Arts and culture grants

This annual program is for artists or organisations undertaking a cultural or arts activity that directly benefit the Banyule community.

Project ideas must be original and innovative and can be in any medium: dance, performance, music, visual arts, film, live art or any other art form. You can apply for a range of activities including:

  • exhibitions
  • art in public places
  • performance and/or production
  • Publication, recording and/or printing
  • participatory arts and creative projects
  • digital projects
  • events / festivals (only group applicants can apply to deliver events and festivals).

Key dates

In 2019/20 key dates are:

  • Grants opening date: 1 July 2019
  • Grants closing date: 12 August 2019
  • Assessments and decisions: 13 August to 11 October 2019
  • Grants presentation evening: Thursday 14 November 2019
  • Acquittal reports due: 31 December 2020.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants may apply in more than one category. Applicants auspicing an application may also apply for their own projects.

Groups

Groups applicants must:

  • be incorporated or have appropriate auspice support;
  • be a legally constituted not for profit entity, or a charity or benevolent trust, or a public company (not-for-profit);
  • provide support, programs or services to people living in Banyule;
  • have an ABN, or be willing to complete a statement by supplier;
  • hold public liability Insurance;
  • have been established for a minimum of 12 months;
  • provide a current detailed profit and loss statement (preferred) or a detailed, current financial statement. Bank statements are not appropriate and should not be submitted; and
  • explain any funds in savings or term deposits: your application will need to demonstrate why the project/equipment purchase cannot be completed with existing funds.

Individuals

Individual applicants must:

  • be at least 18 years old;
  • work, live or provide significant evidence of practice in the Banyule community;
  • be auspiced (auspicing fees can be included as a funded element for individual applicants);
  • demonstrate an understanding, experience and/or commitment to the relevant creative or cultural practice required to support the delivery of your project idea; and
  • not use the grant for payment of secondary or tertiary course fees or educational expenses.

What the grant will not fund:

  • the core business of educational, religious or medical organisations;
  • political activities;
  • projects that are the responsibility of another funding body or level of government;
  • uniforms, prizes, trophies, scholarships, donations, sponsorships or gifts;
  • applications seeking retrospective funding;
  • projects which have no public benefit, e.g. artist residencies, organisational development for the applicant, professional development for the applicant;
  • equipment that does not remain the property of the community group or club;
  • costs related to project management or auspicing fees for groups or organisations;
  • fundraising;
  • catering expenses unless you can demonstrate that they are integral to the project’s community benefit and your creative vision;
  • delivery fees;
  • projects where the group/organisation has received full funding for the same project from another source;
  • projects that require ongoing financial support from Council;
  • projects run solely for private or commercial purposes;
  • recurrent operational expenses (including utilities such as fuel, gas, water and electricity); or
  • proposals for capital works/equipment to go on Council open space/parklands, e.g. bike pumps, exercise equipment.

Who cannot apply?

Schools and churches are ineligible unless the project responds to an identified community need and provides wider community benefit. Projects cannot be curriculum based or totally student/congregation focused.

Groups/individuals with outstanding grant acquittals. All previous grants from Banyule City Council, where the acquittal is due prior to the closing of the current funding round, must be acquitted to a satisfactory standard. Unacquitted, or insufficiently/unsatisfactorily acquitted grants will deem the application ineligible.

Applicants with debts to Council, unless there is a payment plan/agreement in place.

Read the Arts and Culture Grants Guidelines(PDF, 338KB).

Applications

Applications open on the 1st July and remain open until 12 August 2019. Your application will be made online through SmartyGrants.

Applicants must:

  • discuss their application with a Council Officer at least 1 week prior to the closing date;
  • have acquitted previous Council grants and have no outstanding debts to Banyule Council;
  • demonstrate how this project differs in idea, scale or scope if it is similar to a previous application funded by Council;
  • submit 2 quotes for any proposed purchases;
  • demonstrate that the project will benefit the Banyule community.

If you don't contact an officer to discuss your application or include a quote, your application will be ineligible.

How to apply

To apply:

  • read these guidelines and apply only if eligible
  • discuss your application with a council officer (by 5 August)

Apply now for individuals

Apply now for groups

Need help? Contact the SmartyGrants help desk directly on 9320 6888.

Supporting documentation

Budget

You will need to submit a balanced budget that includes any other sources of public or private income or in-kind support, and details your project expenditure.

Quotes

All applications are required to supply 2 quotes/estimates of expense.

Quotes can be written, scanned images from catalogues or on line stores, or a screenshot from a website. Quotes should be no more than 6 months old.

All quotes need to be itemised and clearly show:

  • the supplier/company name and contact details.
  • the cost of each individual item, labor charges or aspect of the project.
Quotes for equipment

Two quotes are required for each type of equipment you wish to purchase. The quotes do not need to be for exactly the same brand but should be for comparable items. Quotes should be from different suppliers.

If equipment/services can only be obtained from a specialist supplier and 2 quotes cannot be submitted, the applicant must provide a statement/evidence that no other suppliers are appropriate/acceptable.

Council recommends that any equipment purchased with grant funds should meet Australian Standards.

Addressing the criteria

Make sure you address the key assessment criteria in your application. This is what your application will be assessed against.

You should also address how your project contributes to one or more of the Cultural Outcomes in the Arts and Culture Strategic Plan (Stimulation, Enrichment, Insight, Appreciation, Belonging)

Auspicing

Applicants and non-incorporated groups will require the support of an incorporated association to auspice their grant. If your application is going to be auspiced by another organisation you must provide all insurance, incorporation and ABN information of the auspicing group as well as a letter from the auspice organisation on letterhead stating their support.

Assessing applications: criteria and process

Your application goes through a 3-step assessment process:

  1. pre-eligibility
  2. officer review and comments
  3. grants panel allocations.

The panel consists of:

  • 2 community members
  • 2 councillors
  • 2 executive Council officers.

Panel members will assess applications against the following key criteria:

  • value for money
  • likelihood of success
  • benefit to Banyule

The Arts and Culture Assessment Panel will then meet to share their assessments and allocate funding.

Council has a Conflict of Interest declaration which all parties involved in the assessment process must complete to ensure any interests are declared prior to the assessment of grants commencing.

You will be notified of grant outcomes within 3 months of the closing date for the round.

Grant agreement

Successful grant applicants will be required to sign a grant agreement. The applicant is signing on behalf of the organisation and by doing so is agreeing that the group/organisation is fully aware of the application and the conditions associated with the grant been awarded.

Acquittal

You will need to report on how your grant funds were used, including:

  • the benefit to the Banyule community
  • achievements against the Cultural Outcomes
  • any partnerships that were formed.

To successfully acquit your grant, you will also be required to submit receipts accounting for your expenditure. Invoices and bank transfer statements cannot be accepted as proof of purchase. Receipts must list items purchased/works completed, detailing the cost per item, and the total cost. All receipts should reflect the expenditure approved and align with the grant budget or letter of offer

Failure to acquit your grant appropriately may result in you being asked to repay Council in full for your grant money and exclusion of the group from future grant rounds.

Contact us

For more information contact Hannes Berger on 9457 9913 or Nikki Ralston on 9457 9878.

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