Grant Therapy June Edition
Arts, Health and Community Grants
The second half of 2026 is bringing a strong mix of opportunities for artists, arts organisations, community groups and creative sector workers across Australia. From First Nations screen development and regional arts initiatives to community impact funding, touring support and audience development grants, there are a range of programs investing in creativity, culture and social connection.
The reason behind Grant Therapy, is we know that successful applications do more than present a great idea. They demonstrate how the work will be delivered sustainably, how risks will be managed, and how the people behind the project will be supported throughout the process.
This month, we've highlighted a selection of current funding opportunities and shared practical ways to strengthen your application through wellbeing planning, strong governance, cultural safety and sustainable project delivery.
Because funding isn't just about securing resources for the work. It's about creating the conditions for people and projects to thrive.
First Nations Factual Co-production Development Fund
Funder: Screen Australia
Official guidelines: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au
Closes 4 June 2026
Up to $30,000
This fund supports First Nations owned and operated production companies to develop compelling factual co-production projects that explore shared cultural values of First Nations peoples worldwide. Successful applicants receive $20,000 for development work — including treatments, series outlines and pitch decks for a minimum of two factual projects — plus up to $10,000 in travel funding to pitch at the Toronto International Film Festival 2026. Up to five companies will be supported.
Who can apply: First Nations companies at least 51% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander-owned, incorporated in Australia, and meeting Screen Australia's Terms of Trade.
Strengthening Your Application
Co-production development is intense, high-stakes work. Applications that demonstrate how the company will look after its people during the development process stand out.
Include a clear account of how the development workload will be distributed across the team, with realistic timelines and protected time for cultural consultation.
Name your cultural governance processes — how community voices will shape the project throughout development, not just at pitch stage.
Address the emotional and cultural weight of working with stories that matter deeply. Budget for yarning circles, cultural supervision or external support for the development team.
Frame your project as building long-term First Nations production capacity, not just delivering a pitch.
Cultural safety in development strengthens assessor confidence and protects your team.
Arts Bundaberg Regional Arts Development Fund
Funder: Arts Bundaberg / Arts Queensland
Official guidelines: https://www.artsbundaberg.com.au/Galleries/Regional-arts-development-fund
Closes 31 July 2026
Notification of Outcome October 2026
Projects must commence after 30 September 2026
The Regional Arts Development Fund supports arts and cultural projects in the Bundaberg region that benefit local communities. This is a QLD regional arts grant with a genuine community focus — well suited to participatory creative projects, community arts and cultural programs delivered with and for regional Queensland communities.
Who can apply: Artists, arts organisations and community groups with a connection to the Bundaberg region. Check current guidelines for eligibility specifics and auspice options.
Strengthening Your Application
Regional arts grants reward projects that feel genuinely embedded in their community — not imported from outside.
Demonstrate that your project has local roots. Name the community organisations, local artists or regional networks involved in the design and delivery.
Include a wellbeing plan for your team. Regional delivery often involves long travel days, small crews and compressed timelines. Naming how you will manage fatigue, travel safety and team communication shows assessors that your project can actually be delivered.
Build in community legacy. What will the Bundaberg creative community be able to do, access or connect with after your project ends? Legacy thinking strengthens the case for regional investment.
Regional arts grants are not just about bringing something to a community. They are about building something with it.
Copyright Agency Cultural Fund — Grants for Organisations Round 2
Funder: Copyright Agency
Official guidelines: https://www.copyright.com.au/culturalfund/grants-for-organisations
Closes 14 September 2026
$10,000–$30,000 per project
Projects must commence after 3 August 2026
The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund supports Australian writing, publishing and visual arts organisations to develop audiences, build sector leadership and create paid opportunities for writers and visual artists. Round 2 focuses on audience development projects and sector leadership initiatives. A core requirement is the payment of industry rates to all writers and visual artists engaged in the project.
