FAQs

The Organisations Fund 2026-2029 (the Fund) provides multi-year funding to small-to-medium arts and cultural organisations in Queensland to support core operational and program delivery costs. 

Key dates

• Applications open - 30 September 2024
• Applications close - 20 January 2025
• Applications assessed - January to May 2025
• Fund outcomes announced - By 30 June 2025
• Funded activities period - 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2029

 

Who can apply?

The Fund is open to applicants from Queensland-based arts organisations including First Nations and non-Indigenous organisations with a turnover of less than $5 million per annum. 

Please refer to the Organisations Fund 2026-2029 Guidelines eligibility criteria for more information. 

 

Is the Fund open to new applicants?

Applications are welcome from all arts organisations including those new to the Fund and from those who are currently funded through the Organisations Fund 2022-2025 or First Nations Pathways Fund 2022-2025, who have a track record of program or service delivery and meet the Fund’s eligibility criteria.

Applicants will need to demonstrate their critical role in Queensland’s arts and cultural sector and how they deliver on the Fund objectives.

 

Is the Fund open to for-profit organisations?

For-profit organisations that can demonstrate a compelling financial rationale for subsidy and a clear case for public value are eligible to apply and must guarantee that no Arts Queensland funding will be distributed to shareholders.

 

What is new or different in the Organisations Fund?

Key areas where the Organisations Fund 2026-2029 is different to other iterations include:

• The Fund has been streamlined to a one-stage application process with an increased minimum funding of $100,000 per annum across the four-year fund.
• The Fund does not specify a maximum funding cap amount, however, does clearly state that if successful it is very unlikely existing Organisations Fund and First Nations Pathways recipients would receive any more than 10% of current core funding level. New entrants to the Fund will also be unlikely to receive more than $100,000 in annual funding. 
• A new Organisations Fund 2026-2029 Festivals stream has been introduced and will open 13 January 2025 for organisations that primarily deliver a festival/s.
• In line with Arts Queensland’s Peer Assessment approach, First Nations organisations have the option to have their application assessed by panel of 100% First Nations representation, and all other Eligible Applications will be assessed by a panel with at least 50% First Nations representation.

 

We don’t have a board or governing committee - can we still apply?

Organisations registered under or by Australian law that don’t have a board are eligible to apply to the Fund but must demonstrate the mechanisms in place for effective management, governance, financial oversight and business sustainability. Please refer to the Evaluation Criteria in the Fund Guidelines for more information.

 

If our staff or ensemble are not all based in Queensland, can we still apply?

Yes. To be eligible you must have a business address and staff based in Queensland. The expectation is that the majority of your employees are permanently based in Queensland, however it is not an eligibility requirement that all employees be.

The assessment criteria requires you to demonstrate the impact of your activities on Queenslanders, including economic benefits which can include employment. Also, assessors may consider the level of ongoing employment for Queensland artists and artsworkers in making their recommendation of funding.

 

Can family trusts apply?

No. Family trusts are not eligible. The guidelines have been updated to reflect this.

 

My organisation delivers arts and cultural activity, but that’s not all we do. Are we eligible to apply?

We will accept applications from small to medium business that have a strategic focus on delivering arts and culture through key areas of the business, even if a parent business has a wider focus. For example, an organisation that primarily provides support and services for people with disability, would be eligible to apply for their dedicated arts unit. To be competitive in your application, you would need a strong rationale to secure funding for the arts-focussed unit or subsidiary. In this instance, AQ funding cannot contribute to, or subsidise, activity in your non-arts business areas.

 

My organisation works across many artforms including film making/screen. Are we eligible to apply?

The primary focus of your business should not be on delivering film, screen, Tv or games related activities. If it is, you must have a business unit or subsidiary that is focussed on delivering non-screen-based arts activities. Please see the answer to the above question regarding organisations that also have non-arts purposes.

 

Should my organisation wait to apply to the Organisations Fund 2026-2029 Festivals stream? 

Organisations that primarily deliver festivals should consider applying to the new Organisations Fund 2026-2029 Festivals stream. This stream will have adjusted eligibility and evaluation criteria to reflect festival delivery.

