Arts and Cultural Funding Program FAQs

• First Nations stories and communities
• Western Sydney and/or regional NSW
• Next generation of creatives and audiences
• Broad and inclusive communities and content
• Accessibility and Equity

Individual artists can apply for:

• Next Steps - professional & skills Development (for individuals) – grants up to $10,000
• Creative Steps – new work development (for individuals) – grants up to $100,000
• Cultural Access – projects for individuals and organisations led by or for priority area groups – grants up to $100,000

First Nations artists can apply for:

• Creative Nations - projects for First Nations organisations and individuals – grants up to $100,000

Visit Create NSW's funding calendar to find upcoming opportunities.

No. The Small Project Grants – Quick Response program (grants up to $5,000) has been replaced by new Next Steps - professional and skills development grants of up to $10,000, with 2 competitive rounds per financial year.

Professional and skills development grants are for activities including skills development courses and workshops, conference attendance, for example. Grants can cover program, travel and associated costs.

No. The feedback we received from the sector was the annual funding category was not fit-for-purpose, as the 12-month timeframe wasn’t long enough to plan, create and deliver high-quality work.

Not-for-profit arts and cultural organisations will now be able to apply for competitive multi-year organisational funding, with more funding over longer terms (starting from two years, up to eight years).

There will be one last round of annual funding, opening for applications in July 2024 for calendar year 2025. This is to ensure there are no gaps in funding opportunities whilst the program transitions to a 2-year program.

Multi-arts presenting organisation with contemporary music streams as part of their annual program should include this stream in their submitted program. If contemporary music is the primary focus of your program you should apply to Sound NSW. 

If you are using film as a medium to deliver Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) or other artforms, this can be included in your multi-year arts and cultural program.

However,  the same activity or program cannot be funded by both Screen NSW and the Arts and Cultural Funding Program.

At a minimum, applicants must be a not-for-profit arts and cultural organisation. Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet all the eligibility criteria for the funding program.

Refer to Guidelines for 4-year Multi-year or 2-year Multi-year funding to ensure your organisation meets all the eligibility criteria before starting an application.

To find indicative dates for Multi-year funding, please refer to the Funding Calendar

The first iteration of 8-year funding will be 3+4 years to align with future rounds of Creative Australia funding, ensuring smoother processes, avoiding duplication and allowing organisations to plan sustainably into the future.

Organisations whose contracts extend beyond 31 Dec 2025 will continue to receive funding under the terms and conditions of their contracts.

The rounds will be programmed so that unsuccessful applicants to 8-year can apply for 4-year, and unsuccessful 4-year can apply for 2-year funding.

If you are required to have your accounts audited or reviewed, you should provide your audited or reviewed accounts as part of your Multi-year application. 

If you are not required to have your accounts audited or reviewed, then you should provide a copy of a Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss statement as approved at your Annual General Meeting for the 2023/24 Financial year or 2024 calendar year. 

For information on ACNC financial reporting requirement can be found here

For information on Fair Trade financial reporting requirements can be found here

*Relevant for 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications: 

See: Multi-year funding Templates and Guides

The Strategic Plan help guide and template are not mandatory. These resources have been provided to help organisations cover the main elements that a strategic plan would usually include and give some hints and tips on what to consider when preparing your Strategic Plan.

If your organisation already has a Strategic Plan that has been endorsed by your Board, you do not necessarily need to modify or create a new plan. However, you may decide to include an appendix to an existing plan.  For example, the appendix may include items such as a risk register, or provide more information about how your organisational goals align with the ACFP strategic priority areas.

The Strategic Plan must cover your organisation’s activity from 2026-2028 (or 2025 – 2028). Please see the Strategic Plan Guide and template for details that should be included in a strategic Plan. (add hyperlink)

Your strategic plan should include:

• Vision and mission
• Strategic priorities in relation to your mission and/or vision
• A summary of your achievements and outcomes
• Examples of your past work and critical and audience responses to it
• Future programs and projects you intend to deliver over the next four years
• An analysis of your internal and external operational conditions
• A risk assessment
• Strategies and goals
• Audience and/or sector development activity
• Support for arts and cultural worker career pathways/mentorships
• A description of your organisation’s governance, including your board or governing body and key staff
• Description of how your organisation supports and safeguards modern workplace conditions and standards. for example, it is required that commercial events staged using, in whole or in part, public funding received from Create NSW implement a $250 minimum fee for musicians. This fee is based on a '3-hour call', as set out in the live performance award and endorsed by the fair work ombudsman.
• A financial summary, with explanation of your financial model and identifying variations to income and expenditure greater than 10%
• A summary of your marketing and communication plans, including channels, audiences and objectives.

