Key organisations - emerging - music

Key organisations – emerging grants are for outstanding music organisations that are leading artistic ensembles or service providers.

Closing date: 15 May 2008
Decisions advised: September 2008
For funding from: 1 January 2009

About this category

Key organisations - emerging grants are intended to provide a pathway to multi-year funding. After receiving these one-year grants for three years, organisations are eligible to apply for multi-year funding.  Organisations need to demonstrate they have sustained national or international influence, are leading innovators or are acknowledged centres of excellence.

Key organisations - emerging is structured as up to three individual annual grants. Each year, organisations in this category will provide an annual program and budget for the following year as well as an acquittal for the previous year’s funding.

These documents will demonstrate the organisation’s progress towards meeting the eligibility criteria for the key organisations – multi-year category. They will also demonstrate the organisation’s continued high performance against the assessment criteria. Based on the board’s assessment of the company’s progress and performance, the organisation may be offered funding in the second and/or third year.

The key organisations – emerging category is split into key organisations (artistic) and key organisations (service).

These two different types of key organisations have the same eligibility and selection criteria described below, but there is a difference in the terms of the funding agreement offered to key organisations (service).

These organisations will have additional clauses included in their funding agreements articulating the specific service outcomes sought by the music board. If the organisation fails to deliver on these outcomes, it will be formally advised that this is the case and required to resubmit an application at the appropriate closing date in the calendar year. 

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility in 2008 is limited to organisations that lodged an expression of interest in 2007 and were invited to apply. Invited organisations have been advised of the type of key organisation funding for which they are eligible, either key organisations (artistic) or key organisations (service).

Invited organisations must meet the general eligibility requirements.

They must also demonstrate the ability to transition into meeting the following Eligibility Criteria over a three-year period:

• At least 40 per cent of their income is derived from sources other than the Australia Council
• Their turnover was a minimum of $200,000 each year in the previous two financial years, and
• They received a minimum grant of $40,000 in each of the previous two financial years from either the music board or a state/territory government agency.

What are the selection criteria?

All organisations to be provided with key organisations emerging funding will be one or more of the following:

• Acknowledged national organisations with a presence or influence across Australia
• Organisations with a sustained international profile
• Leading innovators that consistently stretch their artform practice
• Acknowledged centres of excellence in their particular form of practice.

The music board will assess the application using the following criteria:

• The extent to which the organisation contributes to the strategic national infrastructure as defined above
• Significant contribution to the development of high quality music activity
• Artistic or professional skills appropriate to the activity
• Public engagement
• Good planning, governance and management, effective use of resources and a demonstrated need for triennial funding.

Organisations that best demonstrate all of these criteria will be selected for key organisations funding.

What should you submit?

All applicants must submit the required support material in addition to the application.

Application forms are not yet available, but will be posted on this website at least six weeks before the closing date.

Important Information

Organisations in receipt of a key organisations – emerging grant may choose to make one other application each year to the Australia Council for a project grant, but not for a program grant. The second application must be an activity that is not currently funded by the organisation’s key organisations – emerging grant.

Key organisations – emerging grants are administered through the Australia Council's key organisations section. For more information please contact the client manager on (02) 9215 9112 or 1800 22 6912 (toll free).