If you choose to apply to the Fund, you will not be disadvantaged as an applicant in either the broader Organisations Fund or within the Festivals stream, noting available funding levels align as stated in section 3 of the Guidelines. Please refer to the Fund guidelines for information about the Festivals stream including definitions and key dates.

You will only be able to apply to one stream. There is a crossover of a week between the opening of the Festival stream and the closing of the General Stream so that you can decide which fund best suits your organisation’s core activity and strengths.

We strongly recommend preparing responses to the General stream questions offline and starting to collate your supporting material now. This stream closes after the Festivals stream opens, so you will have time to decide whether the Festivals stream is a better fit for your organisation’s core activity and strengths.

If you decide to apply to the Festivals stream you will still have time to adjust your existing answers to address any change in emphasis of the Festival stream guidelines,

 

What funding is available? 

A total four-year investment of approximately $38 million is available through the Fund, including the Festivals stream.

Applications to the Fund are invited from organisations that are seeking a minimum $100,000 per annum, noting it is very unlikely that if successful, new applicants to the Fund would receive more than $100,000 in annual funding, or existing applicants (Organisations Fund, First Nations Pathways) would receive more than a 10% increase on current base funding. 

Arts Queensland will not fund the majority of an organisation’s cash expenditure. It is expected that an applicant organisation can maintain and grow a diversified revenue model to support employment and programming or service delivery. In considering a funding request, it is unlikely an organisation will receive more than 30% of its total budget from Arts Queensland (core support and projected project funding).

This percentage is a guide and not an eligibility criterion. Strong businesses need a diverse income base to be resilient. It will be recognised that different business models have different opportunities to earn or attract other income, and we expect assessors will consider each case for funding on its merits.

 

My organisation has upcoming reports due under current Arts Queensland grants – do I need to complete this reporting before I submit my application?

You must submit all reporting by the contracted due date to be eligible to apply. If you have overdue reporting or have not provided any additional information requested by Arts Queensland in relation to the reports you have submitted, you will be ineligible to apply.

 

My organisation is a business unit/entity within a larger organisation. Do I need to provide financial information for the parent organisation or just my business unit/entity?

If you are a separate legal entity (e.g. a controlled entity within a larger organisation) you should provide historical and forward financial information for your entity only. 

If you are not a separate legal entity, you are required to provide:

• historical information for both the larger legal entity and your business unit
• forward/forecast budgets for your business unit only

 

My organisation receives multi-year transition funding. Do we have to complete the ‘Financial History’ section of the application form?

No, your organisation will have already provided this information through your Smarty Grants reporting. The application form has been updated to reflect this.

 

Why has Arts Queensland requested diversity information about our organisation’s employees and Board /Management Committee? Do we need to provide answers against all categories?

Arts Queensland is keen to understand how the workforce and leadership of the arts and cultural sector reflects the diversity of Queenslanders.

You may have this data from your internal monitoring of diversity.

Although these questions are not compulsory, we encourage you to include it in your application if your organisation has this information and permission to share it.

Understanding the diversity of your employees and leadership may also help demonstrate to assessors that your organisation has the capacity to understand and meet the needs of your audiences and communities, and to help share their stories.

 

Are we eligible to apply to the Fund if our organisation is currently all voluntary with no paid staff? We are growing rapidly and would like to apply for organisational funding for core staff and programs.

You are eligible to apply to the Fund providing the staff you employ will be permanently based in Queensland and you meet all other Fund criteria.

 

How does my organisation apply to the Fund?

Applications must be submitted online through Arts Queensland’s SmartyGrants portal.

Applicants must view a recorded briefing on the Fund prior to accessing the application form. Please request a copy by emailing organisationsfund@arts.qld.gov.au.

Incomplete applications or applications submitted after 2pm on 20 January 2025 for the Fund, or in the instance of the Festivals stream after its published closing time and date when available, may be deemed ineligible. Ineligible applications will not be assessed.

Support for technical issues related to the online application is available by contacting an Arts Queensland Grants Officer by email at organisationsfund@arts.qld.gov.au or by phone (07) 3034 4016 or toll-free 1800 175 531.

 

Who can I contact to assist with queries about the Fund?

