Overview The 2026 Community/Schools Grants Round will open on July 15 and applications will be received until August 31. Music For All welcomes opportunities to directly support or partner with community groups and organisations that are engaged in delivering projects and initiatives that bring, develop or sustain music-making, learning or participation to the communities in which they serve.   We Consider applications from a range of groups including:

• Schools and educational organisations
• Universities*
• Community music groups – choirs, bands etc
• Organisations working in youth or social/community services
• Allied health organisations
• Organisations working in education with interests in music, arts or the creative sector
• Community based creative sector organisations or enterprises
• Philanthropic organisations where common interests are shared and a viable partnership can be established

*It would not be Music For All’s normal practice to support pure research activities, however, programs undertaken by universities that include implementable and practical music-making outcomes as either proof of concept or in a seeding arrangement would be considered. Please Be Aware That:

• We only support applications from within Australia
• Your application will need to demonstrate support for your community/organisation through referee statements
• We do not fund retrospectively however we will consider supporting ongoing or expanding already established programs or activities

• We prioritise applications to those most in need along with additional selection criteria (see below)
• The process takes around three months from application to outcome notification
• Successful applicants are ineligible to apply in the following calendar year

Before applying for a grant you’ll need to check our full eligibility criteria. Click here   Eligibility Even if you have applied before, please read the following pages carefully before you complete the application. General Guidance & Eligibility Criteria

• We do not fund retrospectively. Your organisation will not be eligible for financial assistance for activities that have already taken place
• Music for All though will consider applications for the extension, development or implementation/delivery of new programs or activities undertaken by the applying organisation
• Music for All will prioritise applications based on need
• Music For Grants are not ongoing. They are ideally suited for activities that require seed or development funding
• As funding is limited it is unlikely, we will be able to meet your funding request in full, so we strongly advise you also apply to other bodies for assistance.
• Normally community grants are capped at $2000
• Our Board will be reviewing your application. The process from application to grant approval can take up to three months

Selection criteria

• Impact: How many musicians will the project create and support
• Viability: Where the proposed program is new or developmental what is the likelihood of success and what are the key indicators of success
• Sustainability: Is the initiative, program or activity likely to be self-sustaining as Music For All funding is not on going
• Stability: Considers the history of the organisation, its status (e.g., its formal structure/registration), leadership, evidence of community/sector support
• Innovation: Does the application propose/offer any innovations.  Innovations can take many forms – musical, pedagogical, social impacts or simply that the initiative is to bring innovations, ideas and/or approaches available elsewhere into your community
• Need: Demonstrated need

  Online Application Applications will only be considered using the Community Grant online form. Complete each section of this form in full, carefully and clearly, to ensure you have included everything that we have asked for. To complete a SCHOOL or COMMUNITY application you will need:

• Referee statement (school principal, parent body chair, community leaders, music leader from the community) this can be downloaded HERE
• Bio/CV of the program leader
• Meeting minutes (community group or school council) where the proposal was discussed and approved

• Budget template which can be download HERE
• Any relevant information about the school or community group that would enhance the application. This could include a Youtube or Vimeo link. Please provide access information if these are not publicly visible

If you have any queries that are not covered in these instructions or within the FAQ’s, please contact us before submitting at info@musicforall.org.au   Application Agreements Successful applicants: In the event of your application being successful you agree that:

• You will provide relevant digital pictures, a written quotation of other evidence of your grant which can (may) be used in our marketing materials.
• You will be required to complete grant feedback regarding the outcomes and impact of your grant.

Returning applicants: If you have applied before and have been successful, you are required to wait one year from your initial application before you are able to re-apply. Unsuccessful Applicants: No correspondence other than the advice provided in the Notice of an Unsuccessful Application will be entered.  The advice provided in the notification will indicate that a future application will be considered or not.   Information Statement Music for All process your personal data as defined by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR 2018) and outlined for the purposes of: Consideration of any application for a grant or bursary from Music for All, including an investigation to establish that the criteria for an award are met, whether it relates to you personally, the person on whose behalf you are applying or your organisation

• Administering the activities of Music for All.
• Achieving the charitable objectives of Music for All.
• Transferring your personal data between companies within Music for All and to other organisations connected with the grant and bursary award process.
• Fundraising.
• Undertaking promotional events and activities and transferring your personal data to organisations assisting us with any such event or activity.
• Undertaking the marketing of Music for All’s aims, which may include marketing to you using telephone and electronic mail services.

