Grants for Organisations

ABOUT THE GRANTS

The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund supports leading Australian organisations with grants to create and deliver exceptional opportunities for Australian writers, journalists, editors, publishers, picture book illustrators, cartoonists, graphic novelists, English and literacy teachers, and visual artists.

Our aim is to support key industry stakeholders to offer sustained and realistic support to Australian writers, publishers, and visual artists.

The Cultural Fund encourages potential applicants to create opportunities for writers, editors and visual artists at all career stages, and especially for those from First Nations and diverse backgrounds.

Our priority is to develop greater audiences for the work of Australian writers and visual artists and to support projects with definite outcomes, whether it be for literary awards and prizes, mentorships, publication/presentation or exhibition. Projects should have a broad reach, as the focus on local audiences is not a priority.

The Cultural Fund supports leading national writing organisations to build literacy skills for children and young adults and to encourage reading at all levels. For 2022/23 we will focus on creating partnerships with key industry organisations to raise the profile of writing and writers.

To complement the Copyright Agency’s Reading Australia initiative, we are interested in supporting targeted writers-in-schools programs for Australian writers whose work is featured on Reading Australia.

Support for Australian book publishers

• Australian publishers may apply for creative writers’ commission fees for new works of exceptional cultural significance
• The grant will not replace the publisher’s advance or royalties
• The publisher must have a signed contract with the author before applying
• The Cultural Fund does not support editorial and production costs or the costs associated with reproducing artwork and illustrations

Support for visual arts organisations

• Our priority is to support opportunities for Australian visual artists to create new work with exhibition outcomes
• The Cultural Fund is interested in supporting key national art fairs with opportunities to profile and promote Australian visual artists
• Our focus will be to support projects where there is a guaranteed exhibition outcome for artists
• From 2022 we will not support publications on visual artists or visual arts, including catalogues
• Writing on the visual arts, or profiles and other analytical writing on visual artists is not a priority for the Cultural Fund

Project dates

• Projects must start after 1 January 2024

Amount of grant

• Minimum: $10,000
• Maximum: $30,000

The Cultural Fund’s grants for organisations are for a single project for up to a year.

We strongly encourage all applicants to pay industry rates to writers and visual artists. This is a crucial component of your application.

For 2023 the Cultural Fund has agreed that the following activities will NOT be supported:

• Publishing production costs or image reproduction costs
• Writers’ fees for art publications, catalogues, art journals, multi-arts journals and magazines
• Projects aimed at small, niche audiences
• Any project where the writer or visual artist is not paid
• Multi-arts festivals, writers’ festivals and activities aligned to writers’ festivals (the major national writers’ festivals apply by invitation-only to a separate grant)
• Prizes and awards for visual artists

Before applying, visit our activities supported page for a full list of what the Cultural Fund will and won’t support. Please read specific information for organisations, as this differs to the criteria and projects supported for individuals.

WHO CAN APPLY

• Legally constituted organisations and incorporated associations may apply
• If applying as a University, only one application from the University may be submitted per round. You should confirm this before applying.
• Individuals or sole traders are not eligible to apply for these grants. Please see our Grants for Individuals.
• Government departments are not eligible to apply for these grants
• Applicants may submit only one application per round to the Cultural Fund
• Applicants must have acquitted any overdue Cultural Fund grants to be eligible to apply for further funding

HOW TO APPLY

• Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time via the SmartyGrants online system
• Applicants may submit only one application per round
• Late applications will not be accepted
• Incomplete applications will not be assessed

YOUR APPLICATION

All applicants must provide a clear outline of their intended project. Your application includes a project description, an itemised budget, and relevant support material. Refer to the application in the online grants portal, SmartyGrants.

Support material

You may submit one PDF of support material with your application via the online grants portal, SmartyGrants. Support material may include:

• Information on your organisation and key staff
• A draft program of proposed activities
• Letters of support
• Biographical information on participating writers and visual artists

APPLICATIONS HAVE CLOSED

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND GRANT OBLIGATIONS

Successful applicants must submit an acquittal report on their funded activities within eight weeks of the project’s completion via the SmartyGrants online system. This report should include a description of the funded activities, and detail the success or otherwise of the activities.

Applicants who have not acquitted any outstanding completed grants cannot apply again until they have successfully acquitted their previous grant.

More information and contact

For further information, see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the grants via email: culturalfund@copyright.com.au