Arts grants

Both grants
To be eligible, you must:
•    Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident aged 18 or over
•    Be a resident of the Inner West LGA, have your practice based here, or be delivering a project that primarily benefits Inner West residents
•    Hold an ABN, or be willing to complete a Statement by Supplier if your application is successful
•    Have acquitted all previous overdue Inner West Council grants
•    Be applying for a project that has not yet commenced and will start after the funding notification period
•    Submit only one application across all Council grant streams this year

Artist Support — additional requirement
•    You must be based in the Inner West LGA

Arts Projects — additional requirement
•    Your project must primarily benefit Inner West residents (you do not need to be based in the Inner West)

Public Liability Insurance
All grant recipients must hold Public Liability Insurance to the value of $20 million for the duration of their project. You do not need to have insurance in place before you apply — a quote is sufficient. You will need to provide a current certificate before your funding agreement is signed.

Additional requirements if applicable:
•    Verification that you hold a Working with Children Check (if project involves children under 18)
•    First Nations cultural protocol documentation (if project involves Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property or collaboration with First Nations peoples)

These grants cannot be used to fund:
•    Travel costs, including within NSW
•    Equipment purchases
•    Projects that have already started or are complete at the time of application
•    Ongoing operational costs (salaries, rent, regular running costs)
•    Applications from political parties or schools — P&C organisations can apply

Applications are read and scored by a panel of creative peers — working artists and arts professionals with experience across a range of artforms. They assess each application against four criteria.

Merit
The quality, ambition, and distinctiveness of the creative practice or proposed work. The panel is looking for a clear sense of who you are as an artist and why this application represents genuine creative quality. Artists at all career stages are welcome — emerging artists are not disadvantaged.

Impact
Artist Support: What will change in your practice as a result of this opportunity? Why is this the right step for your career right now?
Arts Projects: Who will benefit and how? What new or expanded opportunities will this create for Inner West audiences, communities, or the creative sector?

Viability
Can you actually deliver this? The panel assesses your relevant experience, the realism of your plan, and whether key components — venues, partners, collaborators — are confirmed.

Budget
Is the budget honest, balanced, and realistic? The panel checks that income equals expenditure, that costs reflect fair market rates, and that it's clear what the Council grant specifically covers. Other income sources strengthen your application.

1.    Read the Grant Guidelines in full and check you meet the eligibility requirements.
2.   If you are unsure call us to talk through your idea before you apply. We can confirm your project is eligible and help you identify the right stream.
3.    Download the Budget Template and Project Plan Template from this page.
4.    Gather your supporting documents — see the checklist below.
5.    Create a SmartyGrants account at innerwest.smartygrants.com.au if you don't already have one. Keep your login — you'll need it for all future communications about your grant.
6.    Complete and submit your application before 4:00pm AEST on Friday 15 May 2026. Late applications will not be accepted.
7.    Save your confirmation email as proof of submission. If you don't receive one, your application has not been submitted.

Both grants
•    ABN or willingness to complete a Statement by Supplier
•    Contact details and address
•    Project start and end dates must be after funding notification date (potentially December 2026 TBC)
•    Project Plan download the Project Plan Template from this page
•    Budget download the Budget Template from this page; income must equal expenditure
•    Quotes required for any individual items over $500
•    Work samples up to 3 URLs or 5 uploaded files — video, audio, images, or writing
•    CV or biography maximum 2 pages; focus on experience relevant to this application
•    Public Liability Insurance certificate or quote to the value of $20 million

Artist Support — additional
•    Confirmation of the opportunity e.g. enrolment confirmation, invitation letter, residency acceptance
•    Letters of support optional but strongly recommended — a mentor or industry letter endorsing your readiness

Arts Projects — additional
•    Venue confirmation if a venue is named in your application
•    Partner and collaborator letters from anyone whose involvement you are counting on
•    In-kind confirmation if in-kind income is listed in your budget, e.g. a venue confirming free space (can be included in venue confirmation / partner letter)
•    Community or sector letters strongly encouraged if your project engages a specific community
•    First Nations cultural protocol documentation required if your project involves First Nations content or collaboration

Here's what happens once you submit:

1. Confirmation
   You'll receive an automatic email confirming your application was received. Save this email — it is your proof of submission.
2. Assessment
   A panel of creative peers reads and scores every application against the published criteria. Assessment takes approximately 10–12 weeks.
3. Recommendation
   The panel makes funding recommendations to Council.
4. Council decision
   Recommendations are presented to Council for final approval (date TBC)
5. You're notified
   All applicants are notified of the outcome approximately 16 weeks after the round closes. Successful applicants will receive a funding agreement to sign.
6. Payment
   Submit an invoice after your signed funding agreement is received.
7. Deliver your project
   Deliver your project as described in your application. Projects must commence after you have been notified and you've signed your funding agreement.
8. Acquittal
   Submit a final report by the due date set out in your funding agreement.

If you plan to use an Inner West Council Town Hall as your venue, you will need to submit a Creative Town Hall Expression of Interest separately from your grant application. This is a different process — visit the Creative Town Halls page for more information.
•    There is a 10-day turnaround for Expression of Interest outcomes — plan ahead
•    If a fee waiver is approved, include the value of the waiver as in-kind income in your grant budget
•    Fee waiver approval does not guarantee grant funding, and vice versa

Parks and outdoor spaces
If your project will use a Council park or outdoor space, contact the Parks team before submitting your application. They can advise on availability, requirements, and any approvals needed. Call Matthew Baigent 02) 9392 5515 or Sue Shand 02) 9335 2102.