Music for All shall process relevant sensitive personal data (as defined by GDPR 2018) in relation to your involvement with Music for All and, in relation to any application for a grant or bursary you may make within the principles of GDPR 2018. Processing of personal data may continue following any decision in respect of any application for a grant or bursary. If you supply any visual image or sound recording to Music for All, or Music for All obtains such image or recording by other means, this image or recording may be used for Music for All’s marketing, promotional or fund-raising activities. Music for All does not sell your personal data to other organisations The transfer of some personal data to a third party may be required to complete a successful grant.  For example, your name and contact details being provided to an instrument retail or music school/teacher as part of the grant. You may request that Music for All cease using your personal data for marketing, promotional or fundraising purposes. Please write to info@musicforall.org.au with your request.   Appy Now! Click the button below to start the application. See other buttons for forms or other information relating to this application. Start Your Application

Overview This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences and communities. Grants are available from $10,000 to $50,000. Supported activities must not last longer than two years from the proposed start date. Please read the following grant guidelines and refer to the peer feedback from the previous round. If you need advice about applying, contact an Artists Services Officer   Eligibility Who can apply You can only submit one application to each closing date for Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups. Only individuals and groups may apply to this category. You must be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident, and a practicing artist or arts professional. Applications for funding to the First Nations panel must come from Australian First Nations individuals or groups only. Only Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people or groups led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can submit applications to the First Nations panel. If you apply as a group to the First Nations panel, all members of the group must be First Nations people. If you are applying to the First Nations Panel on behalf of a First Nations person or group, the application should, where possible, be made in their name. As this panel only supports First Nations people or groups, if you are considering applying on behalf of a First Nations person or people you must contact Artists Services to discuss the application before applying.   Who can’t apply You can’t apply for this grant if:

• you have already applied to this closing date for Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups
• you have an overdue grant report
• you owe money to the Creative Australia
• you are an organisation
• you are applying to our International Engagement Fund or International Travel Fund for the same activities.

  What can be applied for We fund a range of activities, for example:

• professional skills development, including mentoring and residencies
• the creation of new work
• practice based research
• creative development
• experimentation
• collaborations and exchanges
• touring
• festivals
• productions
• exhibitions
• performances
• publishing
• recording
• promotion and marketing
• market development activity
• activities that creatively engage communities.

Activities can take place nationally, internationally, online, or in a combination of in-person and online. If your project involves a partnership or collaboration with organisations in the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework you must discuss your application with us before applying. Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Budgets may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats). If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer, or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services  to discuss your specific needs.   What can’t be applied for You can’t apply for:

• projects or activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists or arts professionals
• projects or activities that do not have a clearly defined arts component
• projects that have already taken place
• the same projects or activities you are applying for via our International Engagement Fund or International Travel Fund
• activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to the Creative Australia First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

  Protocols Your application must comply with the following protocols. We may contact you to ask for further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding. Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts If your application involves First Nations artists, communities or subject matter, you must:

• follow these Protocols, and
• provide evidence of this in your application and support material.

More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here. Commonwealth Child Safe Framework All successful applicants must comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children. This includes working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will also be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations   Art forms and assessment panels You must choose which peer assessment panel you wish to apply to. The panels are:

• First Nations
• Community Arts and Cultural Development
• Dance
• Emerging and Experimental Arts
• Literature
• Multi-art form
• Music
• Theatre
• Visual Arts

Learn more about assessment panels, or see the FAQs on this page. If you are unsure which peer assessment panel to choose, contact Artists Services. Learn more about how we assess your application. Assessment criteria You must address three assessment criteria in this category. Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what peers may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed. First criterion Quality Peers will assess the quality of the artistic and cultural activities at the centre of your proposal. They may consider:

• vision, ideas and artistic rationale
• benefit and impact on career, artistic and cultural practice
• level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking
• rigour and clear articulation of creative, engagement or development processes
• significance of the work within the relevant area of practice and/or community
• contribution to diverse cultural expression
• timeliness and relevance of work
• quality of previous work
• responses to previous work from artistic or cultural peers, or the public.

  Application form The types of questions we ask in the application form include:

• a title for your project
• a summary of your project
• a brief bio of the artist or group applying
• an outline of your project and what you want to do
• a timetable or itinerary for your activities
• a description of the impact your project will have
• a projected budget which details the expenses, income, and in-kind support of the project
• supporting material as relevant to your project, including examples of your work, bios of additional artists, and letters of support or permission from participants, communities First Nations Elders or organisations.

