Queensland Major Commissioning Fund

The Queensland Major Commissioning Fund is administered by Arts Queensland, Department of Education.

Eligible activities
The Fund supports costs associated with the commissioning and presentation of new creative works of scale that can demonstrate:

• Proof of concept, viability and presentation readiness within the required timeframe.
• Potential to attract new and large audiences.
• Capacity to generate ongoing presentation outcomes following first presentation.
• Co-investment partnerships in the commissioning, production and/or presentation of the work.

The commissioning and presentation of the new work may be in partnership with national and international artists, organisations and businesses, and funding may support costs associated with the engagement of high-profile talent – including renowned artists, performers, and creatives – to collaborate with Queensland talent.

The proposed work of scale must:

• Be in an advanced stage of concept and creative development.
• Feature Queensland artists and arts workers.
• Premiere in Queensland or, by exception, internationally if a Queensland presentation is confirmed
  have its first presentation by or in 2028.

Works that celebrate Queensland stories, people and places will be highly regarded.

These activities are not eligible for funding:

• Seed funding or funding for proof-of-concept development.
• Remounts of existing works.

Matched funding requirement (1:1)

The Fund provides matched funding through a co-investment model. Applicants must demonstrate confirmed matched investment commitments totalling at least the amount requested of the Fund.
Matched investment may include, but is not limited to:

• Cash contributions from producers and/or presenters.
• Philanthropic or sponsorship cash secured specifically for the work.
• Applicant’s own cash investment in the project.

It is anticipated that budgets for works of scale will significantly exceed $500,000 (i.e. $250,000 of AQ funding and $250,000 of confirmed matched funding). Budgets can include unconfirmed funding ( e.g. ticketing income) but cannot contribute to confirmed matched funding.

In-kind support may be included in matched funding where it is material and appropriately valued, and AQ must endorse its inclusion before the EOI is submitted.

Additional support for access costs

You can apply for up to an additional $10,000 for costs related to the inclusion and participation of people with disability or who are d/Deaf. This funding can be used to assist individuals with disability or who are d/Deaf to participate in the project as artists, performers, arts workers, collaborators etc; or for audiences or participants with disability or who are d/Deaf to access and engage with your activities.

Eligible costs must relate to the project, not an applicant’s general operations, and not be already funded under NDIS.

See our FAQs for examples of different types of access costs the funding will support.

Ineligible costs

• Non-arts activities: Activities that are not related to the arts, cultural or creative industries. For this Fund, applications for film, screen and games will be considered ineligible. Funding for screen-related activities can be found on Screen Queensland’s website.
• Costs covered by other funding: program or project costs covered by philanthropic funding or by other Queensland Government, local, State, or Federal government grant funding or service contracts or NDIS funding in relation to access costs.
• Business costs: core operating costs including rent and utilities, business start-up costs, debts and loans repayments, contingency, agents’ fees, or management fees. This includes expenses associated with core staff involved in funded activities including fees or wages, travel, accommodation and living-away-from-home allowances.
• Infrastructure: purchase, planning or maintenance of infrastructure, including fit outs.
• Insurance: costs of insuring activities and events.
• Equipment: equipment or software purchases or digital upgrades.
• Retrospective funding: funding for activities that have already taken place or for goods and services contracted or purchased prior to your funding being confirmed.
• Competitions, awards and private tuition: fundraising activities, awards, competitions, eisteddfods, prizes, private tuition or accredited courses and cost associated with participating in them.
  

You will not be eligible to apply if you are:

• An individual.
• Being auspiced.
• A State or Federal Government agency or educational institution. Note: Arts Statutory Bodies and Arts Owned Companies are eligible to apply.

Please get in touch with Arts Queensland to discuss.

Community expectations relating to Queensland Government funding

The Queensland Government has made a commitment to enhance community safety through the introduction of a suite of changes focused on terrorist symbols and phrases including through the Fighting Antisemitism and Keeping Guns out of the Hands of Terrorists and Criminals Amendment  Bill 2026.

Accordingly, in its administration of public monies, as an agency of the Queensland Government Arts Queensland will not support applicants or activities that do not represent an appropriate use of public money. This could include promoting behaviour or speech that is hateful, insulting or that promotes racism or religious intolerance, or that is contrary to Anti-Discrimination or hate speech laws. Arts Queensland will also consider any financial and operational risks in allocating funding and managing funding agreements.

