Applications open for Creative Industries – Connectivity Program (Australia)

Objective

• In response to Creative Communities, the NSW arts, culture and creative industries policy, the purpose of this funding is to:
  • Incentivise new collaborative opportunities between the traditional arts and cultural sector and creative industries.
  • Encourage innovative partnerships that have potential for ongoing sustainable outcomes.
  • Demonstrate possible future direction of arts and culture and creative industry partnerships.
  • Offer the potential to export more Australian stories to the world.

Funding Information

• Grant amount: From $30,000 to $50,000.
• The project must take place between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.

Eligible Costs

• Costs you need to cover to make sure your project is a success:
  • Fees for artists and creatives to develop ideas and concepts
  • Fees for artists and creatives to be employed in the project
  • Cost of materials to build prototypes and for presentations
  • Travel and accommodations directly related to the project
  • Marketing and promotion costs
  • First Nations Cultural expenses
  • Accessibility expenses

Ineligible Costs

• projects or activities that are led by people who aren’t professional artists, arts and cultural workers, or creatives
• paying back money for items you’ve already bought
• buying equipment that isn’t directly used in your project
• capital works (infrastructure/building works).
• fundraising and donations
• awards, prizes, competitions, or prize money
• paying back loans.

Eligible Projects

• Some examples of what may be funded under this grant are but not limited to:
  • Small to medium visual arts organisation collaborating with a digital media organisation to develop a new way of promoting art using digital media.
  • Theatre company working with designers and architects to develop an immersive environment performance project.
  • Youth arts company working with an arts education provider to develop an innovative program to engage young people in the arts.
  • Western Sydney arts organisation collaborating with a food and beverage company to develop a culinary experience interactive event.
  • First Nations organisation working with a technology start up to develop a new interactive story telling platform.
  • An organisation working with a digital media company to create innovative solutions to increase accessibility.

Eligibility Criteria  

• To apply for Connectivity funding, applicants must:
  • be a small to medium not-for-profit arts and cultural organisation located in NSW for the last 12 months.
  • have an annual turn-over in the most recent financial year greater than $30,000.
• Additional Considerations:
  • The small to medium arts and cultural organisation must apply as the lead partner in the collaboration.
  • Recipients of 2024/25 Annual Program Funding, Project Funding and Multi-Year Funding are eligible to apply.
  • Arts and cultural focused Local Government Authority (LGA) business units are eligible
  • Organisations may be incorporated or unincorporated associations.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Ineligible applicants:
  • Individuals
  • Organisations that:
    • are outside of NSW
    • are schools and educational institutions (including preschools, primary and secondary schools)
    • do not have a clearly defined focus on arts and cultural activities.
    • have received funding before from Create NSW or Sound NSW for the same part of their project.
    • have already started their project.
    • Key Festivals, State Significant Organisations & a National Performing Arts Partnership Organisation.
    • have already submitted an application to this funding round.
  • the applicant organisation cannot have a primary focus of contemporary music, filmmaking, screen production, mainstream animation, digital games or film festivals.
  • the Creative Industries partner organisation cannot be the applicant.

For more information, visit NSW Government.