Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $2,500 per person for domestic activity and up to $5,000 per person for international activity
- Application opened: 1 November 2024
- Application closed: 28 November 2025, 12:00 pm
Program objective
Funding can support domestic and international travel and accommodation costs for:
Artists and Acts
- tours by artists and acts performing new and original contemporary music
- performance at significant contemporary music industry events by artists and acts performing new and original contemporary music
- professional development opportunities including attendance at events, workshops, camps, mentorships and residencies.
Funding can support up to six people per touring party. This includes the artists and a maximum of two people with roles that support the artists to undertake the tour. These support roles include:
- one operational crew member (e.g. tour manager or key technical production crew)
- one support person for people with disability, family or cultural needs.
Sound NSW may consider supporting travel and accommodation costs for more than six people for larger groups or those with additional support needs. Please speak to Sound NSW staff for further advice.
Music Industry Professionals
- music industry professionals working in contemporary music to attend professional development opportunities, significant music industry events and/or identified business opportunities.
This program is open all year for applications, with monthly assessment meetings. Applications submitted by 12pm (midday) on the last Friday of each month (excluding December) will be grouped together for assessment. Applicants will be notified of the decision within 4 weeks of this date.
Please see the frequently asked questions for a list of submission dates and activity start dates here.
Sound NSW may consider supporting applications outside this schedule for exceptional international opportunities (excluding tours). Please speak to Sound NSW staff for further advice.
This funding aims to:
- increase performance opportunities for NSW artists
- support NSW artists and industry professionals to have a national and global presence
- strengthen the live music ecosystem
- grow music audiences for NSW artists.
This program is administered by Sound NSW.
This program is administered by Create NSW.
This program is funded by Sound NSW (Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport).
Eligibility
Who can apply
The fund is open to artists, acts and music industry professionals, as well as music businesses applying on behalf of an artist or act.
Funding recipients must be:
- 18 years or older
- currently living in NSW (minimum 12 months)
- performing or working in contemporary music.
Applicants will need:
- an active ABN (that’s your Australian Business Number)
- a bank account with the same name as your ABN
- or a funds administrator to help you out.
For the purpose of this program contemporary music refers to artists and acts performing new and original music.
- Artforms not supported through this program are:
- experimental music and sound art
- contemporary classical, opera, choral and ensembles
- music theatre
- working in and with community music groups.
- These applicants should refer to Create NSW's Arts and Cultural Funding Program | NSW Government (ACFP) guidelines.
Number of applications
You can receive a maximum of one domestic and one international grant through this program per financial year (based on closing date).
Types of projects funded under this grant
Funding can support domestic and international travel and accommodation costs for:
- tours by artists and acts performing new and original contemporary music
- performance at significant music industry events by artists and acts performing new and original contemporary music
- music industry professionals working with contemporary music artists and acts to attend significant music industry events and/or identified business opportunities
- professional development opportunities for artists and industry professionals, including attendance at events, workshops, camps, mentorships and residencies.
What costs you can apply for
Funding supports travel and accommodation costs only, for domestic and international activity.
Travel and accommodation costs can include flights, trains, buses, car hire, petrol, tolls, airport transfers, travel insurance, visas, per diems and accommodation.
Funding can support:
- up to $2,500 per person for domestic activity
- up to $5,000 per person for international activity.
Artists, acts and industry professionals from regional and remote NSW can request an extra $500 per eligible touring party member, to help support additional travel costs. You just need to allocate this additional request into your grant request, and justify it with eligible travel costs in the expenditure table of your budget.
Please see the frequently asked questions for a list of submission dates and activity start dates here.
Who can’t apply
- applicants who do not live in NSW, or who have lived in NSW for less than 12 months
- applicants not performing new and original contemporary music (eg covers bands)
- applicants who have outstanding acquittals from previous NSW Government funding.
What costs you can't apply for
- artist fees, rehearsals, equipment purchase, marketing and promotion costs, industry event fees or passes
- tours that don’t include at least three performances in different locations, outside the artist’s place of residence
- performance at significant music industry events or attendance at professional development opportunities within the artist’s place of residence
- attendance at significant music industry events or business development opportunities within the music industry professional’s place of residence
- travel and accommodation costs incurred before the advertised activity start date
- activity that has received other NSW Government funding.
Additional eligibility requirements
- applications for a tour require confirmation of at least three performances, in different locations
- applications for performance at a significant music industry event require confirmation of invitation to perform
- applications for professional development opportunities require an invitation or evidence of the activity
- applications for music industry professional travel support require an invitation to an industry event or evidence of business opportunity
- this is a travel fund and supports travel to new destinations. You cannot apply for funds to support a tour or activity that includes your city/town.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
All applicants must submit the following as part of their application. These materials will all form part of the assessment.
Artist and Acts
- an artist’s bio
- an impact statement outlining how the proposed activity will benefit your career development and identify the importance of undertaking the activity now
- a tour plan including itinerary and promotional activity
- a budget detailing income and expenditure
- links to examples of your music - up to 5 mins of audio or video that highlight your previous work
- links to social media platforms
- confirmation of at least three performances, in different locations (for a tour)
- invitation to perform at a significant music industry event (for performance at a significant music industry event)
- evidence of the professional development activity (for professional development opportunities).
