There will be two focus areas within the program, each with their own set of guidelines and requirements:

• Focus Area 1: Uncovering Talent: a fixed $5000 grant that is to support creatives, artists and creative workers at any career level who have not received* Creative Victoria funding before to undertake a creative project.  
  
  *Except for direct recipients of grants from the following COVID support programs: Sustaining Creative Workers Initiative, Creative Workers Fund, Victorian Music Industry Recovery Program, Live Music Venues Support Program

• Focus Area 2: Projects: $10,000 - $20,000 grants to support creatives with a proven track record to undertake projects and professional development opportunities.

Both focus areas have dedicated streams for First Peoples and Deaf and Disabled applicants, alongside the General stream.

The Creative Projects Fund supports projects led by Victorian professional artists, creative practitioners, groups/collectives and creative micro to small organisations. It can also include projects collaborating with creative and non-creative personnel (such as technicians, publicists etc).

Funding can be used to:

• developing new creative content, products or experiences

• presenting and/or launching work to reach new markets

• investing in innovative ideas

• supporting collaborations and partnerships

The levels of funding available for each focus area are detailed below. While all applicants are encouraged to include accessibility costs within their project budget, those applying through the Deaf and Disabled stream may apply for an additional amount on top of the general project costs to cover specific accessibility expenses for Deaf and Disabled participants:

Uncovering Talent: Fixed $5,000 grant (plus up to $1,500 in accessibility costs for applicants through the Deaf and Disabled stream)

Projects: between $10,000 and $20,000 (plus up to $3,000 in accessibility costs for applicants through the Deaf and Disabled stream)

Yes. Applications are encouraged from a wide range of creative disciplines from across the sector, including but not limited to screen, digital games, design, visual arts/craft, literature, dance/physical performance, circus, cabaret, music, sound art, theatre, multidisciplinary and cross-industry collaborations.

Please note, screen activities that can be funded through VicScreen’s programs will not be funded by this program. Contemporary music proposals may be directed to the Music Works program.

This round supports activities commencing 1 July 2025. Your project must conclude within 18 months from this date.

You will receive a Common Funding Agreement if your application is successful, and you must confirm your acceptance of the agreement.

The payment schedule and any relevant funding deliverables/milestones will be outlined in the funding agreement.

Once the agreement has been executed (i.e. accepted by the recipient and Creative Victoria), and you have satisfied any conditions and provided us with an invoice, then the grant payment will be made.

You can only submit one application to either Uncovering Talent or Projects.

Only one application per applicant or organisation will be accepted. One individual is not able to act as the primary contact for two separate applications. This applies to both individual and group/collective activity.

If you are under 18 years of age you must apply through an auspicing body. You can find more information about auspicing on our website here.

No. Applicants can only submit one application to Music Works 2025 or Creative Projects Fund 2025.

Creative Victoria will not consider funding for activity prior to 1 July 2025. You should not commit to any arrangements or make any payments on the assumption you will receive support for project prior to this date.

As Creative Victoria grants use public money, the allocation of funds through our grants programs requires significant scrutiny and applicants cannot be funded until this process has been completed.

Creative Projects Fund does not support the reimbursement of expenses already incurred, or other retrospective funding. For example, you cannot apply for funding to cover the costs for an exhibition that you presented in March 2025.

No. Demand for Creative Victoria funding is high, and this is an extremely competitive program. Applicants must not assume they will be successful or enter commitments based on that assumption before receiving formal notification of the outcome of their funding.  If you’ve been successful once, that isn’t a guarantee that you’ll be successful again.

Only one application can be submitted per applicant. Auspicing organisations can submit multiple applications on behalf of others.

This program is not for business support. LaunchVic’s website has information and resources for start-ups. Please refer to Business Victoria’s website for more information about business support.

Applications for international activity will be accepted. Applicants should ensure that any proposed international activities demonstrate compliance with current Commonwealth and Victorian public health measures.

For projects involving international travel, please consider viable planning and contingencies.

Creative Projects Fund does not duplicate the programs offered by VicScreen. If your activity/project is suitable for funding through any of VicScreen’s programs, you are not eligible to apply to this program. This is to ensure fairness and equity, given that there will be limited funding available.

