Information about Australia Council’s new funding model and how to apply can be found here
If you are an individual artist, arts worker or group of artists, this grant can provide support to further develop your skills or improve your capacity to build an enduring career. Grants are available from $5,000 to $25,000.
In 2019, the grant rounds will close on:
- Tuesday 5 February for projects starting after 1 May 2019.
- Tuesday 4 June for projects starting after 1 September 2019.
- Tuesday 1 October for projects starting after 1 January 2020.
Each round closes at midnight on the closing date. Technical and administrative support will not be available after 5pm on the closing date.
Our arts projects program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences:
In 2019, the grant rounds will close on:
- Tuesday 5 February for projects starting after 1 May 2019.
- Tuesday 4 June for projects starting after 1 September 2019.
- Tuesday 1 October for projects starting after 1 January 2020.
Each round closes at midnight on the closing date. Technical and administrative support will not be available after 5pm on the closing date.
This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences. Only organisations are eligible to apply. Grants are available from $10,000 to $100,000.
In 2019, the grant rounds will close on:
- Tuesday 5 February for projects starting after 1 May 2019.
- Tuesday 4 June for projects starting after 1 September 2019.
- Tuesday 1 October for projects starting after 1 January 2020.
Each round closes at midnight on the closing date. Technical and administrative support will not be available after 5pm on the closing date.
The Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) scheme is a key Australian Government financial assistance program for aspiring and current exporters. Administered by Austrade, the scheme supports a wide range of industries.
The EMDG scheme:
- encourages small- and medium-sized Australian businesses to develop export markets
- reimburses up to 50 per cent of eligible export promotion expenses above $5,000 provided that the total expenses are at least $15,000
- provides up to eight grants to each eligible applicant.
See EMDG at a glance (PDF) for an overview of the scheme.
What is a grant year?
A grant year is the financial year (July to June) in which the dates of the expenses being claimed actually occurred.
Expenses incurred in a grant year must be claimed as part of the EMDG application submitted in the financial year immediately following (except your first application, which can include expenses from the two financial years immediately before the application).
This annual program honors the memory of Rob Potts, his passion for taking Country Music to the world and his significant contribution while serving on the CMA Board. This voluntary exchange program will select two recipients, one from the United States and one from Australia/New Zealand and allow them to work under the direction and guidance of CMA and its partners in Australia to learn firsthand how different aspects of the music business function through a series of internships, networking opportunities, and industry experiences. This program is not intended for an individual pursuing a career as an artist or songwriter.
Program Outline & Opportunities
Through a series of internships, along with additional networking opportunities, the recipients will benefit from a range of experiences in many different areas of the business, including, but not limited to the following:
- Marketing/Digital
- Media/Public Relations
- Booking Agency
- Artist Management
- Record Labels
- Publishing/Performing Rights Organisation
- Live Events/Stage Production
- Radio
- Video Production
- Recording Studio
Each recipient will also be assigned a dedicated contact to guide them throughout the program. Recipients must be willing to capture weekly video diary entries to recap their experience during the program. Costs will be covered by the exchange program.
Eligibility Criteria
Two recipients will be selected, one from the United States and one from Australia/New Zealand. To qualify, individuals must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a legal resident of the United States, Australia, or New Zealand and meet applicable visa requirements to be able to travel to the United States/Australia for the period of the program.
- Must be a full-time student enrolled at a college/university OR emerging industry professional between the ages of 18 and 25 at the time of application.
- Must be a current music industry professional OR have a strong interest in pursuing a career in the Country Music industry.
- This program is not intended for an individual pursuing a career as an artist or songwriter.
- Employees of CMA, Members of the CMA Board of Directors or their immediate family members are not eligible to apply. “Immediate Family” includes spouses, siblings, parents, and children.
Closing dates and timeframe
Applications close on Sunday June 30. The successful applicant will be advised in late 2019.
The Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program (ACDGP) supports the delivery of high-quality public diplomacy initiatives which promote our economic, artistic, and cultural assets to an international audience. These initiatives strengthen Australia’s reputation as an innovative, creative nation and foster collaborative people-to-people links internationally.
Cultural diplomacy outcomes
Projects supported by the ACDGP should advance the soft-power and partnerships aims of the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper by:
- Supporting cultural collaboration and partnerships that build influence internationally.
- Establish networks and exchanges between Australian artists and arts organisations and their international partners, to expand audiences and markets.
ACDGP objectives
The ACDGP will achieve DFAT’s cultural diplomacy outcomes by:
- Supporting innovative collaboration and exchange.
- Promoting our economic, artistic and cultural assets to an international audience.
- Expand audiences and markets.
- Build people-to-people links internationally.
- Leveraging existing partnerships and fostering engagement with key stakeholders in line with our 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper.
- Support other DFAT policies and programs where possible, including DFAT’s major public diplomacy initiatives such as Australia now (Japan 2018).
- Influence perceptions of Australia at home and abroad.
Next grants round
The ACDGP is currently being evaluated in line with the Soft Power Review. The 2019 grants round will be open later this year. Please check back for updates.
The International Relations Grants Program (IRGP) supports the Government’s foreign policies and economic diplomacy interests and projects a positive contemporary image of Australia. IRGP grants support professional, community and institutional linkages between Australia and its partners on contemporary issues of shared interest including business, education, innovation, science, technology, the arts, media and sport.
Funding options are available from the following foundations, councils and institutes:
Grant round dates
The 2019 FCIs annual grant rounds open in the first week of February 2019. Information specific to each foundation, council or institute can be found on their respective web pages. Applications are made via the Australian Government’s website: Grantconnect.
Grants eligibility
There is considerable competition for grant money with approximately 10 per cent of applications being successful. Individual grants generally do not exceed $40,000 per year. IRGP grants are managed in accordance with the Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines. Grants are generally not awarded for:
- Capital expenditure including items such as real property, equipment or computer software;
- Activities that are properly the responsibility of other funding bodies or other government agencies (e.g. development assistance projects, trade promotion and academic research);
- Activities that are already commercially viable in their own right or which give a commercial advantage to one organisation;
- Subsidy of general ongoing administration of an organisation such as electricity, phone, rent, salaries (including for research assistants or administrative staff), honorariums or administrative charges levied by the applicant’s organisation; or
- Projects already completed.
Given the competition for grants funding, requested travel costs should be reasonable (refer to the ATO website).
The Lyrebird Gift is a one-off gift of $20,000 to a musician or band.
In keeping with our core beliefs, philosophy and approach to all we have done in the past 20 years, the application process to be the recipient of The Lyrebird Gift will be quite straightforward. Email us at lyrebirdgift@gmail.com and tell us why, as a musician, you should receive the gift.
That’s it!
Your entry may be some words, it may be a CV, it may be a link to your live music. Tell us who you are, what you do or plan to do musically and if possible, a sample of your music. Don’t forget to send your contact details.
We have made a conscious decision to make the gift as large an amount as we can so that it will make a difference to the recipient. We have only one gift to give.
The Small Print:
- You must be 18 years of age or over
- You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia.
- The recipient of the gift will be responsible for all and any legal requirements that come with receiving this gift. For example: Income Tax / GST. The gift is a gift of $20,000 net in one payment.
- Lyrebird Arts Council committee or their relatives and general members of the Lyrebird Arts council are exempt from receiving the gift
- If the recipient is a band, then all responsibility is on the band to determine which bank account the prize will be deposited into and how it is used/divided.
- The judge’s decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- We impose No restrictions on how the recipient will spend the gift.
Entries close September 30 2019. The winner will be announced on our 20th anniversary, which is October 25, 2019.