*Relevant for 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications

Yes, you can provide a draft Strategic Plan with your application and note the expected endorsement date. If you are successful, we may contact you to provide confirmation of the final endorsed plan.

* Relevant for 2- Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

You should provide a budget for the business unit/entity and this should be break-even, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Please note that you should include all income and expenditure beyond the funding request.   

You will also be asked upload whole of Council's most recent audited accounts. The figures entered into the budget section of the SmartyGrants application form relating to assets and liabilities should be for whole of Council. 

*Relevant for 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

In response to sector feedback during the Creative Communities policy consultation, Create NSW has simplified application and reporting requirements. Applicants no longer need to provide Letters of Support and no additional support materials are required.

Evidence of key partnerships and how your program of activities or services deliver on your organisational goals should be evident in your Artistic and/or service program, your Strategic Plan and your free text responses to the application form questions. If you want to provide evidence of community support you may decide to add quotes or case studies to illustrate your Strategic Plan. Your Strategic Plan can also incorporate images and testimonials, but Artform boards are unlikely to review additional materials added via hyperlink.

Multi-year funding grants have specific support material requirements. Refer to the relevant program guidelines (4-Year and 2-Year) and application form for information on support material limits and requirements. If you submit support material above the recommended limits, be aware that this material may not be considered by the Board members in the assessment of your application.

*Relevant for 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

We ask for a 2025 budget so we can better understand your current income and expenses. Your 2026 budget will reflect your first year of funded activities. We only request 2025 and 2026 because budgeting further in advance is currently difficult for organisations to predict. If you are successful, there will be another reporting round where you provide a budget for remaining years (2027 and 2028) of the contract.

*Relevant for 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

You need to provide a Balance Sheet as at 30 June 2024 and your most recent audited accounts.

If successful, you will be required to submit your audited accounts for the period ending 30 June as well as a Balance Sheet as at 31 December and a Profit & Loss (P&L) statement for 1 January to 31 December.  We would not expect the six months 1 July to 31 December to be audited separately, but we would expect to see the P&L and Balance Sheet for the 12 months to be certified in some way, either by the treasurer or chair as a true and accurate record.   

*Relevant for 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

Devolved funding is a grant provided by, or received from, a funding program delivered and managed by another organisation on behalf of Create NSW.

Some ACFP funds are devolved to Service Organisations to support arts and cultural activities at a local and regional level. Service Organisations have broad networks across the arts sector, within specific artforms or regions and communities, and may include devolved funding programs in their applications for Multi-year funding.

If you are a service organisation and you wish to deliver a devolved grant as part of your programming, you will need to include the devolved funding in your total amount requested for Multi-year funding and outline your planned grant program. For example, if an organisation is applying for $100,000 for its multi-year program and $10,000 of devolved funding to deliver a grant program, the organisation’s total request in its application would be $110,000.

Please note that:

• Only Service Organisations applying for Multi-year funding are able to apply for devolved funding.
• Devolved funding programs may or may not be supported or supported in part, as part of the application process.
• Service Organisations delivering devolved funding should ensure practices and procedures in place for the administration of the grants consistent with the key principles and requirements of the Guide (link), with appropriate adaptations as necessary.
• Service Organisations delivering devolved funding should have the capacity to deliver this funding independently of Create NSW, through a grants administration system of their choosing, and have the operational capacity to do so.
• If approved to deliver a devolved funding program, Create NSW may request more information about the program prior to contracting or negotiate terms of engagement as part of the funding agreement.

The delivery of devolved funding programs as part of 2-Year Multiyear funding program must be authorised by Create NSW. 

Please email multiyear@create.nsw.gov.au at least one week prior to applications closing with a brief outline of the proposed devolved program. 

*Relevant for 2-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

If you are currently funded as a multi-year or annual client until 31 December 2025, you cannot apply for ACFP project funding in the April 2025 round (24/25 ACFP project funding – Round two) of Cultural Access or Creative Nations. If you are not in receipt of multi-year or annual funding, you can apply to both 2-year Multi-year and ACFP Projects but will only be able to accept one (if successful for both).  

Organisations in receipt of funding until 31 December 2025 who are unsuccessful in 2-year Multi-year will be able to apply for 25/26 ACFP Project grants, as this is funding for activities from 1 January 2026. It is expected that this round will open in August/September 2025.  

*Relevant for 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

Multi-year funding contributes towards an organisation’s costs of delivering programming and a wide range of arts and cultural activity as outlined in the guidelines. The application for 4-Year Multi-year funding also requires submission of a Strategic Plan. Successful applicants that receive 4-Year or 2-Year funding will not be able to apply for Create NSW Project grants but will be able to apply for Regional Arts Touring funding.