You are welcome to apply to the Creative Projects Fund for activities that are not eligible for VicScreen programs.

Please contact program staff to discuss if you need any further advice.

Any information provided in your application may be shared and subject to verification with other government departments/agencies, including VicScreen, as required.

The project description should be a description of the type of activity in the application and how it aligns with the program outcomes of the Creative Projects Fund. We recommend using the Application Drafting Tools, available for download under ‘Guidelines and Tools’.

There is only one application question for the Uncovering Talent focus area. It is important to provide a comprehensive overview of your activity, including what you are proposing to do, key outcomes of the activity as well as detailing why it is important for your career/practice.

When you are forming your response, consider how your activity aligns with the assessment criteria.

There are two application questions for the Projects focus area. When you are forming your response to each question, consider how your activity aligns with the assessment criteria. 

You will need to provide a comprehensive overview of your activity, including what you are proposing to do, the timeframe you are delivering the activity, any key milestones and key collaborators on the activity as well as detailing why it is important for your career/practice and how it builds on your previous activity/work.

Support material will be used by the panel to assess your application against the assessment criteria.

There are required support documents that you must upload with your application:

• Project Management Timeline (Projects only)

• Creative support material

Optional support material may include:

• Additional CV/bios

• Budget notes

• Support documentation to provide if your project involves Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) and/or collaborations with First Peoples creatives or community/Elder(s)

• Letters of confirmations

• Community engagement strategy for activity with community

Ensure you prepare the require support documents and any optional support materials ahead of the program closing date, so you have everything prepared for the submission of your application.

Any legally constituted body may act as an auspice. In this instance, the auspice organisation will receive any funds allocated and is responsible for the management of the project and must sign off on the acquittal of grant funds.

For more information on auspicing, please see the Creative Victoria website here, or contact program staff.

Groups of individuals who join together as a collective must be legally constituted or nominate either an individual or an auspice to apply, and to take legal and financial responsibility for the grant should one be awarded.

If you don’t have an ABN or are not sure that you will have the capacity to manage the paperwork or requirements associated with a Creative Victoria grant, an organisation or business can submit the application on your behalf.

If your application is successful, the auspice organisation will receive any funds allocated, is responsible for the management of the project and must sign off on the acquittal of grant funds.

It is required that you have a clear written agreement with your auspice organisation. You must have written confirmation of the agreement, from the auspice organisation, before applying for funding.

Please note, an auspice organisation can apply to this program on behalf of multiple people/projects.

For more information, visit the Auspiced applications webpage on Creative Victoria’s website.

One of the key guiding principles of the Creative State 2025 strategy is First Peoples First. We are committed to the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 11 guiding principles of Aboriginal Self-Determination as identified in the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework 2018-23.

Applicants must follow correct protocols when working with First Peoples artists, activity and/or communities. Please refer to Creative Australia’s (previously Australia Council) Protocols For Using First Nations Cultural And Intellectual Property In The Arts. In particular, the project checklist (pages 168 to 172) can be used as a resource to guide considerations when engaging with First Peoples content, creatives and cultural heritage.

For the protection of First Peoples arts practice from misappropriation, moral and copyright infringement, appropriate documentation must be submitted if you propose to work with First Peoples stories/cultural material that is not your own, such as letters of confirmation from the First Peoples you are working with and protocols you will put in place to ensure cultural safety.

Applications from non-First Peoples applicants that contain ICIP, or collaborations may also be reviewed by a First Peoples cultural protocol review panel. Activity that does not follow or demonstrate correct protocols will not be supported.

For the Projects Focus area - please use the below as a guide of the types of supporting documentation you need to provide:

• the budget amount allocated for First Peoples collaboration or engagement (in the budget section of the application)

• Letters of confirmation from First Peoples collaborators / communities

For organisations/as appropriate:

• Cultural safety protocol strategies.