Inner West Council is committed to Aboriginal self-determination and respecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) rights.

If your project involves any of the following, you must include cultural protocol documentation with your application:
•    First Nations stories, languages, cultural practices, or subject matter
•    Collaboration with First Nations artists or creative practitioners
•    Engagement with First Nations communities or Elders
•    Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property

Cultural protocol documentation may include:
•    Letters of confirmation from First Nations collaborators or communities
•    A cultural safety strategy
•    Evidence of community consultation and appropriate permissions

Applications that involve First Nations cultural content but do not include cultural protocol documentation will not be supported for funding.

For guidance, visit:
•    Inner West Council First Peoples resources 
•    Arts Law ICIP resources

Can I talk to someone about my idea before I apply?
Yes. Call us on 02 9392 5031 (Mon–Fri). We can confirm whether your project is eligible and help you identify the right stream. We can't help you write your application, but we can point you in the right direction.

I'm not sure which stream to apply to. How do I decide?
Ask yourself: is this primarily about developing my own practice (Artist Support), or am I producing or presenting something with a clear benefit to Inner West audiences or communities (Arts Projects)? If two artists are working on a shared project together, Arts Projects is usually the right fit. If you're still unsure, call us.

Do I need an ABN?
Yes, you need an ABN or you need to be willing to complete a Statement by Supplier if your application is successful. You don't need to be a registered business — individual artists can hold an ABN. If you don't have one and you're not sure whether you need one, call us to discuss.

Do I need Public Liability Insurance before I apply?
No. A quote is sufficient at application stage. If your application is successful, you'll need to provide a current PLI certificate (to the value of $20 million) before your funding agreement is signed.

Can I apply if I haven't been successful before?
Yes, absolutely. Many successful applicants applied more than once before being funded. If you were unsuccessful, request feedback after outcomes are announced — it's the best way to strengthen your next application.

Can I apply if I already received a grant last year?
Yes, previous recipients are welcome to apply. The panel considers the spread of opportunities across new and returning applicants, but this doesn't prevent you from being funded again.

Can I submit more than one application?
No. You may only submit one application across all Inner West Council grant streams per year. Choose the stream that best matches your project.

My project involves collaborating with another artist. Which stream should we use?
If you're producing or presenting work together with a clear benefit to the Inner West community, apply to Arts Projects. One person should submit the application as the lead applicant and include the other as a collaborator.

Can I apply if I'm based outside the Inner West?
If you are applying for Artist Support, you must be based in the Inner West. For Arts Projects, you may apply if your project primarily benefits Inner West residents, even if you're based elsewhere.

When will I find out the outcome?
Approximately 16 weeks after the grant round closes. Funding recommendations will go to Council in 2026. Once approved, successful applicants will sign a funding agreement and projects commence following this.

When will I receive the money?
After your signed funding agreement is received, you'll need to submit an invoice. Payments may take a few weeks following submission of your invoice.

Do I include GST in my budget?
Yes — include GST in all expense amounts where it applies. If you are registered for GST and your application is successful, you should add GST to your invoice when you invoice Council. If you are not registered for GST, do not add it to your invoice. If you are unsure whether you are required to be registered for GST, check with the ATO or your accountant.

Can I use a Council Town Hall venue for my project?
Yes. Inner West Council Town Halls are available to funded arts projects and may be eligible for a fee waiver. You will need to submit a Creative Town Hall Expression of Interest separately — this is a different process from the grant application. Visit the Creative Town Halls page on the Inner West Council website for more information. Note that there is a 10-day turnaround for Expression of Interest outcomes, so plan ahead. If your application is successful and a fee waiver is approved, add the value of the fee waiver as in-kind income in your budget.

Can a group of artists apply together?
Yes. Groups of artists are eligible to apply under Arts Projects. One person should submit the application as the lead applicant. You will be asked to list the other members of the group in the application. The lead applicant is responsible for the grant, the project delivery, and the acquittal if the application is successful. If your group does not have an ABN, you will either need to complete a Statement of Supplier or you may need to use an auspice organisation — call us to discuss your situation.

Does my project need to be confirmed before I apply?
Yes — as much as possible. A strong application shows the panel that your project is planned, realistic, and ready to deliver. This means confirming your venue, locking in key collaborators, and securing any other funding you are counting on before you submit. You do not need everything finalised, but the more that is confirmed, the stronger your application will be. Unconfirmed venues, unnamed collaborators, and speculative income are common reasons applications score lower on viability.

•    NAVA Code of Practice — visual arts fees: code.visualarts.net.au
•    MEAA rates — film and entertainment: meaa.org/resources
•    ASA rates — writers and illustrators: asauthors.org.au
•    ATO — ABN registration and GST: ato.gov.au
•    Arts Law Centre of Australia — ICIP resources: artslaw.com.au
•    National Relay Service: accesshub.gov.au
•    SmartyGrants applicant portal: innerwest.smartygrants.com.au

We want to support every artist to apply. Call or email us before you submit — we'd rather talk it through with you than have you miss out because of something we could have helped with.
For Art grant enquiries, please contact the Creative Communities team on 02 9392 5031

We want to support all artists to apply, regardless of how you communicate or what support you need.

•    d/Deaf or hard of hearing: Contact the National Relay Service on 1300 555 727 or visit accesshub.gov.au
•    Interpreter service: Call 131 450 and ask to be connected to Council on (02) 9392 5000. This is a free service.
•    Disability access or language support: Contact us directly — we will work out the right support for you.
•    First-time applicants: We encourage you to call before you apply. We can walk you through the process.