Biennial Project Grant for Artists and Cultural Organisations (Australia)

Deadline: 28-Sep-2026

The Biennial Project Grant supports the creation and development of new work across all art forms by individual professional artists, groups, and unfunded arts and cultural organisations in Australia. The grant provides $50,000 per year for two years, offering a total of $100,000 in staged funding. The two-year structure recognises that ambitious artistic projects often require extended periods of research, experimentation, creative development, and production. Funding can support activities including creative and project development, research, making new work, creative development showings, manuscript preparation for publishing, self-directed artist residencies, and discrete curated programs. The grant can cover a broad range of project expenses, including artist and commissioning fees, administration, production, travel, materials, equipment, studio or venue hire, marketing, freight, documentation, exhibition expenses, and curatorial costs. Eligible applicants include independent professional artists, groups, and arts and cultural organisations that do not receive annual or multi-year State Government funding. Certain publicly funded organisations and organisations supported through specified government funding frameworks are ineligible.

About the Biennial Project Grant

The Biennial Project Grant is an Australian arts funding opportunity designed to support the creation and development of new work across all art forms. Rather than focusing only on short-term project delivery, the grant provides funding over two years. This staged approach recognises the time required to develop ambitious and innovative artistic ideas. The programme aims to provide artists and arts organisations with the opportunity to undertake substantial creative processes that could potentially result in: - New artistic works. - Larger-scale collaborations. - Commissioned outcomes. - Innovative artistic projects. - New creative approaches and ideas. - Expanded research and development. - Public showings or other creative development outcomes. Funding Available

Successful applicants can receive:

- $50,000 per year - Two years of funding

- Total potential funding: $100,000

The staged funding model allows applicants to plan creative development over a longer period rather than being restricted to a single short-term funding cycle. This is particularly relevant to ambitious projects requiring significant research, experimentation, collaboration, production, or development before reaching their final outcome. What Does the Grant Support? The Biennial Project Grant supports the development and creation of new work across all art forms. Eligible activities can cover different stages of an artistic project, including: - Creative development. - Project development. - Research. - Making new work. - Creative development showings. - Preparation of manuscripts for publishing. - Self-directed artist residencies. - Residencies with organisations or in community. - Discrete curated programmes of activity. The programme recognises that artistic projects may develop through multiple stages and that substantial creative work can require extended periods of development. Creative and Project Development Funding can support the early and intermediate stages of developing a new artistic project. Artists and groups may use the funding for research, experimentation, planning, collaboration, and other activities necessary to transform an initial concept into a developed creative work. This makes the grant particularly relevant to projects where significant development is required before production, presentation, publication, or commissioning. Research and Making New Work The grant can support both research and the practical creation of new artistic work. Applicants may propose projects involving research into artistic concepts, experimentation with techniques or forms, and the actual making or production of the new work. Creative Development Showings Funding may also support creative development showings. These can provide opportunities to test, develop, or present work during the creative process rather than only at its final stage. Manuscript Development and Publishing The grant supports the development and preparation of manuscripts for publishing. This provides an opportunity for eligible artists and groups working in literary or related creative practices to undertake substantial development work associated with a manuscript. Artist Residencies The programme can support self-directed artist residencies, including residencies undertaken: - With arts or cultural organisations. - Within communities. - Through independently developed creative arrangements. Residency activities should contribute to the development or creation of the proposed new work. Curated Programmes Applicants may seek support for discrete curated programmes of activity. However, the programme does not support repeat annual programmes. The proposed activity should therefore represent a defined project rather than an ongoing annual programme that is repeated from year to year. What Costs Can the Grant Cover? The Biennial Project Grant supports a broad range of costs associated with developing and producing new work.

Potentially supported costs include:

- Administration. - Commissioning fees. - Creative fees. - Producer fees and personnel. - Technical personnel. - Production costs. - Travel. - Living allowances. - Marketing. - Materials. - Studio hire. - Venue hire. - Equipment. - Freight. - Curatorial costs. - Catalogue production. - Photography. - Documentation. - Exhibition expenses. Applicants should ensure that proposed expenditure is directly connected to the activities and outcomes described in their project proposal. Who Can Apply?

The grant is open to:

- Individual professional artists. - Groups. - Arts and cultural organisations. For organisations, eligibility is focused on those not receiving annual or multi-year State Government funding. A