You can contact Arts Queensland by phoning (07) 3034 4016 or toll-free 1800 175 521 or by emailing organisationsfund@arts.qld.gov.au 

Arts Queensland will update and publish these FAQs with relevant information and clarification, as required. All registered applicants will have access to the same information.

 

Can I submit support material after the application closing date?

No. Support material must be submitted by the closing date.

 

How will applications to the Fund be assessed?

Arts Queensland will undertake initial eligibility checks (including financial analysis). Eligible applications will then be assessed by an independent Assessment Panel (the Panel) comprised of arts and culture and business expertise and 50% First Nations representation in line with Arts Queensland’s Peer Assessment approach. First Nations organisations can request their applications be assessed by a panel with 100% First Nations representation. 

The Panel will assess and score all eligible applications based on responses to the Evaluation Criteria and delivery of fund objectives.

The Panel will meet to moderate funding recommendations to ensure balance across art forms, geographic spread and government priorities. Funding recommendations are made to the Delegate for consideration and approval.

If an organisation receives a government rental subsidy, this will be considered when funding levels are recommended by the Panel.

 

Can you clarify what defines "activity over previous 2 years" as required in the form?

Your previous 2 years of activity should align to your financial reporting. If you complete your financial reporting on a calendar year basis, please provide a summary of key activity and achievements for 2023 and 2024 as the application is due in January 2025. If you complete your reporting on a financial year basis, please provide a summary of key activity and achievements for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.

 

What is Arts Queensland’s role?

Arts Queensland staff will check eligibility against published eligibility criteria and will generate financial summaries based on application data to assist the peer assessment panel.

Arts Queensland staff will attend moderation meetings to:

• record the outcomes and moderated comments
• provide factual or background information to the assessment panel as required including undertaking due diligence checks
• support the Assessment Panel in matters relating to Queensland Government policies and priorities.

 

How does Arts Queensland ensure process integrity for the Fund?

A Probity Advisor has been appointed to support the Fund application and assessment process and ensure that government and the public can be confident all processes are managed efficiently, effectively and represent best use of public money and resources.

The Probity Advisor will provide advice and assistance before and during the Fund assessment process to support good governance and decision making.

 

Will applicants be offered the total funding amount requested?

Not always. It is anticipated the Fund will be highly competitive. The Panel may recommend that an applicant receives less funding than requested in consideration of available funding and demand on the Fund.

If you are offered less than you requested, AQ will work with you to ensure your funding agreement, contracted deliverables and KPIs reflect the amount of funding offered.

 

Will Organisations Fund recipients be able to receive other AQ funding?

At the moment, organisations that receive Organisations or First Nations Pathways funding are eligible to apply to most AQ project funding programs, as long as they meet the fund-specific eligibility criteria.

If you intend to apply for AQ project funding in the 2026-2029 period, please include it in your forward budgets. However, approval for funding in the Organisations Fund does not mean that the budgeted project funding is guaranteed.

All our funding programs are independently peer assessed and are highly competitive, and there may be changes to funding programs as a result of new directions or priorities. We strongly recommend that you consider this in your risk analysis and have a plan for how you will deliver activity if you are unsuccessful in getting additional AQ project funding.

 

Can I request feedback on my application during or after the assessment process?

Applicants may request verbal feedback on their application after being notified of funding outcomes. The Assessment Panel’s feedback will focus on the assessment criteria and areas where the applicant can improve for future funding applications. 

Written feedback will not be provided.

 

What happens if funding is approved?

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a funding agreement with Arts Queensland, which will include Key Performance Indicator measures and targets based on the information provided in the application. If you are offered less than you requested this will be considered when discussing your deliverables and KPIs at the contracting stage. Please refer to the Fund Guidelines for further information about reporting requirements.

 

Can I speak to someone from Arts Queensland prior to submitting an application?

Arts Queensland can respond to queries regarding the Fund guidelines that may not be answered here, however due to probity considerations, queries must be sent in writing to organisationsfund@arts.qld.gov.au, with de-identified questions and answers published on our website.

If you are experiencing technical issues in relation to submitting or completing your application please call (07) 3034 4016 or toll-free 1800 175 521.

We recommend you follow the Arts Queensland Facebook page www.facebook.com/artsqueenslandAQ and our website at www.arts.qld.gov.au to make sure you receive timely updates and tools to support your application to the Fund.