Who can apply: Legally constituted Australian organisations, incorporated associations and eligible universities. Individual artists cannot apply directly — organisations only.
Strengthening Your Application
The Copyright Agency's commitment to industry rate payment is not a box to tick — it is a genuine values statement. Applications that take fair pay seriously and build it visibly into their budgets are more competitive.
Frame your project around what it does for writers and visual artists specifically, not just for audiences. Assessors want to see that creative practitioners are at the centre of the project design and are being paid appropriately for their contribution.
Include a sustainability statement. How does this project build something that lasts beyond the funded period? Audience development and sector leadership grants reward long-term thinking.
If your project involves wellbeing or career sustainability programming for writers or visual artists, name that explicitly. The fund's commitment to fair pay and professional standards aligns directly with sustainable careers thinking.
Pay people properly. Plan for their safety. Both strengthen your application.
NAB Foundation Community Grants Round 2 2026
Funder: NAB Foundation
Official guidelines:https://www.nab.com.au/about-us/sustainability/nab-foundation/community-grants
Opens 17 August 2026
Closes 14 September 2026
Up to $25,000
The NAB Foundation Community Grants support not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises delivering community benefit across Australia. The program funds projects that build community resilience, address disadvantage and create lasting social impact. Creative and wellbeing projects with clear community outcomes are eligible.
Who can apply: Not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises with an ABN. Hey Mate received NAB Foundation funding in 2025 Round 1 — reapplication is eligible after one full year. Any new application must propose a new region, new cohort or expanded scope — not a repeat of previously funded work.
Strengthening Your Application
NAB Foundation assessors look for measurable community impact, not just activity delivery. Build your evaluation framework into the application itself — not as an afterthought.
Be specific about who your project reaches and why this community experiences disadvantage or limited access to existing support. Corporate funders respond to clear, human evidence of need.
Demonstrate organisational stability. NAB Foundation is investing in your capacity to deliver, not just the idea. Financial management, governance and reporting track record all matter.
If you have previously received NAB Foundation funding, show what changed because of it. A brief track record statement strengthens confidence in your ability to deliver the next project.
Community impact is clearest when it is specific. Name the people, the place and the change.
Touring Queensland Fund Round 4
Funder: Arts Queensland
Official guidelines: https://www.arts.qld.gov.au/funding-opportunities/funding/touring-queensland-fund
Closes 12 October 2026
Notification of Outcome January 2027
Projects must start after 7 September 2026
Up to $110,000 (up to 50% of total project costs)
The Touring Queensland Fund supports arts presenters and producers to deliver performing arts, visual arts, contemporary music and cultural heritage tours across Queensland, including regional communities. This is a co-investment fund — applicants must demonstrate their own financial contribution alongside the grant request.
Who can apply: Queensland-based arts organisations, groups and individual practitioners with an active ABN and no outstanding reporting obligations to Arts Queensland. Must not have received Touring Queensland Fund support in the previous round.
Strengthening Your Application
Touring is one of the most physically and psychologically demanding delivery formats in the sector. Applications that name and manage that risk honestly stand out from those that don't.
Include a touring wellbeing plan. Address realistic travel scheduling, rest periods between bumps in and out, communication protocols on the road and access to support for the touring team.
Name the regional communities you will reach and why touring to those locations matters — not just logistically, but culturally and artistically. Assessors are looking for genuine regional engagement, not just itinerary lists.
Budget for the invisible costs of touring. Fatigue, isolation, compressed timelines and unfamiliar venues all carry risk. Naming them shows leadership and increases assessor confidence that the tour will actually happen as planned.
Touring increases impact. Managing the people doing it sustainably makes that impact last.
Need Support With Your Grant Application?
If you are preparing an application and want to strengthen your governance, risk planning or wellbeing framework, contact Hey Mate.
We support artists, arts organisations and creative sector workers across Australia to embed sustainable delivery practices into funded projects.
Funding the idea is important. Protecting the people delivering it is essential.