Festivals Australia Program September 2025

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This is a preview of the Festivals Australia Application Form - September 2025 form. When you’re ready to apply, click Fill Out Now to begin.
 

Applicant Eligibility Information

* indicates a required field.

Before starting this application you should ensure you have read and understood the Festivals Australia Program Guidelines.

For assistance contact festivals@arts.gov.au or 1800 590 577

We also recommend reading the Frequently Asked Questions for helpful advice on completing this application and on the Festivals Australia program.

Tips for completing the application:

  • Read the application questions ahead of the closing date to ensure you have enough time to draft answers, collate a budget and to source supporting documentation.
  • Word limits apply. We suggest collating information in a Word document (or similar) before you begin and pasting from that document into the relevant boxes (note word count in other programs may differ to Smartygrants)
  • Save your application as you go, to avoid losing information
  • Provide a concise timeline in your work plan and outline how you will deliver your project’s milestones/activities
  • Provide a breakdown of costs in the budget table with a concise description on what the costs cover, e.g. fees for each artist
  • Ensure all required fields ‘marked with an asterisk *’ are completed
  • Note that you will be required to include supporting evidence as attachments at the end of the application (refer to festivals Australia program guidelines for details)
  • All supporting documentation and evidence should be current (within six months of the application submission)

Privacy Statement

If you provide personal information then the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts will manage that information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.

We will use your personal information in connection with the assessment and administration of the grant application for which it was provided to us. We may share your information with external advisors assisting us with assessment and we may also share your contact details with relevant Ministers and Members of Parliament. We may share your information (including personal information) with other Australian Government entities including for reporting, research, service delivery or compliance purposes (including for publication on GrantConnect). Otherwise we will not use or disclose your personal information except as permitted by law.

You are not compelled by law to provide your personal information but we may not be able to consider a grant application without it.

The department will store your personal information securely. The department’s privacy policy contains information regarding complaint handling processes and how to access and/or seek correction of personal information held by the department. For more information see www.infrastructure.gov.au/privacy.

Important dates

This funding application is for activities that take place from 1 February 2026

This funding round of the Festivals Australia program cannot fund any activity that has occurred before 1 February 2026.

This round is open from 9 September 2025 and will close at midnight AEDT on 7 October 2025.

Funding outcomes are expected to be advised within three months of the round closing date.

Project eligibility

Festivals Australia will only fund a single discrete project at the festival or significant one-off community celebration.

You may apply for more than one discrete project, but funding can only be provided for one project, per organisation, per festival.

Festivals Australia will not fund:

  • projects delivered in a major city or metropolitan location
  • operating costs for the festival or significant one-off community celebration

Refer to the Festivals Australia Program Guidelines to ensure your project meets the eligibility requirements.

Location

Festivals Australia will only fund projects delivered in eligible regional or remote locations.

Projects delivered in a major city or metropolitan location are not eligible.

To check if your project will be delivered in an eligible regional or remote location visit the Festivals Australia Eligibility Map.

Enter the full address where your project will be delivered into the search box or click on the location on the map. The remoteness  classification and whether this location is eligible will be displayed. If you are unsure if your project location is eligible, please contact us on 1800 590 577 or at Festivals@arts.gov.au.

Will your project be held in an eligible regional or remote location? * Required

Your answer has indicated that you are ineligible under the program (Not Applicable)

This section is not applicable because of your response to question: "Will your project be held in an eligible regional or remote location?" on page 1

You have indicated that your project will not be held in a regional or remote location. This makes you ineligible under the Festivals Australia grant program.

For more information about eligibility, refer to the Festivals Australia Program Guidelines.

Activity

Festivals Australia will only fund a single discrete activity, not a range of unrelated activities across the festival or significant one-off community celebration program.

The Festivals Australia Program provides funding for a specific project (single discrete activity) occurring within a festival or significant one-off community celebration, but not the entire festival or celebration. In your application, you need to tell us how your project is one of the many activities happening at the festival or significant one-off community celebration.

Is your project a single discrete activity at the festival or significant one-off community celebration? * Required

Your answer has indicated that you are ineligible under the program (Not Applicable)

This section is not applicable because of your response to question: "Is your project a single discrete activity at the festival or significant one-off community celebration?" on page 1

You have indicated that your activity is not a single discrete project. This makes you ineligible under the Festivals Australia grant program.

For more information about eligibility, please refer to the Festivals Australia Program Guidelines.

Costs

Operating costs for the festival or significant one-off community celebration are ineligible.

Does your project include operating costs for the festival or significant one-off community celebration? * Required

Your answer has indicated that you are ineligible under the program (Not Applicable)

This section is not applicable because of your response to question: "Does your project include operating costs for the festival or significant one-off community celebration?" on page 1

You have indicated that your project includes operating costs for the festival or significant one-off community celebration. This makes you ineligible under the Festivals Australia grant program.

For more information about eligibility, refer to the Festivals Australia Program Guidelines.

Who Festivals Australia will fund

To be eligible for funding applicants must:

  • be an Australian incorporated organisation
  • have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • be registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST), if required by the Australian Taxation Office
  • have no outstanding reports, acquittals or serious breaches relating to any Australian Government funding 

Unincorporated groups are eligible for funding but must be auspiced by an organisation that meets the above criteria.

For the purpose of this application "the Applicant" is the organisation undertaking the project. Details about the auspicing body (if relevant) will be requested later in the application.

Must be the full legal name of the applicant organisation
Word count:
Must be no more than 80 words
Are you applying as: * Required
Response required.
Clear the selected value for Are you applying as:

Financial and Reporting compliance

Do you have any outstanding reports, acquittals, or serious breaches relating to any Australian Government funding? * Required

This section is not applicable because of your response to question: "Do you have any outstanding reports, acquittals, or serious breaches relating to any Australian Government funding?" on page 1

Word count:
Must be no more than 100 words