  Support material You should submit support material with your application. The peer assessors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project. Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks). Please note: Our peer assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access. If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form. Other accepted file formats If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

• video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)
• audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
• images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
• written material (Word and PDF).

It is the responsibility of applicants to ensure that support material formats, (weblinks and files) are accessible and working in their submission. Creative Australia will not contact applicants if peer assessors are unable to access support material. We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact Artists Services. There are limits to the amount of support material you can submit as a part of your application. Peers Assessors will not view or read support material that exceeds these limits.

1. Artistic Support Material 

This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work. You can provide up to three (3) weblinks that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. These URLs can include a total of:

• 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording or
• 10 images or
• 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing). For some applicants, materials such as interviews, articles or additional budget information may be appropriate to submit in your application. These are not mandatory items, but if included must comply within the ten (10) page limit.

These limits only apply to the artistic support material described above.

1. Biographies and CVs  

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project. Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two (2) A4 pages in total.

1. Letters of support  

Individuals, groups, or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants, or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation. If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information. You can include up to five (5) letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

1. Letters of confirmation   

If your application involves an international presentation, you must provide letters of confirmation from your presenting partners, such as festivals and venues. Each letter must include confirmation of any invitations, partners fees or contributions to the activity, whether cash or in-kind. Please provide a single link to all confirmation letters or scan the letters into one PDF file and attach to your application. This must not exceed four A4 pages (4). Please note that confirmation emails including headers fields are acceptable if collated in a document not exceeding four A4 pages (4).

Overview This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences and communities. Organisations that undertake arts programs, projects, or that provide services to artists, are welcome to apply. Organisations can propose a single project, a suite of projects or an annual program of activity. Grants are available from $20,000 to $100,000. Supported activities must last no longer than two years from the proposed start date. Please read the following grant guidelines and refer to the peer feedback from the previous round. If you need advice about applying, contact an Artists Services Officer.   Eligibility Who can apply You can only submit one application from your organisation’s account to each closing date for Arts Projects for Organisations. Only organisations may apply to this category. Organisations that provide a service to the arts may apply. International organisations can apply for projects that benefit practicing Australian artists, their work or Australian audiences. Applications for funding to the First Nations panel must come from First Nations led organisations, with more than half (51%) or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait membership of its governance board.   Who can’t apply You can’t apply for a grant if:

• you have already applied to this closing date for Arts Projects for Organisations
• you have an overdue grant report
• you owe money to Creative Australia
• you are an individual or group
• you receive multi-year investment through the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework
• you are applying to our International Engagement Fund or International Travel Fund for the same activities
• your organisation receives an amount of over $160,000 per year through any Creative Australia multi-year investment program in the years 2025 to 2028 – if you are unsure please contact your Multi Year Investment Manager or Artists Services.

  What can be applied for We fund a range of activities, for example:

• professional skills development, including mentoring and residencies
• the creation of new work
• practice based research
• creative development
• experimentation
• collaborations and exchanges
• touring
• festivals
• productions
• exhibitions
• performances
• publishing
• recording
• activities to develop the arts sector
• promotion and marketing
• market development activity
• activities that creatively engage communities.

Activities can take place nationally, internationally, online, or a combination of in-person and online (hybrid activities). If your project involves a partnership or collaboration with organisations in the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework you must discuss your application with us before applying. Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Budgets may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats). If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.   What can’t be applied for You can’t apply for:

• projects or activities that do not involve or benefit Australian practicing artists or arts professionals
• projects or activities that do not have a clearly defined arts component
• projects that have already taken place
• the same projects or activities you are applying for via our International Engagement Fund or International Travel Fund
• activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to Creative Australia First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols.

  Protocols Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding. Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here. Commonwealth Child Safe Framework All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.   Art forms and assessment panels You must choose which peer assessment panel you wish to apply to.  The panels are:

• First Nations
• Community Arts and Cultural Development
• Dance
• Emerging and Experimental Arts
• Literature
• Multi-art form
• Theatre
• Visual Arts
• Music – please note:  contemporary music application may be assessed by a separate contemporary music panel of peers. You will be asked whether your practice and project  meets the following definition:

“Australian contemporary music is any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. This includes music that is new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia.” Learn more about assessment panels, or see the FAQs on this page. If you are unsure which peer assessment panel to choose, contact Artists Services. Learn more about how we assess your application.   Assessment criteria You must address three assessment criteria in this category. For some criteria, you will be asked to choose between two or more options. Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what peers may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed. First criterion You must choose one of the following two options: Quality of artistic or cultural activities Peers will assess the quality of the artistic and cultural activities at the centre of your proposal. They may consider:

