ClosedMixed25/26 Creative Nations
25/26 Creative Nations — NSW
$10K – $100K available
Create NSW
The 25/26 Creative Nations grant supports First Nations artists, cultural workers, organisations and communities in New South Wales to create, present and share arts and cultural projects. Funding supports new work, professional development, storytelling, festivals, archives, accessibility and community wellbeing outcomes.
Funding
$10K – $100K
Closed
7 Oct 2025
Duration
Projects must start after 2026-02-01 and be completed by 2027-06-30
Location
New South Wales
Who Can Apply
• Applicants must be First Nations individuals aged 18 or over and located in New South Wales for the last 12 months, or eligible First Nations groups, organisations or partnerships operating in New South Wales for the last 12 months.
• Individuals must have a sole trader ABN or eligible private company ABN, or use a funds administrator.
• Groups without legal status must be contracted by an individual or funds administrator.
• Organisations and partnerships with legal status must have an ABN matching the entity name and a nominated bank account.
• Successful applicants must have an active ABN and nominated bank account or provide details of a funds administrator.
• Applicants must contribute at least 5% of total project costs through cash or in-kind support.
• Projects must start after 2026-02-01 and be completed by 2027-06-30.
• Only one project application may be submitted in this funding round.
• Organisations must provide a description of workplace safety and wellbeing activities and policy.
• Ineligible applicants include non-First Nations applicants, government departments and agencies, local government authorities, schools and educational institutions, certain major funded organisations, current or recent Create NSW employees, and applicants funded in the previous project round except Next Steps – Professional Development recipients.
• Ineligible projects include projects already started, projects outside the funding period, duplicate funding for the same project component, film/TV/film festival projects, and contemporary music projects.
Applicants must be First Nations individuals aged 18 or over located in New South Wales for the last 12 months, First Nations groups without legal status whose members are all First Nations, aged 18 or over and located in New South Wales for the last 12 months, or First Nations organisations or partnerships with legal status operating in New South Wales for the last 12 months. Successful applicants must have an active ABN and nominated bank account or provide details of a funds administrator. Individuals must have a sole trader ABN or private company ABN if they are the sole director, or use a funds administrator. Unincorporated groups must be contracted by an individual or funds administrator. Organisations and partnerships with legal status must have an ABN matching their entity name and a nominated bank account. Applicants must contribute at least 5% of total project costs in cash or in-kind support. Projects must start after 1 February 2026 and finish by 30 June 2027. Only one project application may be submitted in this project funding round. Ineligible applicants include non-First Nations applicants, applicants seeking funding for the same part of a project already funded by Create NSW or Sound NSW, projects already started, projects starting or finishing before the funding period, state or federal government departments or agencies, local government authorities, schools and educational institutions, certain major funded organisations, applicants receiving Create NSW ACFP multi-year funding, projects related to film, television, film festivals or contemporary music, Create NSW employees or recent employees, and applicants successful in the previous project round except Next Steps – Professional Development recipients.
What's Funded
Eligible activities include creating and presenting new First Nations work, artistic and professional development, storytelling projects, cultural festivals and events, maintaining collections and archives at cultural centres or keeping places, community gatherings and forums, accessibility measures, marketing and promotion, travel, venue hire, materials, mentorships and workshops.Before you apply
Check 25/26 Creative Nations fit and evidence gaps before 7 Oct 2025
Use this mixed grant page to sanity-check eligibility, funding fit, evidence gaps and application effort before you commit days to drafting. If you already know the grant you want, the 48-hour audit gives a practical go/no-go view, reviewer-readiness score and next-step risks.
Get a 48-hour grant fit auditExpected Outcomes
Projects are expected to strengthen First Nations arts and culture in New South Wales, create employment and professional development opportunities, support leadership, share First Nations stories and truth telling, improve access and participation, and contribute to personal, community and economic wellbeing.Grant not accepting applications
Applications for this round are closed. A new round may open in the future.
Browse open grantsKey Information
Applicant Types
individualsole_tradercompanypartnershipnon_profitcooperativeother
Stage
any
Funding Purposes
communitytrainingmarketingemploymentother
Keywords
First Nationsartscultureartistscultural workerscommunitystorytellingtruth telling
Frequently Asked Questions
1
What is the 25/26 Creative Nations?
The 25/26 Creative Nations is a mixed grant offered by Create NSW in Australia, providing $10K – $100K in funding. The 25/26 Creative Nations grant supports First Nations artists, cultural workers, organisations and communities in New South Wales to create, present and share arts and cultural projects. Funding supports new work, professional development, storytelling, festivals, archives, accessibility and community wellbeing outcomes.
2
How much funding does the 25/26 Creative Nations provide?
The 25/26 Creative Nations provides $10K – $100K in funding. The typical project duration is Projects must start after 2026-02-01 and be completed by 2027-06-30.
3
Who is eligible for the 25/26 Creative Nations?
- Applicants must be First Nations individuals aged 18 or over and located in New South Wales for the last 12 months, or eligible First Nations groups, organisations or partnerships operating in New South Wales for the last 12 months.
- Individuals must have a sole trader ABN or eligible private company ABN, or use a funds administrator.
- Groups without legal status must be contracted by an individual or funds administrator.
- Organisations and partnerships with legal status must have an ABN matching the entity name and a nominated bank account.
- Successful applicants must have an active ABN and nominated bank account or provide details of a funds administrator.
- Applicants must contribute at least 5% of total project costs through cash or in-kind support.
- Projects must start after 2026-02-01 and be completed by 2027-06-30.
- Only one project application may be submitted in this funding round.
- Organisations must provide a description of workplace safety and wellbeing activities and policy.
- Ineligible applicants include non-First Nations applicants, government departments and agencies, local government authorities, schools and educational institutions, certain major funded organisations, current or recent Create NSW employees, and applicants funded in the previous project round except Next Steps – Professional Development recipients.
- Ineligible projects include projects already started, projects outside the funding period, duplicate funding for the same project component, film/TV/film festival projects, and contemporary music projects.
4
When does the 25/26 Creative Nations close?
Applications closed on 7 Oct 2025.
5
What activities are funded?
Eligible activities include creating and presenting new First Nations work, artistic and professional development, storytelling projects, cultural festivals and events, maintaining collections and archives at cultural centres or keeping places, community gatherings and forums, accessibility measures, marketing and promotion, travel, venue hire, materials, mentorships and workshops.
6
How do I apply for the 25/26 Creative Nations?
Start by checking your eligibility using the free Beta Docs eligibility checker. If eligible, Beta Docs' AI-powered platform can help you draft, review, and refine your application to maximise your chances of success.
Need help applying?
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