Funding for individual artists and arts practitioners to develop skills that increase career sustainability and future-proof business practice.
Amount
$5,000 to $10,000
Artforms
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Building Business Capability for Individual Practitioners Fund 2022/23
For projects taking place between:
25 Nov 2022 - 25 Nov 2023
Opened: 19 Sep 2022
Closed: 14 Oct 2022, 1PM
Building Business Capability for Individual Practitioners Fund 2021/22
For projects taking place between:
3 Jun 2022 - 3 Sep 2022
Opened: 28 Mar 2022
Closed: 22 Apr 2022, 1PM
Eligibility for Building Business Capability for Individual Practitioners Fund
This fund is for individual artists and arts practitioners who are New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.
You must apply as an individual, not an organisation. However, we recognise an individual could be looking to develop business skills that benefit their organisation or company, eg for sole traders or owner/operators, and this fund can be used for that purpose.
Previous recipients of this fund are not eligible to apply.
Permanent staff members of Toi Uru Kahikatea or Toi Tōtara Haemata investment organisations are not eligible to apply. However, fixed-term employees or contractors may apply.
Annual Arts Grant recipients are eligible to apply in their capacity as individuals, not organisations, and only for a new project, or new project phase that extends beyond what Creative New Zealand currently funds you to deliver.
Members of a collective can apply separately as individuals and can apply for the same type of activity, or the same tools or provider. Each application will be assessed on its own merits.
Track record
You must have a track record of experience and success — this means you must have:
- recognition from peers or experts
- achieved a degree of critical or sales success
- specialised training or practical experience
For examples of what success means in your artform check under Guidelines - Artforms. If you don't have the track record we're looking for you may be able to get funding through the Creative Communities Scheme.
Funding types
There are three types of funding: Ngā toi Māori, Pacific arts and General arts. There are additional eligibility requirements for Ngā toi Māori and Pacific arts funding types. You may be eligible for more than one type of funding, but you can only choose one for your application.
Ngā toi Māori funding
To apply for Ngā toi Māori funding:
- you must be Māori, or your project must be managed or directed by Māori
- organisations, groups or collectives must be Māori-led. If an organisation is applying for funding on behalf of an individual, that person must also be Māori.
Applications are assessed by Māori artists or practitioners with experience in Ngā toi Māori.
Pacific arts funding
To apply for Pacific arts funding:
- your activities must align to our Pacific Arts Strategy 2018-2023
- Kaupapa Pasifika will be evident in the practice of your activities
- the activities will deliver outcomes to Pacific arts and artists
Applications are assessed by Pasifika artists or practitioners with experience in the Pacific arts.
General arts funding
The general eligibility criteria apply. Applications are assessed by artists and practitioners with experience in the relevant artform.
Breaches of agreements
You can't apply if you, your organisation, or key members of your project team are in breach of the conditions of a current funding agreement.
For more information see Guidelines - Eligibility
This fund offers grants to support individual artists and arts practitioners to develop skills that increase their career sustainability and future-proof their business practice. Individual artists and arts practitioners can apply for activities that help them remain relevant to audiences and communities and become more resilient to changing environments.
Project costs
Individuals can apply for between $5,000 and $10,000 towards project costs, including up to a total of $3,000 for capital expenditure. The project costs could include payment for your time to undertake the project and one or more of the activities listed below:
- Research and planning – contracting consultants or industry experts to help you grow your business expertise. For example, developing or revising strategic, business and risk management plans, exploring alternative business models and platforms, researching and developing new audiences, markets and income streams
- Inclusion – supporting inclusion in your practice and increasing access to your work. For example, disability responsiveness training, building cultural competence in Kaupapa Māori and Kaupapa Pasifika or training to recognise and address unconscious bias.
- Manawaroa/Resilience – developing tools, resources and skills to sustain your professional practice within dynamic and challenging environments. For example, stress management training, professional supervision, wellbeing and hauora/health coaching.
- Professional development – learning new skills to grow or adapt your business practice and career. For example, a financial training course, a programme of business management study, attendance at marketing workshops or industry conferences.
- Digital skills – developing skills to increase online engagement and make online content accessible to new and diverse communities. For example, developing your website, fundraising using e-commerce, digital strategy development and online content development.
- Digital tools and equipment – accessing and acquiring relevant and fit for purpose resources to carry out your project up to a maximum cost of $3,000. For example, financial management software, Zoom subscription, live streaming or virtual reality tools for the duration of the project. You must outline how these resources will support your project in your application.
We don't have a recommended list of providers. We encourage you to work with your arts network to identify suitable providers.
You can only apply for costs incurred between the project start and end dates listed in your application. We don't fund retrospective or ongoing costs.
Project timing
Your project must:
- Start after 25 November 2022
- Finish before 25 November 2023
Benefits to New Zealand arts
Your project or activities must directly benefit New Zealand arts, artists or practitioners.