To undertake these due diligence processes, Arts Queensland will consider publicly available information.

The Queensland Government acknowledges the unique role the arts can play in considering different points of view, the exchange of ideas and commentary on contemporary issues.

Please see the Queensland Major Commissioning Fund FAQs for examples of further guidance on considerations in determining whether an applicant is suitable to receive public funding.

Eligible applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

High quality

• Strength and clarity of the creative concept, including the work’s appeal to large audiences and the degree of profile of the creatives and artists involved.
• Evidence the work is ready for final-stage development, production and presentation within the required timeframe.
• Track record of successful development, creation, delivery and presentation of new and large-scale works.
• Skills levels and experience of the professionals involved including collaborators and partners.

Strong impact

• Capacity to grow national and international connections and audiences that build Queensland’s brand towards 2032.
• Generation of employment and professional development outcomes for Queensland artists and arts workers.

• Ability of the new work to showcase Queensland artists, creatives and/or stories and enhance the state’s cultural reputation.

• Additional access funding: funding requested is clearly aligned to project impacts, and the targeted artists, participants and audiences.

Sustainable value

• Realistic and viable budget, including confirmed matched funding
• Credible delivery plan and presentation pathway.
• Value-for-money and proportionality of the investment to anticipated outcomes, including potential for future touring/remount.

Support material helps to build a case for funding and provides evidence that your expression of interest and/or application meets the funding criteria. Your application will not be assessed if you do not supply all the compulsory support material.

Compulsory information and support material - EOI stage

Some information will be requested in application form questions and some may be attached as standalone documents. You must include all the information and support material below to be eligible. Applicants must provide:

• A short project summary and creative rationale.
• Evidence of concept maturity and readiness (for example: development history; outcomes of previous development stages; images, video and or recordings of previous development stages or draft material; draft scripts/libretto/concept drawings/models/design elements etc).
• Delivery and presentation pathway (potential premiere partner/venue/festival, indicative season dates).
• Indicative budget and the amount requested in the excel template provided by Arts Queensland.
• A matched funding plan (including evidence of the status of each commitment).
• A high-level overview of target audiences for the work and brief marketing plan.
• A short outline of future life of the work, including any evidence of indicative interest.
• Key personnel list and short bios.
• A preliminary risk assessment (delivery, budget, marketing).
  

Compulsory information and support material –  final application stage
Invited applicants must provide:

• A detailed budget and cashflow, including contingency and fee structures
• Letters confirming matched investment and key partners
• Detailed production and delivery plan including confirmed dates for presentation
• Detailed marketing plan
• Update on plans for future life of work including touring/remount potential
• Detailed risk management plan and project governance (including safeguarding where relevant)
• Accessibility and inclusion plan (where relevant)
• Evaluation plan aligned to fund objectives and access outcomes (if relevant)
• Updates to any information provided at EOI stage (if relevant)
• Audited or certified accounts for the most recent financial year

Other support material that is compulsory if it is relevant to your application:

• Evidence of consultation with, and support from, communities or groups you are working with or whose stories you are sharing. Please review the Queensland Major Commissioning Fund FAQs for practical examples. 
• Appropriate consent and permissions: if your work will involve other people’s Intellectual Property (IP) or Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP). 
• Applications that have significant involvement from an Arts Queensland shareholder company, Arts Statutory Bodies or Major Performing Arts Organisations: Applicants must provide a letter from an authorised officer of those organisations confirming activity is separate to that already funded through Arts Queensland.
  

Successful applicants will need to provide evidence of appropriate levels of insurance.

Step 1: Read key documents and information

This includes:

• These guidelines.
• Queensland’s Time to Shine strategy.
• The application form.

Step 2: Check eligibility

• Eligibility Criteria will guide you on whether you are eligible to apply.
  
• Applicants must contact Arts Queensland prior to submitting an expression of interest to discuss their eligibility and proposed project.

Step 3: Apply for an Arts Queensland SmartyGrants applicant account (if you don’t have one already)

• You won’t be able to view or fill in the online form until you have an account. It’s a quick and simple process.
• If applying via SmartyGrants doesn’t meet your access needs, contact Arts Queensland to discuss other ways to apply.

