Start your application at least several days before the closing date. You will need to register with our application management system, and you will need your registration request to be accepted. You will then need to allow sufficient time to write the application, enter the budget details and upload your support material.

Along the way, you may have questions for our Artists Services staff. All of this will take time. Never start your application on the closing date.

Whether you are a writing a grant application for the first time or are more experienced, it’s a good idea to follow these grant writing tips. If you would like more help with your application or have any questions, please contact Artists Services or the contact listed in the grant or opportunity guidelines.

For more information, see our applications FAQ and our assessment FAQ.

Panel selection

For some of our programs (e.g. Arts Projects, Fellowships) you can ask for your application to be assessed by different art form panels.

When choosing the art form 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. 

Project summary

If the application form asks for a project summary, use this section to introduce yourself, your project partners and project aims.

About you

If the application form includes an ‘About you’ section, introduce yourself or your organisation in detail. Don’t assume the assessors are familiar with you or your work. Write about your background and how you work. Explain why the work you or your organisation does is important and valuable.

Don’t use this section to simply list key achievements. Check the guidelines for the program you are applying to. You may be able to attach a CV or bio that provides this information in the support material section of the application form. 

About your project

If your form includes an ‘About your project’ section, explain what you want to do with the funding you are requesting. Read the guidelines for the program you are applying to and check that the activities you are proposing are eligible.

• Speak in your own voice, using the first person.
• Be concise and clear. Avoid jargon. Talk about your 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 and original. 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 and why are they important?
• Where relevant, describe how the public will 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 events and stages in your project.
• Explain how your proposal is timely or 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. 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 events.
• 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 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.
• If your project involves community engagement and participation, provide evidence of community consultation and support. Outline your community engagement strategy and show that the community you will be working with supports the project. 
• If you have any questions about your project, please contact us.

Your budget

Some of our programs require you to complete a detailed budget, others may ask you to provide a simple narrative for how you will use the funding.

• 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 in the budget description fields.
• Be detailed and transparent. 
• Break down large budget items and show your calculations in the description fields. 
• 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 by yourself or others.
• Consider how you will provide accessibility assistance for audience members and project participants. Include those costs in your budget. Explain what each cost is for, and why it is necessary.
• If you have any questions about your completing your budget, please contact us.

Support material

• Follow the limits set for support material in the published guidelines for the program you are applying to.
• 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 Google Docs, 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, please contact us.
• For more information see our advice on support material.

Before you submit your application

• 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.