Creative grant application tips

Grants are becoming more and more competitive. Here are some general tips and points to ensure your grant application has the best chance to succeed.

How to Apply

1. Read the guidelines thoroughly and preview the application form.
2. Applicants are limited to one application per round of either Creative Sparks OR Lord Mayor’s Creative Fellowships.
3. Attend a grant information session. Go to details and bookings
4. Allow ample time to plan, research, gather support material and to draft your application.
5. Have other sources of funding as the program will not support 100% of the proposed activity or project costs
6. Complete and submit only one online application by 3pm on the closing date. Late applications will not be accepted and no changes to your application can be made once the round is closed.

Preference will be given to applicants who did not receive funding from either a Creative Sparks Grant or Lord Mayor’s Creative Fellowship Grant Program in the previous financial year. 

Take your time

Plan and start your application early and make sure you leave enough time to complete and submit your application.

Answer every question by providing clear and succinct information for the assessors and ensure you respond to the fund objectives and assessment criteria.

Substantiate your claims and demonstrate the quality, demand and stakeholder and community support for your project. Upload relevant and targeted support material that supports the claims in your application. For example:

• examples of current, proposed, or past works 
• reviews
• survey results from past audiences, participants or community members
• promotion plan and distribution plans
• appropriate insurances.

Ensure you have all the compulsory support material that must be included:

• artistic curriculum vitae summaries for key artists, arts professionals, collaborators, or partners involved
• confirmation of cash or in-kind support
• budget showing appropriate payments to creatives
• tentative booking quote or communication with a venue manager or relevant staff
• peer/industry support letter
• quotes to substantiate budget expenses
• evidence of proper consultation, consent and permission from appropriate community representatives if the proposal involves Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander arts, cultures and communities. Please read the Cultural Engagement Framework  for guidance on working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultures. 
• if auspiced, an auspice letter of support.

Stand out

Remember the assessment panel will read hundreds of applications. What will make your project memorable?

How does your project stand out from the crowd?

What makes your project exciting, innovative or fresh?

Consider the benefit 

Make sure to clearly outline the artistic details of your project – this is the most important part!

If you are funded, what is the outcome?

Outline exactly what you are doing and, where possible, what the “end result” (presentation or performance of work, recording, creative development, professional development) will look like. 

You should also outline the impact of the project on you and/or the artists involved, on the Brisbane arts and cultural sector and/or the local community.

Who is your audience and how will you promote your idea to this audience? 

Consider how you will measure the artistic and creative outcomes you are looking to achieve.

Be clear, concise and compelling

Grants are very competitive. Your application is a sales pitch to convince the reader why it should be funded. Use clear and concise language.

A lengthy application is not necessarily better (the assessors will be reading multiple applications).

Express yourself in fewer words BUT make sure you outline everything you need to.

Clearly and simply outline what your project is and how you will make it come to life.

Don’t submit a generic application that you have used for other purposes/funders – you must address the specific Grant assessment criteria.

Avoid repeating yourself – you can refer to other application sections or support material instead.

Provide relevant and high-quality support material. Avoid submitting unnecessary or irrelevant material just for the sake of padding – your support material should be directly related to your application and your activities.

Ensure letters from partners and collaborators clearly set out their contribution (cash/in-kind) and their role and/or involvement in delivering your activities.

Use plain language and make it easy to understand who you are, what you need funding for and why the project is important. Avoid using jargon and acronyms. For example:

• Avoid saying:
  “Movement explores the complex physical and emotional language humans have developed to interact in today's society. Using a transdisciplinary collaboration of contemporary dance and physical soundwaves this work uses movement and multiple auditory configurations to mimic body language. This first stage creative development will be fully documented and will culminate in a WIP showing”.
• Instead say:
  “I/we are seeking funding for the development of a new dance/music work called Movement. This work uses a unique combination of vibration and movement to explore how people communicate their ideas in today's society. The outcome of the project will include a work-in-progress presentation for a test audience. We will also document the project through images and video."

Public Liability Insurance

If your project involves the public in any way, as creative participants, workshop participants or audience members, you are liable for any claims of personal injury property damage that a third party may make as a result of these activities. In order to protect yourself and/or your organisation, you must have Public Liability Insurance (PLI). The level of insurance you will need will be dictated by the size of your event. You will need to provide evidence of appropriate cover (if relevant) as part of your support material in making your application.