Step 4: Prepare your application

• Gather your support material.
• Demonstrate how your project meets the purpose of this fund.
• Only request funding for activity or expenses that will occur after the activity start date and that directly relate to your project.
• If working with diverse communities, ensure your application outlines how you will address the needs of the community and how you will follow appropriate protocols when working with them.

Step 5: Submit your application by the due date

• Include all the compulsory support material (see Compulsory support material section for details).

Step 6: If invited, attend a meeting with the Fund Assessment Panel

• Long listed applicants will have the opportunity to pitch their project to the Panel and answer questions. Where possible, these questions will be provided in advance.
• Long listed applicants unable to attend the online meeting dates may not be invited to submit a full application.

Step 7: If invited, submit a full application

• include all the compulsory support material (see page 5 for details).

Tips

• Give yourself plenty of time to gather your compulsory support material.
• If you don’t receive an email confirming receipt of your EOI or final, please contact Arts Queensland.
  

Arts Queensland’s website provides resources for developing grant applications. We recommend you check these out if you are applying to the Fund for the first time.

While Arts Queensland staff can provide technical and general advice to potential applicants, including types of projects eligible for funding and advice on the application process, staff cannot help to develop the content of your application. To maintain a fair and equitable process, staff are unable to edit or correct any applications or provide advice on the content or decisions required within the application.

The Regional Arts Services Network (RASN), funded through Arts Queensland, provides support for artists and arts organisations. Applicants outside of the Brisbane Local Government Area requiring additional support to make an application should contact the services at Regional Arts Services Network (RASN).

Step 1: Eligibility check by Arts Queensland

• Arts Queensland checks your EOI against the eligibility criteria for the funding program. To find out the criteria, refer to the Key program information section.
• You will be notified if your EOI is found to be ineligible or if further information is required.

Step 2: Independent Peer Assessment and Internal Assessment

• EOI’s will be assessed by a panel of independent Peer Assessors and Arts Queensland against the Assessment Criteria.
• Through a moderation process, Peer Assessors make recommendations to Arts Queensland for EOIs to be invited to pitch.
• The panel may seek additional advice from industry experts to support moderation and recommendations.

Step 3: Pitches

• Peers come together as a panel with Arts Queensland senior staff to discuss their individual assessments and make funding recommendations (including funding amounts) for the Director-General or Delegate’s approval.
• In making their recommendations, the panel might consider the balance and diversity across the recommended pool of:
  • artforms
  • applicant types and groups benefitting from the activity
  • geographic location of applicants or activities.
• The panel may seek additional advice from industry experts to support moderation and recommendations.

Step 4: Assessment of full applications

• Successful applicants at the pitch stage will be invited to submit a full application.
• Arts Queensland may contact funders or partners named in the application, including those writing letters of support, and relevant government agencies, to check the information you supplied is accurate and/or there is no duplication of funding.
• Arts Queensland staff and Peer Assessors will assess full applications to ensure viable budgets and delivery.
• They will make funding recommendations (including funding amounts) for the Director-General or Delegate’s approval.

 Step 5: Arts Queensland's due diligence

• Arts Queensland may apply a risk identification framework to recommended applications as part of a final assessment process.

Step 6: Approval by Delegate

• The Director-General or Delegate will consider the recommendations and make a final decision on the recommended applications and their funded amounts.

Step 7: Notification of result

• Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application.

Outcomes of the EOI will be notified by 24 August, and final outcomes will be notified by mid November 2026 via email. Outcomes will also be published on the Arts Queensland website.

Feedback for unsuccessful applicants

If your application is unsuccessful, either at EOI or full application stage, we will include feedback in the email we send you advising of the decision.

Review of funding decision

All funding decisions can be reviewed under the Judicial Review Act 1991. If an applicant is dissatisfied with the funding decision, a written statement of reasons in relation to the decision can be requested. The request must be made in writing and within 28 days of receiving notification of the decision to investment@arts.qld.gov.au. Applicants may also apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the decision made on their application. Under the Judicial Review Act 1991, the Supreme Court can only review the decision-making process and not the merits of the application.

Funding agreement

If your application is successful, you will receive a funding agreement and a request for payment details.

However, if any special conditions have been set for funding and/or you are being offered reduced funding, Arts Queensland will contact you to confirm any additional actions you must take before receiving your funding agreement.

