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Live Music Australia Program

Applications are open until 17 October 2023.
Estimated grant value ranges from $5,000 to $100,000.

About Round 7 of the Program: Round 7 will once again place a strong emphasis on live music festivals, aligning with industry demand and continuing to support the sustainability of the live music sector. The goal is to promote the presentation of more original live music, providing opportunities for artists to showcase their talent.

Live Music Australia fully embraces the five pillars that shape Revive, which include First Nations First, A Place for Every Story, Centrality of the Artist, Strong Cultural Infrastructure, and Engaging the Audience. By addressing these pillars, we are committed to creating an inclusive and thriving live music community.

The program has three main objectives. Firstly, we aim to support a sustainable venue-based live music industry by enhancing professional capacity within venues and fostering the growth of audiences. Secondly, we strive to promote partnerships, collaboration, and networks across the Australian live music industry. Lastly, we are dedicated to supporting the development, growth, and innovation of Australian contemporary live music by providing increased performance opportunities for original contemporary music by Australian artists.

Through this program, we anticipate several outcomes. We aim to engage the audience, grow and build strong connections within the industry. We will support the development of a thriving live music scene by fostering partnerships and collaboration. Additionally, our program will create opportunities for Australian artists to showcase their talent and contribute to the vibrant contemporary music landscape of Australia. Overall, Round 7 of the program will continue to support the live music sector and contribute to the advancement of the Australian contemporary live music landscape.

Key Requirements

Grant Period: The grant period for your activity is limited to one year, allowing for projects starting in January 2024. Funding program is designed to support music festivals in showcasing more original Australian live music. We provide assistance for ensuring business stability, enabling the smooth delivery of existing activities, and addressing ongoing cost increases.

To be eligible for funding under Round 7 of the Live Music Australia Program, it is crucial to showcase your dedication to organizing a music-focused festival that primarily features live performances of original music by Australian artists. For the purposes of this program, original music refers to artists performing their own compositions or music exclusively written for them by a songwriter. Please note that multi-disciplinary arts or food festivals where music serves a secondary role are not eligible to apply. However, festivals that utilize multiple venues within a specific geographical area are eligible, as well as festivals that span more than one weekend per year. It is essential for your proposal to demonstrate how the activities planned will have lasting benefits for the Australian music sector.

What is eligible for funding?

Funding is available to support music festivals in hosting a greater amount of original Australian live music. This includes comprehensive support for ensuring business stability, facilitating the successful execution of existing activities, and managing ongoing cost increases. All proposed activities should aim to enhance the overall quality of the audience experience by making it more accessible to a diverse range of patrons and reaching out to broader audiences.

Grants offer valuable assistance for a wide range of activities, ensuring the successful execution of your goals. These activities may include, but are not limited to:

Marketing efforts to engage the core audience and devise and execute special initiatives aimed at enhancing audience diversity.
Covering administration costs directly associated with your activity, streamlining operations and ensuring smooth execution.
Facilitating exceptional live music programming and promotion, including artist fees and technical staff support.
Undertaking necessary small building alterations, (such as sound attenuation and disability access,) to enhance the live music performance experience, particularly when the infrastructure is owned by the festival organization (e.g., a permanent festival site).
Acquiring or renting essential equipment for staging high-quality performances, including professional PA systems and lighting setups.
Creating dedicated new stage or site areas that foster inclusivity and safety for performers and audiences. This includes providing spaces that are welcoming to youth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, gender diverse artists, and artists with disabilities.
Facilitating professional development opportunities, such as upskilling programs for venue and event staff.
Securing necessary insurances that are directly related to the live music event. This ensures comprehensive coverage and safeguards against unforeseen circumstances.
Encouraging adaptive ideas and capacity building initiatives that promote accessibility, safety, and diversity in Australian live music festivals. These efforts aim to enhance the representation of Australian live music and improve regional touring circuits.

Your grant activity is required to be conducted exclusively within Australia.

What companies are eligible for funding?

To be eligible you must:

Comply with all regulatory, industry and legal requirements in relation to copyright, licensing and employment
Have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
Have an account with an Australian financial institution
Be registered for the purposes of GST
Be a permanent resident of Australia

Be one of the following entity types:

A sole trader with employees
An Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations(Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006
A not-for-profit organisation
An Australian local government body
An incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
A company incorporated in Australia
A company incorporated by guarantee
A partnership
An incorporated association

We can only accept applications from:

An organisation that supports live original Australian music
A festival committed to presenting live performances of original music by predominantly Australian artists

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 has expired

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