Disability Arts Services

To respond to this Delivery Partner opportunity please ensure you refer to service delivery statement below. A PDF version of this statement can be found here. 

We strongly encourage you to contact us to discuss your proposal in the context of your circumstances. 

We also offer the following additional resources to these guidelines: 

• frequently asked questions 
• our guide to preparing a business plan 

Delivery Partner proposals are reviewed and decided upon through a single stage process. 

Organisations are invited to apply for up to $200,000 per annum for a total of $800,000 over the four-year investment period. 

Your Business Plan must cover the full four-year investment period of 2025-2028. 

Creative Australia invites organisations to submit a proposal to support specific arts and disability arts services, drawing on those identified in the research on arts and disability needs and opportunities commissioned by Creative Australia in 2023. 

This provision of services can be delivered by a single organisation or by a consortium of organisations. Creative Australia is seeking proposals that respond to the below services evidencing: 

1. how they will provide the services
2. how the budget will be applied. 

If a consortium applies, we will require only one proposal be submitted from a nominated lead agency and that agency would agree to contract expertise to manage, collate or provide key elements (standards, website) and to service the devolvement of funds and manage data, acquittals and liaise with Creative Australia.  

Key information

Organisations responding to the open proposal request for the following services will need to address the approved Service Delivery Statement in their Business Plan.

Organisations are invited to apply for up to $200,000 per annum for a total of $800,000 over the four-year investment period.

Aligning with pillars 2, 3 & 4 of the National Cultural Policy – A Place for Every Story; Centrality of the Artist; Strong Cultural Infrastructure.

Deliver the following national services that support specific arts and disability arts services:

1. Industry resources

Develop, distribute, and support the maintenance of national resources and information that supports the work of d/Deaf and disabled artists, arts workers and arts/cultural organisations.

Examples include:

• Language/Terminology Guides, templates such as Access Rider template
• an artist database > (akin to that of Disability Arts International)
• policies and principles templates
• supporting resources

2. Connections between practitioners

Regularly coordinate and convene relevant stakeholders for sharing and collaboration, including but not limited to state/territory arts disability peak bodies, organisations, and practitioners across metropolitan, regional and remote Australia.

3. Advocacy

Promote the work of d/Deaf and disabled artists, disability-led organisations and inclusive arts/cultural organisations.

Provide holistic advocacy for the Australian arts and disability sector (examples include response to government policy processes, responses to public consultation processes)

4. Leadership

The capacity to provide sector leadership to respond to high priority issues that may emerge and change across time.

Provide advice to artists with disability to support their professional practice (examples include grant advice, general support for artists).

Keep alert and responsive to trends and industry disruption and development (examples include digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence).

Who can submit a proposal 

Only organisations may apply to this category. A consortium of organisations may apply in certain circumstances, but the proposal must be funded and contracted through one member of the consortium. 

Creative 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 that are not legally constituted are not eligible to apply. 
• Organisations that are registered as Trusts are not eligible to apply. 

Organisations may be required to provide a certificate of incorporation or evidence of their current legal status. 

Who can’t submit a proposal 

You can’t submit a proposal if: 

• you have an overdue grant report 
• you owe money to Creative Australia 
• your organisation is not registered in Australia 
• you are an individual or group 

What you can submit a proposal for 

• activities that respond to the scope of the Delivery Partner service statement for the opportunity for which we are seeking proposals  

What you can’t submit a proposal for 

You can’t submit a proposal for the following activities: 

• activities outside of the scope of the Delivery Partner service statement.  
• activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists, arts professionals, audiences or communities 
• activities that have already taken place 
• activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to the Australia Council First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols. 

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the review process, or if approved, as a condition of our investment. 

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

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

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 

All approved proposals must comply with Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Delivery Partners 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. 

Proposals are reviewed by expert industry representatives called Industry Advisors. 

Industry Advisors are experts in their field with relevant experience and knowledge of an arts practice or sector. Industry Advisors will make recommendations for Creative Australia to consider when making the final decisions on which proposals to approve.  

• Proposals will be reviewed by Industry Advisors who will make recommendations for us to consider when making the final investment decisions for organisations.  
• The Industry Advisors will review proposals under arts practice areas relevant to their knowledge and experience. 
• 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. 

