Capacity-Building Lead for First Nations Arts

Capacity Building for First Nations Organisations First Nations led small to medium arts organisations are invited to submit a proposal for a one-off capacity building investment for the 2026 calendar year. This one-off investment is only eligible to legally constituted organisations or enterprises.

Key dates Applications close: 3pm AEDT on Tuesday 3 March 2026.

Applicants will be notified by 11 May 2026.

Funding is for the period 1 June 2026 to 31 December 2026.

The purpose of the program is to provide small to medium First Nations arts organisations with one-off capacity building investment to assist with program and artistic delivery and/or operations to the end of 2026.

The program will support arts organisations or organisations that deliver services in support of First Nations arts and culture activity.

Organisations approved for this investment will be eligible to apply later in 2026 for a two-year investment for 2027 and 2028. Thisinvestment is designed to assist organisations build capacity in the areas of planning and program design in the lead up to the two-year investment opportunity.

Organisations can apply for $60,000.

Supported activities must take place between 1 June 2026 and 31 December 2026.

Please read through the following funding guidelines.

Organisations interested in applying need to contact the First Nations Arts & Culture Team or a Multi-Year Investment Manager at . Following a meeting you will be provided with access to the application form in our Application Management System.

If you are an applicant with a disability, or are working with artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Pleasecontact the First Nations Arts & Culture Team .

Who can apply

Only organisations may apply to this category.

Organisations must:

• identify as an Australian First Nations organisation with at least 51% First Nations board representation
• demonstrate a history of working and supporting Australian artists and/or arts workers who identify as Australian First Nations
• be based in Australia
• only submit one application to this grant initiative
• you receive multi-year investment in the years 2025 to 2028 through other Creative Australia multi-year programs.

What can be applied for

We will fund a range of activities which help support and build capacity in the small to medium arts sector, for example:

• staffing costs including wages and fees for artists or arts workers
• administration and other operational running costs
• development of strategic plans or business plans
• costs associated with program and artistic delivery including creative development, creation of new work, presentation and touring
• professional skills development for artists and/or arts workers
• sector development or capacity building
• promotion and marketing

Activities can take place nationally, internationally, online, or a combination of in-person and online (hybrid activities).

If your program involves a partnership or collaboration with organisations in the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework you must discuss your application with us before applying.

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Therefore, budgets may also include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are an applicant with a disability, or are working with artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Pleasecontact the First Nations Arts & Culture Team or a Multi Year Investment Manager to discuss your specific needs.

What can't be applied for

• programs or activities that do not involve or benefit the arts sector
• programs or activities that do not have a clearly defined arts component

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations .

Assessment Your application will be reviewed by Industry Advisors and Creative Australia staff.

Assessment Criteria

You must address three assessment criteria in this category.

Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what Industry Advisors may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.

First criterion

You can address one of the following two options:

Quality of artistic or cultural activities or Quality of Services to the Arts

Industry Advisors will assess the quality of the artistic and cultural activities at the centre of your proposal. For quality of artistic or cultural activities they may consider:

• vision, ideas and rationale for the capacity building proposal
• benefit and impact on careers, artistic or cultural practice
• level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking
• rigour and clear articulation of creative, engagement or development processes
• significance of the work within area of practice and communities
• contribution to diverse cultural expression
• timeliness and relevance of work
• quality of previous work
• responses to previous work from artistic or cultural peers, or the public.

or

For quality of services they may consider:

• Rationale for capacity building proposal
• quality of the services provided
• impact of services for artists, arts professionals, participants, or audiences
• diversity and breadth of those benefitting from the services
• capacity-building potential, including a contribution to sustainable arts practice
• skills and professional development opportunities for artists and arts professionals
• breadth and quality of community engagement, partnerships, and collaborations
• responsiveness to identified need or demand
• innovation and improvement of operating models and frameworks.

Second criterion

Viability

Industry advisors will assess the viability of your proposal.

They may consider:

• capacity to deliver the proposed activities or services
• relevance and timeliness of proposed activity
• skills and ability of artists, arts professionals, collaborators, or participants involved, and relevance to activity
• realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including, where relevant, contingency and safety plans for activities involving public presentation, national or international travel
• meaningful evaluation
• appropriate payments to participating artists, arts professionals, collaborators, participants, or cultural consultants
• the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the program
• governance arrangements
• role of partners or collaborators, including confirmation of involvement
• diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship and in-kind contributions
• evidence of appropriate consultation and engagement with participants, audiences or communities
• where relevant to the program, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to
• where relevant, evidence that you have considered and addressed any access issues associated with your program
• where relevant, evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits.

Third criterion

Impact

Industry advisors will assess the potential impact of funding on your creative activity and how likely you are to achieve this. The impacts may relate to you and your creative practice, other people such as your collaborators or partners, your participants or audiences, your communities, or your sector.
The impacts they may consider include:

• supporting First Nations self-determination and cultural practice
• development of new skills and capacity
• opportunities for career development
• researching and testing new ideas, processes and practices
• opportunities for more people to experience and engage with arts and culture in different ways
• opportunities that increase inclusion, equity, access or wellbeing
• developing and sustaining new and existing markets for your work
• development of more sustainable practice and operations
• development of the arts practice or sector in which you work.
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