Arts Grants Program

Before you submit your application, you should:

• ensure you have no outstanding acquittals or reports with the NT Government
• read the program guidelines in full
• speak to Arts NT to check:
  • you're eligible to apply and
  • the grant category is suitable
• define your activity - for example, what is it, how you will do it, who is involved, and consider developing a project plan
• prepare a realistic and balanced budget that demonstrates value for money and get the necessary quotes
• ensure you get appropriate permissions, cultural authority, consultations,  acknowledgements and communication for your application
• where relevant, get working with children permission and/or authorisation
• ensure your application considers the latest Chief Health Officer (CHO) directions and includes a risk and contingency plan
• ensure you collect all the required support material ahead of time.

If you have accessibility needs that affect your ability to apply for a grant, you should contact Arts NT to discuss alternative application methods.

Individuals

To apply, you must be:

• an Australian citizen or have permanent residence status
• at least 18 years old
• currently living in the NT.

Evidence of residential status may also be requested. This can include:

• driver licence
• power bill
• electoral roll registration.

If you're an individual applying for a grant over $15,000, you will need to:

• be registered as a sole trader with an active ABN - for more information, go to the Australian Government's Business website and apply via GrantsNT as an organisation or
• apply with an administering body - see below for more information.

NT Government employees are ineligible to apply when there is a direct conflict of interest.

Groups

Groups are 3 or more individuals who do not form a legally constituted organisation.

To apply as a group, you must nominate an individual in the group to be legally and financially responsible for the grant.

This person must be registered as a sole trader with an active ABN and meet the above criteria for individuals. Sole traders must apply in GrantsNT as an organisation.

Organisations

To apply, you must be registered in the NT as a not-for-profit arts and cultural organisation and:

• produce art or
• operate in support of the arts.

Organisations not registered in the NT can still apply if they:

• have a physical presence in the NT
• have established a positive track record of at least 3 years of grant funding auspiced through an NT arts and culture organisation
• have successfully acquitted all funding
• deliver activities that have significant arts and cultural outcomes that benefit NT artists, arts organisations and the NT arts sector.

If you’re registered and operate outside of the NT, and don't meet the above criteria, you can't apply.

You can, however, partner with eligible NT-based arts organisations or artists. They can apply and administer on your behalf.

NT Government agencies, local government, education institutions and hospitals are ineligible but can partner with NT arts organisations or eligible applicants.

Get a list of art organisations and venues in the NT.

For full details of eligibility, read the program guidelines.

Administering or auspicing bodies

Administering bodies are also known as auspicing bodies. They are not-for-profit organisations that take on the legal and financial responsibility for a grant.

They apply on behalf of an individual and manage all aspects of the funding terms and conditions if approved.

You should have a written agreement with your administering body before applying to set out both parties’ obligations and responsibilities for managing the grant. To find out more, go to the Arts Law Centre of Australia website.

Most administering bodies charge a 10% administration fee, which you must include in your application budget.

You're encouraged to consider one of the leading arts organisations funded through the Arts Grants Program to be your administering body.

Get a list of art organisations and venues in the NT.

The administering body must endorse your application in GrantsNT before the application closing date.

For full details of all general and application eligibility requirements, go to GrantsNT.

Unless otherwise stated in a specific grant category, you can't get funding for:

• activities that:
  • don't have a clearly defined arts outcome
  • have already started, will start or end before notification dates
  • have been paid for prior to the category notification date
• activities that are the responsibility of other funding bodies or government agencies, including:
  • film and screen-based projects for cinema, film festivals, television, web series, media, advertising and gaming
  • arts activities in schools
  • accredited training or educational activities that are curricular activities in educational institutions and are listed in the Australian Government’s National Training Register
  • undergraduate, diploma, certificate and postgraduate studies including research or studio work for academic assessment
  • expenses that directly relate to the presentation of arts activities at a festival, event, or major event in the NT, unless they travel to an open-access festival from a very remote area in the NT
• the entire cost of an activity
• fundraising activities or events
• merchandise, awards, prizes or gifts
• for profit business activities
• activities where the primary artists, arts workers and service providers are not named and the payment/in-kind contribution is not declared
• restoration or conservation of cultural material
• multiple applications:
  • from one applicant, per grant category
  • for the same activity - to apply for funding for the continuation of an activity that you have previously had funding for, contact Arts NT
• capital equipment, building works or real estate purchases
• catering
• contingency.

Activities that have already received significant funding support from the NT Government may not be competitive or a priority for ongoing or additional support.

For international travel, contact Arts NT before submitting an application.

You must declare all project partner and stakeholder arrangements in your application.

You must also meet the application requirements for working with Aboriginal artists and children.

Insurance

Where relevant, you must have insurance policies covering each funded activity during the whole of the grant period.

For more information, read the guidelines.

Buy Local Plan

You must buy local. You must use services located and goods available within the NT.

If you can't buy the required good or service in the NT, you must show that it is impractical to do so for commercial, technical or other reasons.

For more information, read more about the Buy Local Plan.

Copyright and intellectual property

You will need to supply details about copyright and intellectual property that relate to your activity.

This includes details about:

• authenticity
• cultural ownership
• appropriate contracts to artists for the publishing of their work.

Artist fees

You must include details on the rates of pay and fees for artists documented in your grant application.

Pay scales and conditions are often prescribed under relevant industrial awards and agreements or recommended by a peak body.

Confidential information and privacy

The personal information you provide in your application is necessary to assess your eligibility.

By signing the application form, you consent to your personal information being provided to the government.

Information will be used to promote and report the outcomes of the grant program, which may be in the form of a public announcement.

This includes:

• the applicant's name
• funded activity description
• funding amount
• location.

Conflict of interest

You must declare:

• any conflicts of interest in the application or
• to the best of your knowledge, that no conflict exists or is likely to come from delivering a funded activity.

Each application is assessed against the assessment criteria published in the guidelines.

If your application is incomplete, it will not be assessed. The assessment varies depending on the grant category.

You need to check the specific grant category for further information on how your application will be assessed.

Application process

The process for your application is outlined in the steps below:

Step 1. Your grant application is received by Arts NT through GrantsNT.

Step 2. Your application is reviewed to confirm it is eligible and you don’t have outstanding acquittals or compliance issues.

Step 3. If your application is eligible, it is assessed against the published assessment criteria.

Step 4. If your application is successful, you will receive a letter of offer and funding agreement.

If you’re unsuccessful, Arts NT will provide feedback on request.

Grant acquittal requirements are outlined in your funding agreement. You should read the requirements before you begin your activity.

You must acknowledge the NT Government in line with the funding agreement. This may include:

• media releases
• any publicity and
• promotional material for your funded activity.

Find out how to acknowledge grant funding.