We fund a range of activities, for example:

  • professional skills development, including mentoring and residencies
  • the creation of new work
  • practice based research
  • creative development
  • experimentation
  • collaborations and exchanges
  • touring
  • festivals
  • productions
  • exhibitions
  • performances
  • publishing
  • recording
  • promotion and marketing
  • market development activity
  • activities that creatively engage communities.

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

If your project involves a partnership or collaboration with organisations in the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework you must discuss your application with us before applying. The Partnership Organisation must make a significant contribution to the activity, and the outcome must not be already programmed in the mainstage season of the company.

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. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, 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 Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.


What can’t be applied for

You can’t apply for:

  • projects or activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists or arts professionals
  • projects or activities that do not have a clearly defined arts component
  • projects that have already taken place
  • the same projects or activities you are applying for via our International Engagement Fund
  • activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to Creative Australia’s First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to ask for 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

If your application involves First Nations artists, communities or subject matter, you must:

  • follow these Protocols, and
  • provide evidence of this in your application and support material.

More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

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

You must choose which peer assessment panel you wish to apply to. The panels are:

Learn more about assessment panels.

If you are unsure which peer assessment panel to choose, contact Artists Services.

Learn more about  how we assess your application.

You must address three assessment criteria in this category. For the third criterion, you will be asked to choose the main outcome your project will deliver.

Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what peers may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

First criterion

Quality

Peers will assess the quality of the artistic and cultural activities at the centre of your proposal. They may consider:

  • vision, ideas and artistic rationale
  • benefit and impact on career, artistic and cultural practice
  • level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking
  • rigour and clear articulation of creative, engagement or development processes
  • significance of the work within the relevant area of practice and/or community
  • contribution to diverse cultural expression
  • timeliness and relevance of work
  • quality of previous work
  • responses to previous work from artistic or cultural peers, or the public.

Second criterion

Viability

Peers will assess the viability of your proposal. They may consider:

  • capacity to deliver the proposed activities or services
  • relevance and timeliness of proposed activity
  • skills and ability of artists, arts professionals, collaborators, or partners involved, and relevance to activity
  • realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including contingency and COVID-safe plans for activities involving public presentations, national or international travel
  • appropriate payments to participating artists, arts professionals, collaborators, participants, or cultural consultants
  • the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
  • role of partners or collaborators, including confirmation of involvement
  • the diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship, and in-kind contributions
  • where relevant to the project, evidence that the Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to
  • evidence of appropriate consultation with participants, audiences, or communities
  • where relevant, evidence that you have considered and addressed any access issues associated with your project
  • where relevant, evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits.

Third criterion

Alignment

The third criterion tells us how the outcome of your proposal aligns with our strategic objectives, as described in our Corporate Plan.

You must choose one of the four options that best reflects the primary outcome of your proposal. Please contact Artists Services if you are unsure which strategic objective to select.

Peers will consider how your proposal aligns to the strategic objective you select. Remember, you do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

Australians are transformed by arts and creativity

This strategic objective is about Australian audiences and experiences. For example, your project may:

  • create and share new work with Australians
  • create engaging cultural experiences
  • provide opportunities for communities to come together, celebrate and connect
  • provide creative and accessible experiences in unexpected places and ways
  • increase and diversify participation in arts and culture, particularly among diverse cultural groups and regional / remote communities
  • increase the experience of First Nations arts and culture by Australians
  • explore emerging mediums and digital technologies to create, share and experience art, creating connections with new audiences
  • demonstrate strong audience development and engagement strategies
  • foster international opportunities that benefit Australian audiences.

or

Our arts reflect us

This strategic objective is about diversity, access and equity. For example, your project may:

  • enhance, strengthen, and celebrate community and social connections
  • address barriers to participating in or experiencing arts and culture
  • support artistic and creative work that reflects the diversity of contemporary Australia
  • support artists and arts professionals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those in regional and remote Australia, to make work
  • supports artists and arts professionals with disability to extend their arts practice, networks, or skills
  • support First Nations people’s artistic and cultural expression
  • engage young people in the creation of work
  • promote the diversity of Australian arts and creativity internationally.

or

First Nations arts and culture are cherished

This strategic objective is about First Nations self-determination and artistic and cultural expression. For example, your project may:

  • strengthen and embed First Nations arts and culture within arts and cultural organisations, leadership roles and sectors
  • grow experiences of First Nations arts and culture by supporting artists and organisations to create and present work locally and/or internationally
  • promote greater access and participation in First Nations arts experiences
  • support international opportunities for First Nations arts and cultural practitioners
  • support First Nations young people’s artistic and cultural expression
  • uphold First Nations cultural rights through self-determination and recognition of cultural and intellectual property.

or

Arts and creativity are thriving

This strategic objective is about creation, capabilities, distribution, and reach. For example, your project may:

  • enable Australian artists to create new works
  • enable risk taking, experimentation and freedom of expression in the creation and realisation of new works
  • develop the skills and capabilities of artists and arts professionals
  • develop sustainable and viable artists careers, including diverse income streams or business models
  • support a safe environment and wellbeing for people working in the arts
  • enable national or international opportunities for Australian artists and arts professionals
  • engage international audiences and communities with Australian work
  • use emerging technologies to experiment with content, format, delivery, or business models
  • develop strong partnerships and collaborations.

