Grants & Funding

Are you a band or artist looking for funding to tour internationally?  Austrade and several other state, federal and private organisations, offer grants and funding opportunities for music-related initiatives.

For more information about grants and funding for bands and artists, explore the links below:

At first glance it can seem like there is a large number of grants available via various government agencies and industry bodies. In fact, as you research the eligibility requirements and focus of individual grants, the field narrows considerably.  Indeed, for music industry organisations and artists, especially those focusing on export, the availability of potential grants boils down to a handful, namely:

Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) – Austrade’s only financial assistance scheme for all industries including Music. Basic details on EMDG can be found here http://www.austrade.gov.au/EMDG/default.aspx . Essentially EMDG is a rebate scheme, so if you meet the stated eligibility criteria and have invested marketing expenditure into promoting your business internationally in the previous financial year (previous 2 years if your first EMDG application), you should lodge an EMDG application to claim back a percentage of your investment. The benefits of EMDG include the fact that you can budget with confidence on a return of funds if you meet the eligibility criteria, the downside being that it is a rebate scheme not an advance grant.

Australia Council - The Australia Council has a large number of dynamic schemes, many of them aimed at supporting artists and industry in their international endeavours. You need to check their website Grants pages for the latest details, however there is currently schemes such as International Pathways and Live on Stage (aimed exclusively at SxSW, The Great Escape, WOMEX) for Music exporters. See http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/ for details.

State based Music Associations – Depending on where you are based may be beneficial in terms of being eligible for a grant form one of the several state based bodies such as Victoria Rocks (Arts Vic), QMusic and Trade Qld, WAM etc. The easiest way to keep up with all the state associations and find links to their sites / grant details, is to go to the National umbrella organisation the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) http://www.amin.org.au/

AICC – The Australia International Cultural Council is Australia's key cultural diplomacy body. Cultural diplomacy aims to engage overseas audiences through the delivery of high-quality and innovative arts and cultural promotions to increase their understanding of Australia's contemporary identity, values, interests and policies. Under this scheme there is a very narrow window of opportunity for contemporary artists to obtain an up-front grant if the artist’s objectives match those of the AICC, especially the current focus countries. See http://www.dfat.gov.au/aicc/grants.html for more details.

APRA and Other Schemes – Most of the other grant schemes going focus on the domestic Australian market, however APRA has an annual fund for songwriters which also apply to international opportunities. Their website also has a good list of most of the schemes going around. See here for details http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/MusicCreators/GrantsCompetitions/IndustryGrantsOpportunities.aspx

The JB Seed Fund – A standout independent fund financed by artists and industry investors including some of Australia’s high profile musicians and managers. Established by John Butler and partner Danielle, the Seed Fund is a growing opportunity for artists to help launch their careers in music. See http://thejbseed.com/wp/category/news/ for details.

GrantsLINK – Often a Music business may be eligible for grant funding under other parameters that relate more to the business rather than the music/art. Funding may be sought to assist with development of I.T / digital media issues, human resources, the environment, health and safety etc. within your business. If so, you may be eligible for one of the many business / industry grants available out in the wider network of government / industry associations etc. If you have a few hours to kill, I suggest you invest in researching the GrantsLink website, the definitive information source for current grant schemes out there. See http://www.grantslink.gov.au/ for details. GrantsLink also lists the current range of Culture and Heritage focused grant schemes including most of those mentioned above.