Key information
- Grant amount: Applicants can apply for a maximum $150,000 grant amount. There is $1,500,000 in total funding available for the program.
- Application opened: 22 September 2026
- Application closes: 3 November 2026, 2:00 pm
Program objective
The 2026-27 Transitional Operational Funding Program (the Program) has been developed in response to the revised delivery timeline of the Arts and Cultural Funding Program (ACFP) multi-year funding programs. The Program will provide support to organisations that were unsuccessful in applying for two-year funding for 2026–2027 but had previously received multi-year or annual funding for 2025 and would have expected to apply for two-year multi-year funding in 2026 to support activity in 2028–2029.
The Program will support the aims of the ACFP to strengthen NSW’s creative ecosystem, benefit diverse communities, and expand access to arts and culture across metropolitan, Western Sydney, and Regional NSW areas.
The purpose of the 2026-27 Transitional Operational Funding Program is to deliver on needs and opportunities for the NSW arts and cultural sector through targeted support. It provides the capacity to invest in organisations that meet the strategic objectives of the NSW Government and ACFP but due to the extension of the two-year program will be unable to apply for two-year funding in 2028.
The program will achieve this through supporting NSW arts and cultural organisations that:
- were unsuccessful in applications to the 2025 2-year multiyear program (2026-2027) but have previously received multiyear funding (2021-2025) or annual organisational funding for the calendar year of 2025
- benefit NSW community through arts and cultural activities
- align with NSW Government policy objectives to support First Nations cultural leadership, foster a thriving and sustainable creative sector, advocate for cultural value, and share Australian stories with wider audiences
- align with other ACFP objectives and NSW Government Priorities
- demonstrate effective, efficient and accountable use of public funds to maximise impact and value for money.
The intended outcomes of the Program are:
- the financial and operational stabilisation of eligible organisations
- that organisations are positioned to apply for the next round of competitive multiyear funding for activities from 1 January 2029
- the delivery of arts and cultural activity in 2027 and 2028 that may not have been possible without this organisational funding.
The Program will be administered in accordance with the NSW Grants Administration Guide.
The Program is funded and administered by Create NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible you must:
- have applied and been unsuccessful in 2-year multiyear funding for 2026 and 2027
- have previously received Create NSW multi-year funding OR annual organisational funding for activity in the 2025 calendar year
- be based/located in NSW or be able to demonstrate significant contribution to the NSW arts and cultural sector or creative industries
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN) that matches organisation/entity name
- have a business account with an Australian financial institution.
The Department cannot consider your application if it does not satisfy all the eligibility criteria.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Examples of areas of organisational activity that may be funded through this Program include, but are not limited to:
- operational expenses of an organisation
- wages, fees and oncosts of core permanent staff
- expenses to deliver additional programs beyond business as usual
- costs associated with improving governance and strategic planning
- costs associated with deepening an understanding of audiences and customers
When the project can start and end
The Program will support projects and initiatives that deliver activity between 1 January 2027 and 31 December 2028.
The project should be started by 1 January 2027 and the project must be completed by 31 December 2028.
What costs you can apply for
Funding for this program is designed to support the organisation to deliver a range of activities rather than to fund specific activities. Funding may only be used for eligible costs.
To be eligible, costs must:
- be a cost incurred in the operations of the business in the delivery of arts and cultural activity
- be a cost related to strategic planning processes
- be a direct cost related to the proposed program or service delivery
- be incurred within project period
- reflect competitive market rates
- be a true and accurate reflection of costs required to deliver the activity.
Eligible costs include, but are not limited to:
- operational expenses including administrative wages, program related artist and arts worker wages, salaries and fees and superannuation. These must be based on awards and appropriate industry rates (Note: It is required that events staged using, in whole or in part, public funding received from Create NSW, implement a $250 minimum performance fee for musicians).
- occupancy costs including but not limited to rent and utilities such as electricity, water etc
- travel expenses directly related to the delivery of proposed programs and services
- costs to support First Nations Protocols and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)
- costs to support accessibility
- audience development activities including research, marketing and communication of events or activations.
- costs associated with strengthening governance, strategic planning and policy development
- labour expenditure for temporary employment for an additional project
If your application is successful, you will need to provide a detailed breakdown of your income and expenditure for the 12 month period, ending 31 December 2027, a budget and the time of final reporting compared to your proposed budget.
All expenses must be reasonable and reflective of market rates. We may use industry cost benchmarks to assess whether costs are reasonable.
You must include all relevant employment costs including but not limited to, superannuation or any loadings that may apply under relevant awards and agreements.
Who can’t apply
You are not eligible to apply if you are:
- an individual
- insolvent
- a recipient of current 8-year, 4-year or 2-year multiyear funding supporting activity from 1 January 2026
What costs you can't apply for
The grant cannot be used for the following:
- the purchase of artworks, land or buildings cost of regular maintenance and repairs, building and/or capital works
- activities funded by other grants from Create NSW, Screen NSW, Sound NSW, or other DCITHS departments or agencies
- Local Government Authority operational costs and capital items
- compliance with local government environmental or sustainability plans
- projects or activities that are led by people who aren’t professional artists, arts /and cultural workers, or creatives
- costs incurred in the preparation of a grant application or related documentation
- costs for activities that have commenced or been completed prior to the execution of a funding deed or notification of success of the application
- activities that will not be delivered prior to the end of the grant funding period unless a variation to the period is approved by Create NSW in writing
- fundraising and/or donations to other organisations
- awards, prizes, competitions, or prize money
- repayment of loans including director loans.
What co-contributions are required
A total of $1,500,000 has been committed for this Program in the 2026/27 financial year. The Program will support projects and initiatives that deliver activity between 1 January 2027 and 31 December 2028. The maximum grant value is $150,000 (exclusive of GST).
The funding will not cover the full cost of the delivery of the proposed program or project. At least 20% of income required for the delivery of the program must be provided from other sources. This can include other earned income and in-kind contribution from the applicant.
Funding requests must be realistic, substantiated, and be commensurate with the proposed level of activity.
Additional eligibility requirements
Successful applicants will be expected to deliver on at least one of the following ACFP priorities:
- First Nations stories and communities
- Western Sydney and/or Regional NSW
- Next generation of creatives and audiences
- Broad and inclusive communities and content
- Accessibility and equity