Frequently asked questions
Types of organisations we can support include incorporated associations, companies limited by guarantee or government statutory authorities. Organisations may be required to provide a certificate of incorporation or evidence of their current legal status.
No, only organisations that are registered under Australian law can apply. Further detail on who can apply to the Four Year Investment program is available on our website.
Yes, if you can demonstrate that:
- the funding will support activities with a clearly defined arts component
- there is a compelling financial rationale for subsidising these activities
- none of the Australia Council funds will be distributed to shareholders.
Further detail on who can apply to the Four Year Investment program is available on our website.
It is the intention of this category to invest in organisations where the artistic activities funded through four year investment make up the majority of the organisation’s program. This is typically organisations that operate as small to medium enterprises. Large, well-resourced organisations or institutions seeking investment in multi-year arts programs may not be considered a priority for investment in this category.
- As a FYIO you are not eligible to apply for the Arts Projects for Organisations category.
- You are eligible to apply for government programs like Playing Australia, except if you are in receipt of Multi Year Playing Australia investment.
- Other applications you submit to the Australia Council will need to demonstrate the activities are outside the scope of your Four Year Investment application or agreement.
- Eligibility for other investment opportunities will be advised on a case by case basis as they arise.
Yes. You will need to demonstrate that your organisation generates diverse income streams; however, those income streams can come from any source.
Further details on who can apply to the Four Year Investment program is available on our website.
Trustee companies and Trusts are not eligible to apply.
If you have an overdue acquittal or outstanding reporting for any current Multi-Year Funding for Organisations, you may be ineligible to submit an application to Stage 2.
Yes, if your organisation is registered under, or by, Australian law. If you do not have a board or governing committee, you will need to explain what mechanisms you do have in place to oversee the effective management and sustainability of your organisation.
Yes, you will need to select from the following arts practices, in accordance with your EOI:
Community Arts and Cultural Development; Dance; Emerging and Experimental Arts; First Nations arts and culture; Literature; Multi-arts; Music; Theatre; Visual Arts.
If you submitted more than one EOI, and you have been invited to submit a full application at Stage 2, you will have been advised under which arts practice area we will accept the Stage 2 application. Only one invitation at Stage 2 will be offered .
- Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their Stage 2 application by December 2023
- Key dates for the Four Year Investment program are available on our website.
Strategic plans will form part of the Stage 2 application, closing in August 2023. Your strategic plan should ideally cover all (or a significant portion) of the period 2025–2028.
- Please upload your Strategic Plan with your support material.
No, arts organisations do not need to have a national reach, they may work at any scale. However, arts organisations must be able demonstrate the quality of their artistic program and that their work is recognised nationally as an exemplar of its kind.
This means an organisation may present its artistic program for a local community or region but that the work is considered as being of high quality by peers in other parts of their arts sector or the broader community in Australia or internationally.
- You can apply for a minimum of $100,000 per year ($400,000 over the four years) up to a maximum of $520,000 per year ($2,080,000 over the four years).
- In your notification email you will have been advised on the investment level you may apply for in your Stage 2 application. This may be higher or lower than the amount requested in your EOI.
The level of funding for Four Year Investment and for Delivery Partners for services will remain at around $28 million per year. At this stage, we do not anticipate the overall budget allocation for Four Year Investment and Delivery Partners will change significantly.
- There is no set amount to award by State or Territory.
- The amount of funding available for each artform will be informed by an analysis of the funding requests for the Four Year Investment program and for the other investment programs we offer.
- We aim to ensure Council’s investment reflects where each artform needs it most, whether that is for individuals and groups, or project/multi-year year funding for organisations.
- Applications will be reviewed by Industry Advisors who will make recommendations for Council to consider when making the final investment decisions for organisations. The Industry Advisors will review applications under arts practice areas relevant to their knowledge and experience.
- 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.
- Further detail on Industry Advice is available in the guidelines on the Australia Council website.
- To leverage our sector expertise and position as a national agency, a recalibration was needed of the Four Year Investment program to ensure effective, efficient, and impactful investment.
- To ensure that our investment in the national landscape is distinct and strategic, we need to take into consideration a range of investments including state and territory investments, the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework (NPAPF) and Visual Arts and Craft Strategy (VACS).
- We are moving to an Industry Advisor method of assessment so that we can take account of the recommendations of experts in the industry while also taking a strategic overview of the entire national landscape. Industry Advisors will make recommendations after reviewing applications within an arts practice area. The Australia Council will then consider their recommendations within the context of a national investment portfolio across all art forms.
- Industry Advisors will be artists, arts/creative industries workers, arts administrators/managers or other people with relevant experience and knowledge of an arts practice or sector.
