Festivals Australia Program

Festivals Australia Program – Round 20

  • Grant funding is unlimited, however the average funding allocation is $40,000 per grant and total funding available per round is $700,000
  • Competitive funding rounds open twice a year, in February and September
  • Applications for this round are open until March 18th, 2025

The Festivals Australia program aims to support arts and culture activities at festivals and community events in regional and remote Australia. It is a part of the Australian Government's Arts and Cultural Development Program to support participation in, and access to, Australia's arts and culture.

Each funding pool is approximately $700,000 per round, with the average grant recipient receiving $40,000.

Key Requirements

Funding is available to support individual art projects that allow community members living in regional or remote Australia to participate in or appreciate an arts-driven experience at a:

  • Festival – which is defined by Festivals Australia as a regularly presented program of events (for example annually or biennially) that is open to the public and provides an opportunity to
    gather and celebrate
  • Significant one-off community celebration – which is defined by Festivals Australia as a schedule of events that is open to the public and is focused on an anniversary or launch of great significance to the community. For example, a special celebration of the town or the area’s culture and history, a significant anniversary of a major local event, or the opening of a major new community resource could be the basis for an eligible significant one-off community celebration

What is eligible for funding?

There is no limit to the amount of funding that may be requested. However, the average funding request is around $40,000.

Festivals Australia will fund arts projects in a regional or remote area that participants and audiences can engage with, through activities like a parade, performance, workshop, installation or exhibition. Projects must be a single discrete activity within the festival program, not a range of unrelated activities across the overall festival.

Festivals Australia grant funds may be used toward the cost of producing the project including:

  • artist fees
  • travel costs (only within Australia)
  • materials
  • photography/documentation/videography
  • venue hire
  • equipment hire
  • project administrative costs (costs cannot be associated with the festival as a whole)
  • temporary engagement of a project coordinator

What companies are eligible for funding?

To be eligible to apply for funding, you must:

  • be an Australian incorporated organisation
  • have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • be registered for the purposes of GST, if required by the Australian Taxation Office
  • not have any outstanding reports, acquittals or serious breaches relating to any Australian Government funding. A serious breach is one that has resulted in, or warrants, the termination of a grant agreement
  • An incorporated trustee, a company acting as trustee of a trust, is eligible to apply on behalf of a trust
  • Unincorporated groups are eligible for funding if auspiced by an organisation that meets the above criteria.

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 a specialist government grants consultant, such as Avant Group to assist with eligibility checks and collation of relevant documentation.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documentation and provide tailored support to strengthen your grant submission.

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.