Music Industry Professional
- industry professional CV
- an impact statement outlining how the proposed activity will benefit your career/business development and identify the importance of undertaking the activity now
- a budget detailing income and expenditure
- invitation to attend a significant music industry event or evidence of a business opportunity.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Address the assessment criteria
Applications (including written responses, supporting documentation) will be assessed against the following weighted criteria.
1. Artist Experience (30%)
Evidence of previous tours, industry relationships and audience engagement.
Tell us in detail about:
- your career to date
- the key achievements of previous tours
- the key artists, industry and support people involved
- engagement with your audience.
2. Impact on career (40%)
The benefit to career development, the significance of the opportunity and how this activity contributes to a diverse contemporary music sector in NSW.
Tell us in detail about:
- the benefits of this activity to your career development
- the rationale behind the timing and its potential impact on long-term career sustainability
- how it will develop domestic/international networks, audiences and profile
- how this contributes to a diverse contemporary music sector in NSW.
Sound NSW is committed to a diverse contemporary music sector in NSW and encourages applications from First Nations people, people who identify as women and non-binary, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and people from Western Sydney and regional and remote communities.
3. Viability of the activity (30%)
Your capacity to undertake this activity, the itinerary and how the budget will be managed.
Tell us in detail about:
- your previous experience specific to the activity
- an itinerary, including evidence of confirmed shows
- your promotional plans including any key partners
- your budget, including a breakdown of your total costs and any other investment in the project.
Start the application
Sound NSW uses the secure online grants system, SmartyGrants, to manage all its grant programs. All Touring & Travel applications must be submitted via the online portal. You will receive an email confirmation of your application from SmartyGrants when your application has been accepted.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Head of Sound NSW
Eligibility
Applications will be initially reviewed by Sound NSW staff to ensure they meet eligibility requirements, and all application materials are acceptable.
Application Review
After eligibility is confirmed, the application will be evaluated by an assessment panel of industry assessors against the weighted assessment criteria and consistent with these guidelines.
Sound NSW aims to allocate:
- 15% of the program budget to applications from First Nations artists, acts and industry professionals
- 50% of the program budget to applications from women and non-binary artists, acts and industry professionals.
Please note that funding allocation follows a competitive process. Evaluations will consider the assessment criteria outlined above and the availability of funds at Sound NSW.
Sound NSW has discretionary approval to:
- support more than six people for larger groups or those with additional support needs
- support applications from artists and acts outside the schedule for exceptional short-notice international opportunities (excluding tours).
Successful applications will be approved by the Head of Sound NSW, based on recommendations from industry assessors.
Application Outcome
Applications submitted by 12pm (midday) on the last Friday of each month (excluding December) will be grouped together for assessment. Applicants will be notified of the decision within 4 weeks of this date.
Sound NSW will provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants. The format of this feedback may vary depending on the quantity of applications and the resources available.
Successful grant applications
If your application is successful, you will be sent a funding agreement (contract), generally within one month of notification. This outlines the conditions of funding, how you will be paid and your grant reporting requirements.
Contracts will not be issued, and payments will not be made, until all Sound NSW and Create NSW outstanding acquittals have been submitted.
Sound NSW staff will review required reporting, outlined below, and may contact you for additional information as part of this process.
Payment will be dependent on when the signed Funding Agreement has been returned to Sound NSW, as well as any special conditions, variations or outstanding acquittals being satisfactorily completed.
Acknowledgement of Sound NSW
As a recipient of Government funding, you will be expected to acknowledge the support from Sound NSW in all publications, promotional and advertising materials and public announcements.
Reporting
Successful applicants will be required to provide a project and financial acquittal at the end of the funding period.
Program evaluation
The Program will be evaluated to measure how well the outcomes and objectives have been achieved.
We may collect and use information from your application and reports for this purpose. We may also interview you or ask you for more information to help us understand how the Program impacted you and to evaluate how effective the tour was in achieving its outcomes.
We may contact you up to three years after you receive the final grant payment associated with the grant round for more information to assist with this evaluation. Create NSW and the NSW Audit Office reserves the right to undertake an audit of Program funding and support within seven years.
Support and contact
Sound NSW staff are available to provide technical advice and general information to potential applicants on the interpretation of these guidelines, including the types of activity eligible for funding and support with the online application process.
Sound NSW staff cannot help directly with your application. To maintain a fair and equitable process, staff cannot edit or correct any applications or provide advice on the content or choices required against the Assessment Criteria.
For further information or clarification, please contact:
Sophie McComish
Music Liaison, Sound NSW
Email: info@sound.nsw.gov.au
Phone:(02) 9372 8662
Schedule an online meeting to speak to Sound NSW staff using the link to Microsoft Bookings.
For further information read the frequently asked questions.
Image: Eliza & the Delusionals performing live at the Howler in Melbourne. Photo by Lizzie Wilkie