These Guidelines form part of your funding agreement and any subsequent variations you request will also require compliance.

You are encouraged to seek independent legal advice before signing a funding agreement. If you don’t return the signed funding agreement and provide payment details within 30 days, Arts Queensland may withdraw the offer of funding.

Payments

Funding agreements will include the amount of funding you will receive at different stages of project delivery, and any milestones or actions that must be satisfactorily completed to receive your next payment.

If you are registered for GST, funding will be increased by 10 per cent to cover the GST liability. You must notify Arts Queensland if you cease to be registered, or become registered, for GST.

Funding paid by Arts Queensland may be considered as part of an applicant’s income in a financial year and may therefore be subject to tax. Arts Queensland cannot give specialist advice about taxation. Further information about the GST and other tax issues is available from the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) website at ato.gov.au or by calling the Business Tax enquiries line on 13 28 66 or the Personal Tax enquiries line on 13 28 61.

It is your responsibility to ensure you understand all obligations of the funding agreement. Please read your funding agreement carefully.

Here are some, but not all the things you are required to do as part of your funding agreement:

• Acknowledge funding: you must acknowledge Arts Queensland’s support of your project in all published materials associated with the activity. Visit the Acknowledgement of funding page for information about how to use the Queensland Government logo and examples of standard words you can use to acknowledge our funding.
• Financial recordkeeping: you should keep invoices and receipts related to funded activity as proof of expenditure. We may request these as part of our quality assurance activities.
• Use funding only for the purposes approved by Arts Queensland: you can only use the funding for the purposes and in the way you said you would in your application and any approved revision or variation. Arts Queensland may request you return grant funds if they are unspent, or if you have not performed all the activities in your application, or due to other breaches of the funding guidelines or funding agreement. (See the changes and variations section below).
• Pay at least minimum award rates or industry recommended rates to arts and cultural workers involved in funded projects and programs. You can find a list of resources here.
• Deliver Key Performance Indicators: these are as detailed in the application and funding agreement and any subsequent variations.
• Comply with all relevant legislation from Commonwealth, State and local governments: including, but not limited to, accessibility, public health directions, workplace health and safety, the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, and working with children (if relevant to your application).
• Not infringe intellectual property rights or moral rights in delivering funded activities.
• Be properly insured: you must maintain sufficient insurance for funded activity. If you don’t have sufficient insurance covering the project activity period at the time you are applying, you will need to ensure you take out sufficient insurance before you enter into a funding agreement with us. Arts Queensland may request evidence of the currency of your insurance.
• Have the right licences and permissions you need to complete your activity.
• Let us know of any risks arising that might impact your ability to deliver the funded activity, or any reputational risks to Arts Queensland or Queensland Government that might arise during the delivery of the project.

A variation can be requested to the terms and conditions of the funding agreement, which includes the funded application. This could be due to changed circumstances, including a change in one of the artistic team, a delay in completing your project, or a change of venue.

Each request will be considered by Arts Queensland to ensure the Fund’s objectives will continue to be achieved and the proposed changes still align with the funding agreement, including the Guidelines and the approved scope of the project that was reviewed and recommended by peers.

Please contact Arts Queensland as soon as possible to discuss any proposed variation, as funding cannot be used for activities or budget allocations other than those specified in your funding agreement unless Arts Queensland approves the variation in writing.

Your funding agreement will specify when and how you will need to provide outcome reports and/or progress reports and whether there are payments dependent on that reporting.

The outcome report collects information about outputs (what was done) and outcomes (the change or difference it made) including artistic, cultural, social and economic returns on investment, and how you spent the grant funding.

If your project included an external evaluation report then you will need to provide this as part of your outcome reporting. Outcome reports will be evaluated by Arts Queensland. You might be asked to provide further information before a report can be finalised.

If you have overdue reporting or have not provided the additional information requested to complete your outcome report, you will be ineligible for further Arts Queensland funding.

Arts Queensland requires successful applicants to supply images and quotes about their projects through Smarty Grants as soon as possible. This assists Arts Queensland to promote funding outcomes including your activity.

Visit the Acknowledgement of funding page for information about how to use the Queensland Government logo and examples of standard words you can use to acknowledge our funding in your communications and promotional materials.