• First Peoples community engagement plans

For Uncovering Talent Focus area – you will need to identify whether your application includes Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) and/or collaboration with First Peoples creative practitioners and/or community. If your application includes ICIP and/or collaboration you will still need to provide a summary of this activity and determine if support documentation is required.

Yes. This grant may affect your payments. Please check with Centrelink or your contact person at NDIS. You may want to consider being auspiced by an organisation.

Grants paid by Creative Victoria may be considered part of your income in a financial year and may therefore be subject to tax. You will need to determine their own taxation responsibilities.

An in-kind contribution is a contribution of a goods or service other than money. This can be from the applicant, other activity partners/participants or private support. In-kind contributions could include donated goods, services or volunteer work to support a project. Some examples include:

We strongly encourage applicants to consider inclusive ways of working and ensuring access to all audiences. Funding can be used to cover any access costs that help remove barriers for participants involved in your activity. You can also use the funding to make your activity accessible to a wider audience.

If you are applying under the Deaf and Disabled Stream, you can apply for an additional amount of up to $1,500 (Uncovering Talent Focus area) or $3,000 (Projects Focus area) on top of your general project costs to cover specific access expenses that will help you reduce barriers for Deaf and Disabled artists/creative workers involved in your project. These additional access costs can only be allocated towards access initiatives and can’t be repurposed to cover general project costs.

Accessibility costs vary depending on the project and services you need. We suggest getting in touch with an access consultant. You can find the Inclusive Practice Guide and a list of organisations in Victoria offering support to Deaf and Disabled people on the Arts Access Victoria’s website.

Applications from First Peoples or First Peoples-led groups will be assessed in alignment with Aboriginal self-determination by an assessment panel of First Peoples creative industries peers.

Applications in the Deaf and Disabled stream and the General stream that contain First Peoples activity or Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) may be reviewed by a cultural protocol review panel of First Peoples creative industries peers.

No. The First Peoples stream is specifically for applications led by First Peoples. For non-First Peoples-led applications wishing to collaborate with First Peoples to present First Peoples stories, culture or ICIP, please apply through the General or Deaf and Disabled creatives streams.

This means your application will be assessed by relevant external peers and may also be reviewed by a First Peoples panel to ensure appropriate cultural protocols and cultural safety are reflected in the application. Activity that doesn’t follow or demonstrate correct protocols won’t be supported. Please refer to the ‘Application support documents’ section of the program guidelines for more details on what to provide to demonstrate cultural protocol.

This program includes a dedicated assessment process for Deaf and Disabled applicants. Applications by Victorian Deaf and Disabled creatives can choose to be assessed by a panel of creative industries peers with lived experience of deafness and disability or will be asked to choose which creative discipline peer assessment panel you want to assess your application.

Applications that are not led by Deaf and Disabled creatives but involve key participants who identify as Deaf and Disabled may also elect to be assessed under this stream. Please contact program staff to discuss.

Your Funding Agreement will outline your obligations.

You’ll need to provide regular updates about your funded activity, including information about the activity budget and activity plan.

At the end of your funded period, you must submit an acquittal which provides information about the outcomes of your funding.

During and after your funded period, you are required to participate in a program evaluation. You may be asked to provide information about your funded activity and any longer-term outcomes that may inform the evaluation of the Creative Projects Fund.

After the round closes for applications, submitted applications go through an eligibility and due diligence check. External creative industry peer assessors are then allocated applications and given a period to review them.

Recommendations are compiled and provided to the Minister for Creative Industries for final approval.

We work as fast as we can to assess applications. You’ll be advised of the outcome of your application approximately 16 weeks from the closing date.

We acknowledge that in getting funding right, we need to make sure there is diversity in the process from inception to delivery.

Creative Victoria is working with industry representatives to ensure there is diverse representation on assessment panels for this program.

First Peoples applicants or First Peoples businesses or organisations applying under any stream will be assessed through a First Peoples-led assessment process. Deaf and Disabled applicants or businesses or organisations may also elect to be assessed by a panel of assessors with lived experience of deafness and disability.

We will also be reaching out to a broad range of organisations to promote the program and to encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds including applicants who are First Peoples, Deaf and Disabled, women, LGBTQIA+ and from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.