Music Australia Export Development Fund – International Performance and Touring (Category 1)

Grants from $5,000 to $75,000.
This program supports international performance and touring activity
Matched funding must be at least 50 percent of the eligible costs of the activity up to the maximum grant amount.
In kind contributions cannot be used as matched funding
Other federal, state or local government grant sources cannot be used as matched funding.
Activity must start between October 01 2026 and December 31 2026 and be completed within 12 months of the start date.
Applications close July 07 2026 at 3pm AEST

MUSIC AUSTRALIA EXPORT DEVELOPMENT FUND: International Performance and Touring Activity (Category 1) is a matched funding initiative that supports international touring and showcase activity for Australian contemporary music artists. It is part of the broader Music Australia Export Development Fund, which is designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists and help elevate emerging, breakthrough and established acts into international markets.

This category provides matched funding from $5,000 to $75,000 for eligible international performance and touring activity. It is open to Australian citizens or permanent residents who are practising contemporary music artists, including solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers.

Key Requirements

The program is designed to support international touring and showcase activity for Australian contemporary music artists through matched funding. It sits within a broader export initiative designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists and support international market development.
The activity must be contemporary Australian music. The program defines this as any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity.
Applicants must provide matched funding evidence. The grant request must be matched by financial co funding equal to or greater than the requested amount, and evidence of this must be attached in the support material.
The activity must be internationally focused and time eligible. Activity must start between 01 October 2026 and 31 December 2026 and be completed within 12 months of the start date.
Applications are assessed against viability, impact and alignment. Assessors consider confirmation of activity, realistic budgeting and logistics, international market relevance, the strength of networks and audience outcomes, and alignment with Music Australia goals and National Cultural Policy priorities.

What is eligible for funding?

Headline tours.
Support tours.
Combined headline and support tours.
Festival appearances.
Biennale appearances.
Commissioned performances.
Official showcase performances.
Eligible direct costs may include artist and creative worker fees, artist management costs directly related to the activity up to 10 percent of the total budget request, flights, accommodation, per diems, ground transport, travel insurance, visas, freight or baggage, childcare, carer and access costs, tickets or registration costs to attend events, and costs associated with reducing environmental impact

What companies are eligible for funding?

Eligible entities:

Australian music artists, composers and creators, individually or in groups.
Multiple Australian music artists or groups touring together.
Organisations and music businesses applying on behalf of their artists.
Australian citizens or permanent residents who are practising contemporary music artists, including solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers.

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

Apply for this grant below:

OR