The types of questions we ask in the application form include:

  • a title for your project
  • a summary of your project
  • a brief bio of the artist or group applying
  • an outline of your project and what you want to do
  • a timetable or itinerary for your activities
  • a description of the outcome your project delivers
  • a projected budget which details the expenses, income, and in-kind support of the project
  • supporting material as relevant to your project, including examples of your work, bios of additional artists, and letters of support or permission from participants, communities First Nations Elders or organisations.

You should submit support material with your application. The peer assessors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project.

We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related 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 Artists Services.

There are four types of support material you may submit:

1. Artistic support material

This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work.

Types of support material we accept

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).

You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.

These URLs can include a total of:

  • 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording
  • 10 images
  • 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing).

Please note:  Our peer assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.

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

Other accepted file formats

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

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

2. Biographies and CVs

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.

Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.

3. Letters of support

Individuals, groups, or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants, or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.

If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.

You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

4. Letters of confirmation

If your application involves an international presentation, you must provide letters of confirmation from your presenting partners, such as festivals and venues. Each letter must include confirmation of any invitations, partners fees or contributions to the activity, whether cash or in-kind.

Please provide a single link to all letters or scan the letters into one PDF file and attach to your application.

Frequently asked questions

Download our FAQs for using the Application Management System in Word and PDF.

You can only submit one application per closing date to each of the following categories: Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups, Fellowships and Arts Projects for Organisations.

You will receive your grant payment within two weeks of accepting your funding agreement. Please note we pay our grants in the financial year which they are approved. We will not adjust payment timelines to the particular circumstances of individuals.

The deadline for applications is at 3:00pm AET on the closing date. We strongly recommend submitting before this. Administrative and technical support is only available during office hours (Monday-Friday) 9am to 5 pm AET. Late applications will not be accepted.

Please refer to the Languages Other Than English page.

We do not accept applications submitted via post. Any material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your application online, please contact Artists Services.

We do not amend, correct, update or change any part of your application once it has been submitted. However, if you receive additional confirmations for activities or artists after the closing date you may alert us to these, and we may bring them to the attention of peer assessors at the assessment meeting. These updates could include confirmation that a proposed activity will take place, a partnership has been secured, or funding from another source has been received.

You can update us about such confirmations by contacting us. Briefly describe the nature of the confirmation and cite your application reference number.  You do not need to send us copies of confirmation emails from third parties – if we need to see evidence of the confirmation we will request it.

If you wish to update your application once it has been submitted, but the closing date has not yet passed, you can submit a new, updated application and request to withdraw the original one by emailing operationsservicedesk@creative.gov.au

Grant applications can be found and are submitted through our online system. If you are using the system for the first time you will need to register your details before filling out a grant application form.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date. Please see the guidelines page for the grant category you are interested in for more details.

We accept applications in the following artforms and arts practice areas: First Nations Arts and Culture, Community Arts and Cultural Development, Emerging and Experimental Arts, Multi-Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre, Visual Arts and Literature.

If you are unsure of which assessment panel you should apply to, and for more information about what constitutes Community Arts and Cultural Development, Multi-Arts and Emerging and Experimental Arts, please refer to the Investment FAQs page.

We define a ‘group’ as two or more individuals who do not form a legally constituted organisation.  This can include co-collaborators and collectives.  Groups are not eligible to apply to programs open only to organisations.

An ‘organisation’ is a legally constituted organisation that is registered or created by law. For example, incorporated associations, companies limited by guarantee or government statutory authorities are all defined as organisations. Organisations that are not legally constituted are not eligible to apply for funding in grant categories that are open to organisations only. Organisations may be required to provide a certificate of incorporation or evidence of their current legal status.  Funding programs for organisations are not intended for sole traders or partnerships.

No, applying to a government program will not count as one of your applications to Creative Australia per year.

Yes. However, the contact person for group applications must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Yes, provided that the project that they are proposing directly benefits Australian artists or the Australian arts sector.

We provide funding to practising artists or artsworkers. While you may not regularly earn income from your practice, you must be identified and recognised by your peers as a practising artist or artsworker. This may include cultural practitioners, editors, producers, curators and arts managers.