Creative Industries - Connectivity

Successful applications will be decided by: the Chief Executive Officer of Create NSW

Pre-eligibility   

Your application will be checked by Create NSW for eligibility against the published Eligibility Criteria. If eligible, your application will proceed to the next assessment stage. If ineligible, you will be advised via email within 14 business days and your application will not proceed to assessment.  Create NSW reserves the right to provide applicants with an opportunity to provide clarification or additional information regarding the Eligibility Criteria provided the principles of probity are not breached.  Incomplete applications will be deemed ineligible. 

Assessment Stage 1 

Once eligibility is confirmed, the Artform Advisory Board Subcommittee will assess applications based on the criteria and guidelines. Funding is competitive and will consider various factors like demographics, distribution, organisation type, and project scale. 

Artform Advisory Board Subcommittee: 

• may set aside an application if it is assessed as below acceptable in any one of the published criteria. 
• ask for a Cultural Review from Create NSW First Nations staff or the First Nations Arts and Culture Artform Board for applications with First Nations content and engagement.  

Assessment Stage 2 

Create NSW will consolidate and finalise recommendations based on the Artform Advisory Board Subcommittee assessments, availability of funds, Strategic Priority Areas and geographic spread to ensure equity and the best outcomes for NSW government investment. 

Decision-Making 

Successful applications will be determined by The Chief Executive Officer, Create NSW, based on recommendations from Assessment Stage 2. 

Assessment process considerations 

Applicants should note that:  

• The NSW Government typically receives far more applications than it can support. 
• You are not guaranteed funding even if your application meets the published criteria. 
• If you are successful, your application may not be funded to the amount you requested.  

Create NSW may, at its sole discretion and at any stage of the application process, do all or any of the following:  

• Require additional information from an applicant. 
• May request applicants to provide clarification or additional information regarding the Eligibility Criteria. 
• Change the scope of the requirements of these guidelines. 
• Vary, amend (including by replacement), or terminate the application process.  
• Re-open an application after the closing date, provided it doesn’t give the applicant an advantage over other applicants.  
• Consider any non-conforming or late application. 
• Request further advice and/or clarification from applicants during the assessment process.   

Successful Grant Applications  

The anticipated assessment outcome timeframe is eight weeks after closing date If your application is successful: you will be sent a funding agreement (contract). This outlines the conditions of funding, how you will be paid and your reporting requirements.   

As an organisation you must provide:  

• An ABN which matches their entity name and a bank account that has the same name as your ABN.  
• Unincorporated associations and other organisations without legal status separate from their members cannot directly apply for Create NSW funding or be contracted directly by Create NSW. However, an individual may apply for funding and may be entitled to enter Create NSW funding contracts on their members’ behalf, so long as there is an eligible ABN. For example, while an unincorporated association cannot contract in its own name as a separate entity, it may have its own ABN. 
• An organisation without separate, legal status can also be administered by another legal entity.   

All applicants must:  

• complete an acquittal at the end of the funding period 
• acknowledgment of Create NSW funding in all publicity materials.   

You may be asked to provide:   

• a reference letter or letters from First Nations peers or community groups, as well as adherence to ICIP and First Nations Protocols prior to contracting, if appropriate 

Create NSW staff may contact you for additional information as part of this process.  

Contracts will not be issued, and payments will not be made, until all Create NSW/Sound NSW outstanding acquittals have been submitted. 

Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is within one month of successful notification. 

Feedback on Create NSW Connectivity funding application results   

Create NSW staff continue to help and support applicants who are preparing new funding applications. However, we have shifted away from providing individualised feedback on past applications to continue to meet service standards for the processing and assessment of applications.   

Program staff will no longer discuss past applications. Applicants applying in future rounds are encouraged to book an appointment with an Arts Funding and Development staff member to clarify any questions related to the application process.   

Publication of grants information   

The Grants Administration Guide (Guide) requires that certain information is published in relation to grants awarded no later than 45 calendar days after the grant agreement takes effect (see section 6.5 of the Guide and Appendix A to the Guide).   

This information is also open access information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) (GIPA Act), which must be made publicly available unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure of the information.   

In accordance with these requirements, relevant information about the grants awarded will be made available on the NSW Government Grants and Funding Finder as soon as possible after the funding agreement is executed.  

All records in relation to this decision will be managed in accordance with the requirements of the State Records Act 1998 (NSW).  

More information  

Please refer to Information for Funding Recipients for more detailed processes for successful applicants.   

This includes:   

• Program evaluation   
• Conflict of interest management   
• Organisations working with First Nations people or communities   
• Complaint handling, access to information and privacy   

Anticipated assessment outcome date is within one week of the final approval of funding commitments by government. The anticipated assessment outcome timeframe is eight weeks after closing date

Anticipated date for funding deed execution with successful applicants is within one month of successful notification