Please note: Some of the content on this page was published prior to the launch of Creative Australia and references the Australia Council. Read more.

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 our 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.

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.