QLD First Nations Fashion and Textiles Accelerator Fund

First Nations Fashion and Textiles Fund opens: until 18th November 2024
Tier 1: offers up to $30,000
Tier 2: offers up to $60,000

This fund aims to support First Nations artists by helping them share their stories, celebrate their cultural identity, and unlock the economic potential of their art through its transformation into fashion and fabric, with an emphasis on commercial growth.

Key Requirements

The First Nations Fashion and Textiles Plan 2024-2026 will support First Nations arts and cultural practitioners and communities to realise the ambition for sustainable growth of a First Nations-led fashion and textile industry in Queensland.

Two, one-off project funding options are available (both excluding GST):

Tier 1: Up to $30,000 for projects that grow the applicant’s fashion or textiles practice and business
- Skills development or residency programs, small-scale equipment purchase or market development activities. Projects must be completed with 12 months.
Tier 2: Up to $60,000 for projects that demonstrate a significant commercial outcome forthe applicant’s fashion or textiles business
- Investment in larger scale infrastructure and equipment, developing shared facilities, or investment to grow product lines for wholesale and retail. Projects must be completed within two years

The fund specifically seeks to support artists connect with markets in the creation and distribution areas, across three key categories:

Haute couture/wearable art
Ready to wear fashion collections
Fabric design and production

What is eligible for funding?

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

Equipment purchases or business collaborations that increase scale of production and distribution of fashion and textile products, e.g. screen-printing tables, sewing machines, or shared facilities and equipment
New residencies by, or with, experts in the fashion and textile industry
Use of new digital technologies in the design, production or retailing of fashion and textile products
New collaborations in the fashion and textile industry that:
- Increase retail knowledge and/or develop design or production skills
- Develop new collections that connect to new or expanded retail markets by elevating quality and/or extending product range
Significant national and international market development activities that are new for the applicant.

Funding cannot be used for what would be considered Business as Usual (BAU) for an applicant.

What companies are eligible for funding?

Eligible applicants include sole traders, social enterprises or Indigenous Arts Centres, as well as artist-led commercial businesses for activities that meet the eligibility criteria.

To be eligible, all applicants must:

Be a Queensland-based First Nations artist or a First Nations arts organisation/arts business that has demonstrated success in the First Nations fashion and textiles industry
- For this purpose, a First Nations arts organisation/arts business is one that is at least 50% owned and led by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
Have an active ABN with a business location in Queensland
Not have any overdue acquittal obligations for previous funding provided by Arts Queensland

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

Industry analysis presentation
Competitor Analysis Presentation
Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.

This grant is open

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