- The Industry Advice method of assessment still involves a significant process of review, commentary, and deliberation by external experts. However, it also involves Australia Council staff allowing for greater strategic oversight and greater capacity to shape the investment portfolio to meet the strategic needs of the entire sector.
- Importantly, this model of assessment and decision-making remains at arm’s length from government.
- Only the most competitive organisations will be invited to submit a full application.
- There will be a smaller number of organisations invited to submit a full application at Stage 2; so consequently, the success rate will be higher at this stage than at EOI stage
- The success rate is dependent on the number of applications, the size of the grant requests, and the overall budget available.
Will the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy (VACS) be part of the FYI process?
VACS Leadership Organisations are assessed separately to the Four Year Investment process.
- The template for the Stage 2 application will be similar to the EOI. You may replicate or update information provided in your EOI, including financial information. You will also be asked to attach a strategic plan and more recently audited accounts.
Your four year vision should ideally cover all (or a significant portion) of the period 2025–2028.
Your strategic plan should ideally cover all (or a significant portion) of the period 2025–2028.
- Please upload your Strategic Plan with your support material.
The stage 2 application asks for the following information:
- projected financial information for the next three years entered into a budget template, i.e., 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26.
- your audited figures for 2020/2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023 (unaudited year end actuals)
The stage 2 application asks for the following information:
- projected financial information for the next three years entered into a budget template, i.e.,2024, 2025, 2026.
- your audited figures for 2020, 2021, 2022
You need to provide:
- a data summary of your balance sheet for the previous three years
- a list of funding from sources other than the Australia Council in the previous three years.
- Yes, please be sure to include the relevant support material and data with your application, so Industry Advisors can assess your application
- You can use the certified accounts that you do produce to complete the financial data in the EOI, and you can attach these accounts as support material.
- If you are approved for Four Year Investment you will be required to provide us with audited accounts as part of your regular reporting, so be sure to include the resources required to do so your future budget projections.
Yes. Please provide your organisation’s audited or equivalent financial data, and the forward projections for your whole organisation.
This situation is probably the case for larger institutions like universities, local governments, or major galleries. Please note also that under new Four Year Investment guidelines our intention is to fund organisations that make up the small to medium arts sector. Applications from large, well-resourced organisations or institutions may not be a priority.
You will need to provide past audited financial data and accounts for your whole organisation. However, we may give you an exemption to provide forward projections that relate to your program or business unit only.
- The only support material we will accept after the Stage 2 closing date is audited accounts for the 2022/23 financial year.
- If you need to submit these accounts after the closing date, please send them to myi@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.
Although letters of support are not specifically asked for, you may supply them if you wish. You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.
We encourage you to use one of the three URLs allocated for Artistic Support Material to supply letters of support, but if you prefer you can upload a PDF document in the ‘uploaded support material’ section of the online form instead.
- You will not be penalised for providing additional support material beyond the recommended limit of 3 URLs, but we do advise against overwhelming the assessors with material. Make the selection that best demonstrates the quality of your organisation’s artistic output.
You need to provide:
- a data summary of your balance sheet for the previous three years
- a list of funding from sources other than the Australia Council in the previous three years.
In the application form we have requested information on the demographic characteristics and tenure of key staff and board members. This assists in our review of applications to understand the diversity and experience of key staff and board members. This is in alignment with our corporate objective that Australian arts organisations reflect the communities which they serve.
This data is used in accordance with our privacy policy.
You need a director identification number (director ID) if you’re a director of a company, registered Australian body, registered foreign company or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation. Refer to the ABRS website for detailed information on why this is required.
This data is used in accordance with our privacy policy.
The remuneration matrix is to assist us to clearly see remuneration (excluding superannuation) of all people working within your organisation currently and proposed in the first year of Four Year Investment 25-28.
This data is used in accordance with our privacy policy.
Yes. All organisations, including those currently in receipt of Four Year Funding, will need to submit an application?
Find a list of the current Four Year Funded organisations here.
- There will be no transitional funding offered to organisations currently in receipt of Four Year Funding if their request for investment in 2025-2028 is declined.
- The two-stage process aims to maximise the notice period for all organisations. If you are declined at the EOI stage, we aim to give your organisation 18 months’ notice, and at least 12 months’ notice if you are declined at Stage 2.
- The Australia Council is committed to working closely with organisations around the impact of the EOI/ Stage 2 outcomes. However, this does not include any transitional funding support.
The Australia Council will be in close contact with each State and Territory funding agency throughout the Four Year Investment process.
Yes, please be sure to include the relevant support material and data with your application, so Industry Advisors can review your application.