This means that activities supported by Regional Arts Touring should be included in your application for Multi-year funding to demonstrate the full scope of your activities. The income and expenditure should also be included in your budget. However, you should make clear in your application, Artistic and/or service program and/or Strategic Plan what activities are supported by Regional Arts Touring funding.

*Relevant for 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

For Create NSW 4-Year and 2-Year Multi-year funding programs, the annual funding amount requested from Create NSW in your application must not be more than 80% of the total program costs (total expenses). All applications must include a minimum of 20% income from other sources and 4-year funding also needs to include a financial partnership/s.

As Regional Arts Touring funding can be applied for in addition to Multi-year funding, this amount can be included in your minimum 20% from other sources if applicable.

Income you can include from other sources may include any, or all, of the following:

• Box office or entry fees
• Fees for services you provide
• Workshop fees that are paid to you
• Income from resources such as renting out your space
• Funding from Creative Australia or other Federal government agencies
• Funding from other NSW government departments such as health, education etc
• Funding from local government
• Funding from donations and sponsorship 

*Relevant for Reporting on 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding:

A financial partnership is one where there is a clear financial partnership through the provision of cash or goods and services in-kind. 

For example, a hospitality sponsor may provide food and beverage for opening nights, in exchange for recognition and promotion. Each of those has a cost that can be quantified and that would be the amount of the partnership. Another example is the provision of a rehearsal room. Normally these would have a cost associated with the hire. If that cost is waived and the space is provided in-kind, the usual hire rate would be the value of the partnership. 

Government funding is excluded from this category as the funding is provided in return for the delivery of an agreed program.  

*Relevant for 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

Multi-arts presenting organisations with contemporary music streams as part of their annual program should include this stream in their submitted program. If contemporary music is the primary focus of your program you should apply to Sound NSW.

If you are using contemporary music to deliver Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) or other artforms, this can be included in your multi-year arts and cultural program and may be supported by Arts & Cultural Funding Program (ACFP) funds. However, contemporary music only events or activities cannot be supported with ACFP funds, and the same activity/program cannot be funded by both Sound NSW and the ACFP.

*Relevant for 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

If you are using film as a medium to deliver Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) or other artforms, such as experimental, digital immersive and light art, this can be included in your multi-year arts and cultural program.

However, the same activity or program cannot be funded by both Screen NSW and the Arts and Cultural Funding Program.

If film or screen production/presentation is the primary focus of your program you should apply to Screen NSW.

*Relevant for 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

In this scenario, think about what you need across the time frame of the funding (2026-2028) and average it across the years. This could mean having extra funds (surplus) in the first year and breaking even in the third year. For example, if you are planning a major production or exhibition in Year 3, demonstrate how you strategically plan to use the surplus you build in year 1 and 2 to support the additional costs in year 3. This approach should be backed by a clear narrative in the strategic plan. It should also be explained in your financial modelling / financial summary and in the notes to the budget. 

Please note: Create NSW multi-year funding is generally not able to be carried forward to another year. Any unused funds would become a surplus that is added to your equity. Also, if you are a local government business unit, you must present a break-even budget

*Relevant for 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

Funding can only be used to purchase minor equipment if you can clearly demonstrate how it is integral to the arts and cultural activity that you are delivering. 

*Relevant for 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

This depends on your organisation type. 

For service organisations and independent arts and cultural organisations, funding can contribute to operational costs such as staff salaries, rent, utilities and the day-to-day costs of running your operation. 

Local Government Authority business units can only use funding towards the costs of program delivery and not operational costs. 

*Relevant for 2-Year & 4-Year Multi-year Funding applications:

Multi-year funding is only available to not-for-profit enterprises. 

You can apply for 2-year Multi-year Funding if, at time of application, you are a not-for profit enterprise and have been delivering arts and cultural services as a primary focus for at least 12 months. You must also meet the turnover threshold of $30,000 in your last year of trading.  

If you require additional information, please contact multiyear@create.nsw.gov.au 

Letters of support are no longer required at application stage; however, you could choose to include selected testimonials or quotes in your Samples of Work if relevant. 

Local Government Authority business units can only use funding towards the costs of program delivery and not operational costs. This means that Council staff costs cannot be included in the application request. However, artist fees in relation to the programming or arts and cultural worker fees to deliver a program or activity (e.g. a guest curator) would be eligible for inclusion. 

Your artistic plan and budget should include all activities to show assessors what the organisation delivers as a whole. Your detailed artistic/service plan of activities for 2026 should include all activities, including inter/national. As per the template, you should indicate the social and/or cultural outcomes for these activities/services. Other elements of your application – the application form questions and attachments – may include reference to these activities where relevant.