 

Glossary and Definitions

• Auspiced – where someone other than the applicant takes responsibility for all legal and financial obligations, including how the grant funding is spent and ensuring the funded activity is completed and acquitted in time.
• Audience development – the ongoing process of understanding the needs of, building relationships with, and growing audiences over time.
• Casual employee – an employee who receives remuneration and is employed on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis without any commitment from the employer or employee that the job is permanently guaranteed. 
• Core program – an organisation’s public-facing activity that engages audiences/attendees and participants with activities that are central to the mission of the organisation and that are broadly un-reliant on project funding to take place.
• Community – a community can be any group of people who identify with each other through a common element that can include geographical location; shared cultural heritage, history, or other characteristics; age group; profession; or social or recreational interests. ( added 11.10.24)
• Core operations / core business – an organisation’s day to day activities that do not change regardless of individual projects. 
• Core staff / ensemble – staff or artistic roles employed in an ongoing way by the organisation, regardless of whether individual projects go ahead. 
• Earned income – money earned from supplying goods or services e.g. ticket sales, workshops fees, income from selling artistic product, merchandise, or food/drink. Earned income does not include grant funding. 
• Festival – an organised series or program of public arts and cultural events that support significant employment opportunities for Queensland artists and arts workers, are held over two or more consecutive days, and have broad town/city/region and community-wide appeal. 
• Sustainable financial approach – using generally accepted measures of financial stability, the following will be included when assessors consider financial criteria:
  • enough income to cover expenses on an annual basis
  • a current ratio of at least 1.0
  • Net margin of 10% or more
  • Appropriate levels of cash reserves to manage risk, e.g. 20%
  • the ability to adjust expenditure responsively to emergencies or changes in income.
• First Nations organisations – for the purposes of this Fund, a First Nations organisation is at least 50% owned and led by Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who have formal authority to make decisions in the operations and governance of the organisation.
• Full-time employee – people who are employed on an ongoing basis at your organisation’s defined level of full-time hours.
• FTE – full time equivalent employees, based on your organisation’s definition of full-time or the Australian Bureau of Statistics guide of at least 35 hours per week. 
• In-Kind – includes real costs provided free of charge or at a discounted rate, such as services, administrative support, rent-free accommodation or donations of materials or equipment.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – measures of outcomes or outputs to evaluate activities.
• Not-for-profit – a legally constituted organisation whose constitution or rules state that profits or surpluses must be used to further the organisation’s objects. Any profits or surpluses cannot be distributed to owners, members or any other individual or group of individuals. The constitution or rules should also make provision for the transfer of assets to a similar organisation should they cease operations.
• Operational funding – contributions made by funding bodies that support the core operations and annual programs of arts and cultural organisations.
• Overheads – the day-to-day costs of running a business that are not affected by creating products or services. These could include rent, utilities, telephone and internet, repairs, office supplies, office equipment hire, insurance, legal or accountancy fees.
• Part-time employees – the people who are employed in your organisations on an ongoing basis but work less than your organisation’s defined level of full-time hours.
• Private sector support – money received through sponsorships, partnerships, donations, philanthropic foundations and fundraising.
• Reviewed financial statements – financial statements (profit and loss and balance sheet) reviewed and certified that they represent a true and fair view of your financial position. The reviewer must be independent of your organisation and comply with all applicable codes of ethics and professional standards and be a registered company auditor or audit company or an individual who has the designations CA, FCA, CPA, FCPA, MIPA or FIPA to show they are member of an appropriate accountancy institute. 
• Risk management framework – a set of references and tools to support decisions about how to manage risk. It should cover risk identification, risk analysis and evaluation, risk mitigation, risk monitoring and risk governance, and may include policies, strategies, plans, processes and models and statements of your organisation’s position on risk. 
• Small to medium – for the purposes of this fund, small to medium organisations are those that have a turnover of less than $5 million per annum.
• Trust – an obligation imposed on a person or other entity to hold property for the benefit of beneficiaries. While in legal terms a trust is a relationship not a legal entity, trusts are treated as taxpayer entities for the purposes of tax administration.

In addition to the Frequently Asked Questions, you can find additional resources to support you in making an application at Arts Acumen.