Spend time on your budget

Your budget should be realistic and should cover your entire project. Provide as much detail as you can to give a complete picture and make use of the explanatory notes section in the budget. If you think something in your budget might be confusing - explain it!

• Fees and salaries should be consistent with industry standards.
• Include quotes for everything you are requesting the grant funds for.
• Clearly show how you will use the grant funds by itemising each expense and the portion of grant funds that will be used.
• Check out the guidelines to make sure all items listed are eligible.
• For Creative Sparks and Lord Mayor’s Creative Fellowship you cannot apply for 100% of the project costs.

Award Industry Rates

Council is committed to fair wages and conditions for arts practitioners. When preparing your budget please ensure the artist receive a fair return in line with industry standards. For futher information please refer to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Arts Law, National Association for the Visual Arts, Theatre Network Australia, Ausdance Queensland, Australian Writers’ Guild, Australian Society of Authors, Access Arts, BlakDance, Museums and Galleries Queensland, Musicians Union of Australia. 

Balancing your budget

Make sure that your budget adds up and your income and expenditure balances. Your total project income must equal your total project expense. That means you are not making a profit or a loss for this project.

The value of any in-kind support should be included in your budget as both income AND expenditure, and you should make budget notes to explain what your in-kind income is made up of. For example if you are being offered free venue hire, you would add the actual venue hire as an expense. The in-kind support for the venue hire is considered an income. This means that the expense and the income off-set each other.

Ensure you are familiar with the guidelines as some items are not eligible for 100% of funding.

Completing your budget table

You must complete a budget table to support your application. See the budget tips and examples for help.

Indicate how much of the grant is funding each item within the 'funded by this grant' column.

Applying for multiple grants for your project?

If you have confirmed income (e.g., confirmed grants from other funding bodies) make sure your application shows if other grants funding (outside of Council) is confirmed or the date when you expect to hear about your application.

Income

Expected income may include:

• Brisbane City Council - your grant funding
• other grants - Queensland or Australian Government, foundations and/or Australia Council for the Arts
• earned income - product sales, ticket sales, workshop fees and/or partner contribution
• your own contribution - cash, equipment, materials and/or in-kind support (e.g. historian fees, staff and volunteers time)
• sponsorships, fundraising and donations - crowd funding, organisational support, other cash and in-kind support.

Expenses

Expected expenses may include:

• fees and allowances - participating project staff, professional personnel (e.g. historians, curators, exhibition designers, producers, directors etc.) and/or researcher fees
• production and development costs - hire fees, venue/space fees, workshops, consumables, equipment and/or materials
• administration costs - auspice fees, travel, permits and/or office consumables
• promotion, documentation and marketing costs - design, printing, distribution, photographer, publicity, website and/or advertising fees.

In-kind contribution or in-kind support

This is the dollar value of non-cash contributions to a project e.g. ‘. volunteer labour, administrative support, rent-free accommodation or donations of materials or equipment. These contributions should be given a dollar value and must be included in the proposed budget.

To ensure your budget table balances the in-kind income line item must match the in-kind expense line item. 

Please note that for assessment:

• all budget figures provided must be GST exclusive i.e deduct GST from quotes and invoices
• if your organisation is GST registered 10% GST will be added to your grant as an itemised GST gross-up.

Budget table

An example budget table for the Creative Sparks Grant Program is below:

Income budget table

Total income amount = $41,615

Expenses budget table

Total expenses = $41,615 (must equal your total income)

Total grant amount sought = $10,000

Check your application

Spell check your work.

Consider asking a friend or colleague to read the application to make sure the information is clear.

If they can't understand it, it is likely the assessment panel won't either. 

Before you submit your application, double check you have completed all sections and uploaded all compulsory support material.

Be aware of the notification date of the grant when you find out if you are successful or not. Make sure your project starts after this date.

More information

You can contact Council and ask to speak with a Creative and History Grant Program Officer or send an email.

Having technical difficulty submitting your application?

Contact Council and speak with a Grants Administration Officer.

Resources

Visit the Arts Queensland, Arts Acumen website or Flying Arts  more information on grant writing, budget preparation and grant examples.