Arts Business: First Nations Development Fund provides grants from $10,000 to $50,000 to build sustainable business practices and support economic and social development opportunities. The opportunity is open to arts and culture First Nations individuals, groups, and micro-organisations.
Grants can be used for professional and workforce development, governance training, capacity building, marketing, seed funding, strategic planning, and building digital capabilities.
Your application should focus on demonstrating a business proposal that outlines the objective and impact of what will be achieved with this funding. This fund should improve skills, capacity, and financial stability to increase growth opportunities and elevate workforce and business capabilities.
The Arts Business: First Nations Development Fund is for activities beginning on or after 1 June 2026. Funded activities must last no longer than 12 months from the proposed start date.
This initiative is part of Creative Australia’s First Nations First industry development programs. The programs have been developed in response to the extensive community consultation on priorities and needs of the sector in response to Pillar 1, First Nations First – Revive, the Australian Government’s shared vision for Australia: a place for every story, a story for every place. These new initiatives aim to elevate existing programs and deliver new funding that builds on a 50-year legacy of First Nations leadership and investment at Creative Australia.
Key dates
Opening: Wednesday 10 December 2025
Closing date: Tuesday 3 February 2026 at 3pm AEDT
Notifications: Late April 2026
Projects can start from: 1 June 2026