• vision, ideas and artistic rational
• benefit and impact on careers, artistic or cultural practice
• level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking
• rigour and clear articulation of creative, engagement or development processes
• significance of the work within area of practice and communities
• contribution to diverse cultural expression
• timeliness and relevance of work
• quality of previous work
• responses to previous work from artistic or cultural peers, or the public.

or Quality of services for the arts Peers will assess the quality of the services for the arts at the centre of your proposal. They may consider:

• quality of the services provided
• impact of services for artists, arts professionals, participants, or audiences
• diversity and breadth of those benefitting from the services
• capacity-building potential, including a contribution to sustainable arts practice
• skills and professional development opportunities for artists and arts professionals
• breadth and quality of community engagement, partnerships, and collaborations
• responsiveness to identified need or demand
• innovation and improvement of operating models and frameworks.

  Second criterion Viability Peers will assess the viability of your proposal. They may consider:

• capacity to deliver the proposed activities or services
• relevance and timeliness of proposed activity-
• skills and ability of artists, arts professionals, collaborators, or participants involved, and relevance to activity
• realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including, where relevant, contingency and safety plans for activities involving public presentation, national or international travel
• meaningful evaluation
• appropriate payments to participating artists, arts professionals, collaborators, participants, or cultural consultants
• the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
• governance arrangements
• role of partners or collaborators, including confirmation of involvement
• diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship and in-kind contributions
• evidence of appropriate consultation and engagement with participants, audiences or communities
• where relevant to the project, evidence that the Protocols for First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to
• where relevant, evidence that you have considered and addressed any access issues associated with your project
• where relevant, evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits.

  Third criterion Impact Peers will assess the potential impact of funding on your creative activity and how likely you are to achieve this. The impacts may relate to you and your creative practice, other people such as your collaborators or partners, your participants or audiences, your communities, or your sector. The impacts they may consider include:

• supporting First Nations self-determination and cultural practice
• development of new skills and capacity
• opportunities for career development
• researching and testing new ideas, processes and practices
• opportunities for more people to experience and engage with arts and culture in different ways
• opportunities that increase inclusion, equity, access or wellbeing
• developing and sustaining new and existing markets for your work
• development of more sustainable practice and operations
• development of the arts practice or sector in which you work.

  Application form The types of questions we ask in the application form include:

• a title for your project
• a summary of your project
• a brief description of the organisation applying
• an outline of your project and what you want to do
• a timetable or itinerary for your project
• a description of the outcome your project delivers
• a projected budget which details the expenses, income, and in-kind support of the project
• supporting material as relevant to your project, including examples of your work, bios of additional artists, and letters of support or permission from participants, communities, First Nations organisation, and Elders.

  Support material You should submit support material with your application. The peer assessors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project. Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks). Please note: Our peer assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access. If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form. Other accepted file formats If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:

• video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)
• audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
• images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
• written material (Word and PDF).

It is the responsibility of applicants to ensure that support material formats, (weblinks and files) are accessible and working in their submission. Creative Australia will not contact applicants if peer assessors are unable to access support material. We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact Artists Services. There are limits to the amount of support material you can submit as a part of your application. Peers Assessors will not view or read support material that exceeds these limits.

1. Artistic Support Material 

This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work. You can provide up to three (3) weblinks that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. These URLs can include a total of:

• 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording or
• 10 images or
• 10 pages of written material (for example, excerpts of literary writing). For some applicants, materials such as interviews, articles or additional budget information may be appropriate to submit in your application. These are not mandatory items, but if included must comply within the ten (10) page limit.

These limits only apply to the artistic support material described above.

1. Biographies and CVs  

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project. Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two (2) A4 pages in total.

1. Letters of support  

Individuals, groups, or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants, or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation. If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information. You can include up to five (5) letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.

1. Letters of confirmation   

If your application involves an international presentation, you must provide letters of confirmation from your presenting partners, such as festivals and venues. Each letter must include confirmation of any invitations, partners fees or contributions to the activity, whether cash or in-kind. Please provide a single link to all confirmation letters or scan the letters into one PDF file and attach to your application. This must not exceed four A4 pages (4). Please note that confirmation emails including headers fields are acceptable if collated in a document not exceeding four A4 pages (4).