The RISE Fund is supporting the arts and entertainment sector to reactivate with $75k to $2m grants available.
The program is targeting funding towards the arts and entertainment sector organisations who are seeking to restart, re-imagine or create new activities.
The program is intended to assist by providing finance to assist the presentation of new or re-shaped cultural and creative activities and events.
Who can apply?
When to apply
Funding available
Grants will range from $75,000 up to $2 million, depending on the scope of the grant activity and its complexity. Other smaller or larger grant amounts may be considered on a case-by-case basis, particularly for activities that target audiences in outer metropolitan, regional and remote areas.
You are required to make a financial contribution towards the grant activities or have other sources of funding, although the impact of COVID-19 will be taken into consideration. There is no minimum or maximum amount of co-contribution, but the level of contribution is expected to be relative to the nature and scale of the activity, and higher co-contributions, including from states and territories, will be advantageous to your application.
You can apply for both a program grant and a Show Starter Loan.4 A combination of a program grant and Show Starter Loan cannot make up more than 50 per cent of the total budget of an activity or $5 million, whichever is lesser. If you intend to apply for, or have received, a Show Starter Loan, you will need to consider the Loan’s eligibility criteria and conditions in the context of your program grant application.
The program grant must not cover costs already being funded by, or intended to be funded by, any other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government source. You must include all other sources of finance for the activity in your indicative budget.
Documentation:
COVID-19 Arts RISE Frequently Asked Questions
RISE Fund Frequently Asked Questions.pdf (181 KB)
COVID-19 Arts RISE Guidelines
17 Sep 2020 – COVID-19 Arts RISE Guidelines.pdf (227 KB)
Who is eligible to apply for a grant?
To be eligible your primary purpose must be the arts and entertainment5 and you must:
have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
be registered for the purposes of GST (if applicable)
have an account with an Australian financial institution
comply with all regulatory, industry and legal requirements in relation to copyright, licensing and employment
be located in any part of Australia
provide a co-contribution to the activity
and be one of the following entity types:
incorporated organisations
a local government owned entity
a partnership
a joint (consortia) application with a lead organisation6
a not-for-profit organisation
an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 20067
a Sole Trader with employees
Eligible grant activities
Funding is available to support cultural and creative events or activities that, in the absence of this funding, would be substantially less likely to proceed (due to constrained availability of funding to the applicant as a consequence of COVID-19).
The program will fund high quality projects irrespective of scale in all art forms, including cross-art form projects, with the exception of film and television productions and interactive games. Film and television productions have access to alternative funding under the $50 million Temporary Interruption Fund, $400 million Location Incentive extension and can also seek funding form Screen Australia, the Government’s primary agency for Australian screen activity. Eligible projects need to align clearly with the program objectives and assessment criteria.
Activities must demonstrate that there is a funding need, contribute to job creation, support Australian artists or performers (or their work), provide experiences to audiences, be of a nature that is likely to be popular with Australian audiences, and financial viability.
The following kinds of activities and events are eligible for funding:
cultural and creative events or activities, including innovative ways to deliver performances, exhibitions, tours and online delivery
cultural and creative programming and promotion
festivals
purchasing or leasing essential equipment for events, such as sound or lighting equipment
development of COVID-safe infrastructure and protocols
community outreach activities such as workshops
capacity-building activities that link to the objectives and outcomes of the program, supporting an organisation to build long-term financial sustainability.
Proposals should demonstrate that activities will provide benefits to Australian audiences, and the Australian cultural and creative industries, particularly in an environment where COVID-19 may limit the ability for audiences to go to live productions for an unknown period of time.
Assessment Criteria
The following criteria are equally weighted.
Criterion 1
The degree to which the grant will contribute to achieving the objectives and outcomes of the program.
Criterion 2
The demonstrated expertise and capacity of the organisation to undertake the grant activity, including in a COVID-safe manner.
Criterion 3
The demonstrated financial viability of the grant activity.
How can Treadstone help?
We can help you review eligibility and write your application for you RISE Grant. Treadstone has been winning government grants for businesses since 2008. Call us on 03 9008 5937 or email us.