Arts Queensland does not have to accept EOIs, applications or any additional information after the closing time, or provide alternative dates for pitch meetings.

Arts Queensland will only consider requests for late submission/alternative dates in exceptional circumstances and we will assess a request on its merits and in accordance with probity principles.

You must request permission to make a late application no later than 24 hours prior to the closing date and time of the relevant application stage. The request should include a detailed explanation of the circumstances that prevented you submitting your application on time. Where appropriate, you should provide supporting evidence to justify your claim of exceptional circumstances.

Requests for alternative dates must be submitted within 24 hours of notification that you have been invited to pitch.

Arts Queensland’s decision to either accept or decline a late submission/alternative date request is final and is not subject to a review or appeal process.

If you experience technical difficulties when submitting your EOI or application, please contact Arts Queensland as soon as possible.

The information an applicant provides in their application may be used by Arts Queensland for the following purposes:

• Processing and assessing the application – for this purpose, the information will be provided to Peer Assessors engaged by Arts Queensland.
  
• Verifying other funding incomes for the project – for this purpose, the information may be provided to other funding agencies nominated in the application.
  
• Training Arts Queensland staff, systems testing and process improvement.
  
• Compiling statistics.
  
• Reviewing and evaluating Arts Queensland existing funding programs, strategies, plans and services.
  

If your application is successful, the information provided in the funding application, the amount of funding received, the information provided in progress/outcome reports (including text and images relating to the funded activity) may be used by Arts Queensland for the purposes listed above and for the following purposes:

• The processing, payment, and administering of funding, including monitoring and assessing delivery of the funding agreement
  
• Arts Queensland’s own reporting and evaluation of its activities
• Promotional purposes e.g., case studies or quotes
  
• Publishing aggregated and non-identified data to support learnings and trend information for the wider arts sector
  
• Publication on its website and/or other Queensland Government websites as part of open data initiatives
  
• Promoting funding outcomes and Queensland’s arts and culture – for this purpose, the information may be provided to Queensland Government Members of Parliament and their offices, the media, local government, Creative Australia, and state government agencies.
  

Contact details of successful applicants may be shared with relevant Queensland Government Ministers and officers, local Members of Parliament and their offices to inform them of grant recipients within their portfolio responsibilities or electorates, support promotion of the grant program or funded projects, and share information about new funding opportunities, or extend invitations to local events or consultations.

Arts Queensland manages all personal information in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 and all documents in Arts Queensland’s possession or control are subject to the Right to Information Act 2009.

Arts Queensland may contact you or your organisation to ask you to participate in surveys or consultation activities to evaluate its programs and services and help shape policy initiatives, programs and services. Participation is voluntary and all survey responses or consultation information will remain anonymous unless you choose to identify yourself.

You must not infringe Intellectual Property Rights or Moral Rights of any person in delivering funded activities.

• Intellectual Property Rights include all present and future rights in relations to copyright, trademarks, designs, patents, trade, business or company names, trade secret, confidential or other proprietary rights, or any rights to registration of such rights.
• Moral Rights means the right of integrity of authorship (the work is not treated in a way that harms the maker’s reputation), the right of attribution of authorship (the right to be identified and named as creator of the work), and the right not to have authorship falsely attributed to someone else.

For more information on Intellectual and Moral Rights obligations please refer to the Arts Law website and the Australian Copyright Council website.

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) is based on the principle of self-determination and refers to First Nations peoples' interests in protecting their cultures, heritage and knowledge and includes the intangible and tangible aspects of cultural practices, cultural expressions, resources, and knowledge systems.

Arts Queensland expects that applicants will respect and acknowledge ICIP, gain appropriate consent from owners prior to ICIP use and pay for the use of ICIP where appropriate.  For more information on ICIP please refer to the Arts Law website.

Applicants must pay at least minimum award rates or industry recommended rates of pay to arts and cultural workers involved in funded projects and programs.

Pay scales and conditions may be prescribed by legally binding industrial awards and agreements, such as those monitored by the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). In other cases, appropriate industry standards have been recommended by arts industry organisations, such as:

• Australian Writers’ Guild
• Musicians Australia
• Australian Society of Authors
• Australian Production Design Guild

• National Association for the Visual Arts

Where an industry standard clearly applies, applicants are expected to meet those rates of pay.