First Criterion 

Quality 

We will review the quality of your organisation’s services, program and business plan. We may consider your organisation’s track record and vision to support: 

• the potential quality of the services to be delivered as demonstrated in your response to the Delivery Partner Service Statement 
• the appropriateness of the submitted business plan as it relates to delivery of the services outlined in the Delivery Partner Service Statement 
• the diversity of stakeholders that may be involved in the delivery of services 
• the diversity of stakeholders that may be beneficiaries of the services to be provided 

Second Criterion 

Viability 

We will review your organisation’s track record of delivery, and capacity to deliver its vision. We may consider: 

• value for money as evidenced in your proposed business plan and budget to deliver the services outlined in the Delivery Partner Service Statement 
• 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 
• 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. 

You may wish to refer to our guide on Essential Governance Practices. 

Third Criterion 

Alignment 

We will review how your organisation’s vision and business plan align with one or more of the strategic objectives in the current Creative Australia Corporate Plan 2022-2026. The objectives are: 

• Australians are transformed by arts and creativity – We will enable more opportunities for Australians to be captivated by, and inspired through, experiencing arts and culture. 
• Our arts reflect us – We will support equity of opportunity and access in our creative expression, workforce, leaders and audiences. 
• First Nations arts and culture are cherished – We will build on our long term commitment to First Nations arts and culture, recognising the importance of First Nations peoples’ self-determination, cultural authority and leadership to our collective prosperity. 
• Arts and creativity are thriving – We will support the best circumstances for a thriving arts sector. 
• Arts and creativity are valued – We will increase awareness of the value of public investment in arts and creativity. 

Delivery Partner proposals must be submitted through our application management system by the advertised closing date: Tuesday 6 August at 3pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) 

To receive access the proposal form in our application management system please contact a member of our Multi-Year Investment Team: myi@creative.gov.au.  

In the proposal form, you will be asked to provide the following information: 

• the annual and total amount of investment as directed by Creative Australia for the Delivery Partner opportunity. 
• a brief summary of your organisation or consortium of organisations, including an outline of your core activity and the role you play in the arts sector (approx. 500 words) 
• a list of key staff in your organisation, with information on their demographic attributes roles and tenure 
• the members of your Board or governing committee (to whom the head of your organisation reports), with information on their demographic attributes, length of service and the structure and composition of the Board 
• whether you report your financial information on a calendar or financial year basis 
• a summary of your audited financial information for each of the previous two years, including assets, liabilities, total income and total expenditure* 
• projected high level income and expenditure for each year of the funding period offered through the Delivery Partner opportunity 

*Organisations who report on a calendar year basis: 2022, 2023. Organisations who report on a financial year basis: 2021122, 2022/23

You will be asked to provide the following support material: 

1. Delivery Partner support material  

• Please provide up to 3 URLs (weblinks) that best demonstrate your organisation’s activity as it relates this Delivery Partner proposal. These URLS may include video, audio, images, audio and written material.  

2. Audited accounts or equivalent  

Please upload your latest two years of your audited accounts or equivalent. 

• Audited Accounts 2022 (or equivalent) 
• Audited Accounts 2023 (or equivalent) 

 3. Business Plan 

• A business plan that details how you will realise the deliverables related to this Delivery Partner proposal. Please click this link for guidance on a Business Plan. This can be uploaded as a written document (Word, PDF). The plan should be no more than 20 pages. You can find a Business Plan template here. 

Reporting requirements for approved Delivery Partners 

Organisations that are approved as Delivery Partner for Creative Australia should be aware of the reporting requirements associated with this investment. These requirements are not negotiable and will be part of the conditions of the funding agreement, so be sure to include the resources required to do so in your future budget projections. 

Payments to organisations in receipt of a Delivery Partner Investment are dependent on the provision to Creative Australia of financial reporting three times a year, as well as annual reports against Key Performance Indicators and on statistical information relating to the delivery of services. 

You must provide your organisation’s annual financial statements audited in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards by an Approved Auditor, and discloses separately the Delivery Partner funding as both income or unexpended grants. An Approved Auditor means a person who is: (a) registered as a company auditor under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), or a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, or of CPA Australia or the National Institute of Accountants; and (b) not a principal, member, shareholder, officer or employee of the Organisation or of a related body corporate as defined in Section 50 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). 

Data and outcomes reporting provides Creative Australia with valuable information to monitor the performance and activity of each organisation and ensures accountability for the investment of public funds. It also informs research and communication by Creative Australia, allowing us to demonstrate the impact of our funded organisations.