About the Creative Western Sydney Micro Grants Program
This funding supports small scale, high impact creative projects that benefit artists, communities and organisations across Western Sydney. Projects may support the development or presentation of new work, sector growth, and increased access and participation. Funding is available for individuals, collectives and organisations for activity delivered between July 2026 and June 2027.
How we assessed your application
- Applications underwent eligibility checks, including applicant type, residency, and organisational requirements.
- Eligible applications were assessed by a panel against four criteria:
- Artistic merit
- Benefit to Western Sydney
- Alignment with program outcomes and equity priorities
- Feasibility and capacity to deliver
- Panel discussions identified the strongest applications relative to the funding available.
- Not all applications were discussed; some were recommended directly or not progressed due to competitiveness.
Assessor comments
The feedback below is general and reflects key themes raised during assessment discussions. It may not apply equally to all applications.
Feedback
| Question / Criteria | How to strengthen your application (based on assessment feedback): |
| 1. Artistic merit Quality, strength and clarity of the idea | • Clearly articulate the creative idea, rationale, and intended outcomes. • Demonstrate a distinctive and compelling concept, supported by a strong narrative. • Provide clear evidence of practice, collaborators, and prior work. • Avoid multiple competing ideas — ensure the proposal is focused and cohesive. • Clearly distinguish the project from existing or previously funded work. |
| 2. Benefit to Western Sydney Impact on local communities and sector | • Clearly demonstrate how the project benefits Western Sydney artists, audiences or communities. • Identify who participates, how they engage, and what they gain. • Strengthen articulation of public‑facing outcomes, access and participation. • Ensure the project delivers clear local impact, particularly if activity occurs partially outside the region. • Show how the project contributes to connections, opportunities or sector development. |
| 3. Alignment with program outcomes and equity Relevance to program purpose and priorities | • Clearly identify which program outcomes the project addresses (e.g. new work, sector development, participation). • Demonstrate alignment with priority areas such as: o First Nations communities o Inclusive and diverse communities o Accessibility and equity o Next generation creatives • Explain how access and inclusion will be delivered in practice. • Include evidence of community consultation where relevant. |
| 4. Experience and capacity Ability to deliver the project | • Provide clear information on key personnel and their experience. • Demonstrate capacity to deliver, including partnerships and collaborators. • Where experience is emerging, include support structures or mentorship. • Clearly define roles and responsibilities. |
| 5. Planning and feasibility Clarity and realism of delivery | • Provide a clear project plan with milestones, timelines and deliverables. • Ensure scope is realistic relative to timeframe and funding. • Confirm key elements where possible (e.g. venues, partners). • Clearly explain dependencies on other funding or contingencies. • Avoid overly ambitious proposals without sufficient detail or support. |
| 6. Budget and sustainability Accuracy, clarity and value for money | • Ensure budgets are complete, clear and internally consistent. • Include all costs, income sources and co‑contributions (including in‑kind support). • Align with funding limits: o Individuals/collectives: $3,000–$5,000 o Organisations: $5,000–$10,000 • Ensure artist fees and cultural costs meet appropriate standards. • Avoid gaps such as: o Missing costs o Unexplained surplus/deficit o Unclear or disproportionate allocations |
| 7. Support material | • Provide relevant and high‑quality support material aligned to the proposal. • Ensure links are accessible, functional, and do not require login. • Include letters of support or confirmation where relevant (venues, partners, communities). • Select material that clearly demonstrates artistic quality and capacity. |
| 8. Strengths observed across applications | • Clear alignment with program objectives and strong community benefit. • Distinctive, innovative proposals with compelling artistic vision. • Demonstrated capacity and track record. • Realistic scope supported by clear planning and budget. • Strong articulation of audience engagement and sector value. |
| 9. Common risks and considerations | • Budgets lacking detail, clarity, or appropriate allocation. • Projects too ambitious for the level of funding requested. • Limited clarity around Western Sydney benefit or audience. • Feasibility risks due to: o Unconfirmed funding o Missing partners or venues • Applications lacking detail in: o Planning o Outcomes o Delivery approach • Insufficient distinction from existing activity. • Variability in scoring where proposal focus was unclear. |
| 10. Applications not progressed | • Some applications were not discussed at panel as they did not meet the assessment criteria competitively. • Others were: o Recommended without discussion due to strong, consistent scoring o Discussed where clarification impacted feasibility or alignment |