We use one of three methods – peer assessment, industry advice or staff assessment – to assess applications to our grants and opportunities.

Creative Australia’s decision-making occurs at arm’s length from the Australian Government and the minister of the day responsible for the arts. Our assessment methods ensure that funding is offered to artists, creative workers, groups and arts organisations who demonstrate the highest degree of merit against the published assessment criteria for each grant or opportunity. On this page you can find detailed information about each assessment method, how we deal with conflicts of interest and our commitments to impartiality and accessibility.

For more information, please refer to our assessment FAQ or contact the Assessment team at assessment@creative.gov.au or call (02) 9215 9000.

Peer assessment

Every 3 years we call for applications from suitably qualified artists and arts workers to become peer assessors. The Australia Council Board, which oversees Creative Australia, then approves experienced and representative applicants to a pool of peer assessors for a 3-year term. Our current pool of peer assessors runs from the start of 2025 until the end of 2027. Peers in the pool are contacted first when we form a peer assessment panel.

Peer assessment is a process where 5–9 peers, from our current pool of peers, are selected for relevant assessment panels by art form. The membership of these panels rotates, with peers selected in response to each grant round being assessed.

Peer assessors review and score applications against the published assessment criteria, they then discuss the initial group ranking together at a meeting. Following the meeting, adjustments can be made to scores by peers to reflect the meeting discussions. Creative Australia staff then apply the available budget to the peers’ final rankings, and the budget allocation is approved by our executive team.

Find out how to become a peer assessor.

What is a peer assessor?

A peer assessor is anyone with enough knowledge or experience of the arts and cultural sector to make a fair and informed assessment of applications for funding.

This knowledge and experience could be developed as a practising artist, creative worker, or industry expert in one or more art forms.

Our peers are people who engage, are impartial, are prepared, who maintain confidentiality, and advocate for investment in great applications. All our peers adhere to the Peer Handbook when fulfilling their duties as a peer assessor.

We need peer assessors who understand all parts of the creative process – from creating work and coordinating tours and exhibitions, to developing new markets and engaging with audiences and communities.

Read more about how to become a peer assessor.

How is a peer assessment panel formed?

There are ten peer assessment panels: First Nations, arts and disability, community arts and cultural development, dance, experimental and emerging arts, literature, multi-art form, music, theatre, and visual arts. Read more about our assessment panels. 

When we form an assessment panel, we select peer assessors who are both knowledgeable and representative by balancing the following factors:

• Artistic practice – artists and arts professionals with different artistic styles and philosophies, respected within their field.
• Professional specialisation – artists and arts professionals who perform a variety of different professional roles in the arts that are relevant to the category.
• First Nations – representation of First Nations artists and arts professionals.
• Cultural diversity – artists and arts professionals representing the cultural mix of contemporary Australia.
• Disability – artists and arts professionals with disability.
• Regions and communities – artists and arts professionals from different geographical regions.
• Gender – artists and arts professionals of different genders.
• Age – artists and arts professionals of different generations.

For each panel, peer assessors work with a dedicated Assessment Officer. The Assessment Officer guides peers through the process, answers any questions, and makes the process as straight forward as possible.

Which grants and opportunities use peer assessment?

We use peer assessment for programs that receive a high volume of applications or support a wide range of activities, or when diverse skills, representation or capacity are needed to assess the applications received.

Applicants to our core grant rounds (Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups and Arts Projects for Organisations) apply to their preferred art form assessment panel.

We form panels, as required, for Playing Australia, the Contemporary Music Touring Fund, the Visual Art, Craft and Design Framework (VACDF) Major Commissioning Projects grant and the Arts and Disability Initiative.

Read more about our peer assessment panels. 

Industry advice 

Industry advice is a process where industry advisors (artists, arts workers, and industry professionals involved in the arts sector) assess funding opportunities based on their practice expertise and advise Creative Australia on the most competitive applications. Our staff, the executive team, and in some cases the Australia Council Board, which governs Creative Australia, or a co-investment partner, determine which applications will be funded. Creative Australia’s involvement in these decisions does not extend beyond our publicly stated strategic priorities.

What is an industry advisor?

An industry advisor is anyone with enough knowledge or experience of the arts and cultural sector to provide advice and review applications that best meet the assessment criteria or guidelines. This may include awards, fellowships international opportunities and multi-year investment programs, for example.

This knowledge and experience could be developed as a practising artist, arts or cultural professional, or industry expert in one or more art forms. Our staff decide which applications will be supported based on this advice.

Which grants and opportunities use industry advice?

We use industry advice for strategic programs that require a higher degree of moderation to ensure equity and alignment with the program aims, and when diverse skills, representation or capacity is needed to assess the applications received.

This includes large investment programs such as Four-Year Investment, the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework, and the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy and Design Leadership Framework Organisations. It also includes targeted opportunities like international residencies and market development, and capacity and skills development programs.

For more information, read our advice on multi-year investment programs.

Is the industry advice model still at arm’s length?

The important principle of arm’s length funding is that we make our decisions at arm’s length from the government and arts minister of the day. All decisions, whether assessed by peers, advisors or staff, are arm’s length and free of interference from the government.

Staff or internal assessment

Staff assessment occurs when a panel of Creative Australia staff members, who have knowledge and expertise in the relevant art form, assess applications or provide advice on competitive applications to the executive, the Board of Creative Australia or a co-investment partner.

Which grants and opportunities are assessed by staff?

Staff assessment is used for programs that are comparatively simple, for some of Creative Australias' own programs (e.g. our pool of peer assessors), and when staff have the relevant knowledge, experience and capacity to assess the applications received.

Is staff assessment still at arm’s length?

The important principle of arm’s length funding is that we make our decisions at arm’s length from the government and arts minister of the day. All decisions, whether assessed by peers, advisors or staff, are free of interference from the government.

Conflicts of interest

Our Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality policy ensures that any conflict of interest, whether actual or perceived, does not influence discussions about, or decisions on, grant applications.

In selecting people for a particular panel or assessment opportunity, our staff will ask peer assessors and industry advisors about potential connections between people and applicants or applications.

Assessors are required to acknowledge all connections they have with applicants and applications prior to assessment meetings. Our staff will determine what action to take on a case-by-case basis, depending on the context and nature of the connection. Actions that may be taken include:

• minor, potential or remote conflicts of interest being noted
• the assessor not being allowed to score an application or be present while an application is discussed
• the assessor not being able to participate in the assessment.

The nature of each conflict and the action taken is formally recorded.

For more information, please see our Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality policy, our Assessment FAQ and watch this short animation on conflicts of interest.

Appealing a grant decision

For more information about the appeals process and how to appeal a grant decision, please see our advice on appeals.

Creative Australia also welcomes your feedback on any aspect of the services we provide.