Guidelines and advice for specific activities and costs
Overseas activities
You can apply for overseas activities, but we anticipate that activities involving a training event, artist or practitioner overseas will need to be online for some time. If your project includes international travel you need to follow official travel advice. See Guidelines - International activity
Tertiary study and training courses
You can apply for tertiary study and training courses that will help you to build business skills. You can also apply for remuneration for your own time to undertake training and travel costs if the travel is outside your region.
Website development
You can apply for funding to hire an expert to build or update a website to support your practice. In your application, you need to demonstrate the value and benefit to your business in building your resilience and long-term sustainability. We would also support the purchase of a website domain as this helps build your digital presence as an individual practitioner.
Brand development
You can apply for brand development, eg graphic design costs, via a third-party contractor. In your application, you need to tell us how this activity will help you remain relevant to audiences or communities.
Subscriptions
You can include costs for a digital subscription or arts industry body or membership-based organisation. In your application, you need to tell us how this will help your skills development and long-term sustainability. We can only support the subscription cost for the duration of your project. For example, if your project duration was six months then we would only support the subscription cost for six months.
Services provided by other artists or arts practitioners
Training, mentoring or consultancy support can be provided by artists or arts practitioners as long as they have the appropriate skills and experience and are a good fit for your project. For example, if you’re looking for training as a Producer you might want to be mentored by a Producer in the sector who has more experience than you and can help build your skills.
A consultant/mentor does not need to have a track record as long as you explain in your application why they are the right person and what their background and experience is.
You can nominate any contractor, mentor or training provider. Your application must include their CVs/bios and quotes or proposal fees as well as confirmation in writing of their availability.
Either a fee or koha can be paid for mentoring or other skills building, as appropriate.
Digital tools or equipment
You can apply for digital tools or equipment costs (as capital expenditure items) that are directly related to carrying out your project. In your application, tell us how the tools or equipment will support your project.
Here are some examples:
- digital tools or equipment, eg laptops or cameras
- IT software or hardware
- financial management software
- fundraising/e-commerce tools
- Zoom subscriptions, live streaming or VR tools.
You can apply for up to $3,000 in total for capital items. Your application needs to request at least $5,000.
What we don't fund
This fund is for building business capability and does not support costs related to building artistic capability, or the research, creation and presentation of arts activity or projects.
In addition, the following cannot be supported:
- Activities already funded by another Creative New Zealand funding programme or initiative. For instance, the Creative Communities Scheme
- Activities another Creative New Zealand funding programme or initiative is designed to support
- Duplication of funding with other government agencies
- Projects, project phases or programmes of activity that have received support from Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage via the Arts and Culture COVID Recovery Programme (excluding Cultural Sector Emergency Relief Fund, the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme and the Grant for Self-Employed Individuals)
- Projects or project phases that have received support from the Creative Careers Service, the pilot co-designed by the Ministry of Social Development and Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage
- Projects or project phases that have received support from the New Zealand Music Commission Capability Grants Programme
- Game design, fashion design and commercial design
- Some film and screen activity
- Purchase of capital items (excluding digital tools or equipment up to $3,000), renovating or buying buildings or restoring marae.
Partnering with organisations in Creative New Zealand’s Toi Uru Kahikatea or Toi Tōtara Haemata investments programmes
If your project is in partnership with, or will result in a presentation at, an organisation in Creative New Zealand’s Toi Uru Kahikatea or Toi Tōtara Haemata investment programmes you must supply a letter from them that outlines their contribution to the project.
Register or sign in to your Creative NZ Portal account to apply using the online application form.
Submit your application by 1:00pm on the closing date (earlier if you can).
See our Guidelines for step-by-step technical guidance, tips and support to create your CNZ portal account or to use the online application form.
If you have access needs or require additional support to use the CNZ portal, contact us on email portal@creativenz.govt.nz or phone 0800 CREATIVE (273 284).
How often you can apply
You can submit one application only.
Reapplying for a previously declined project
We offer the opportunity to resubmit a previously declined project only under limited circumstances. See Guidelines - Reapplying for a previously declined project.
To apply you need to fill in all sections of the online application form. You also need to prepare documents and supporting information to upload to your application form.
Application form questions
The Building Business Capability for Individual Practitioners Fund application form includes the following sections:
Idea
In this section, you tell us what you need to support your capability or skills development and why you need it now.
If you’re requesting funding for digital tools or equipment, for example applying for online development skills that require new software or hardware, outline how it will support your project.
You also tell us how this support might benefit your career long-term and the impact it’s likely to have.
Process
In this section, you tell us where, when and how you plan to deliver your capability/skills development project.
People
In this section, you tell us about yourself, and other key people/organisations involved in your project.
Budget
In this section, you tell us:
- How much you’re requesting from Creative New Zealand
- The total cost of the project
You also need to provide a detailed budget. Read more below.
Support material
In this section, you add the required documents and supporting information to your application.
Read more below and see Guidelines - Support material
Budget
You need to provide a detailed project budget as part of your application.
It must show:
- All the costs to your programme or project
- Which of those costs you want the Creative New Zealand grant to cover
- All sources of revenue
You can present your budget using any of the following:
- Standard project budget template
- Activity and budget template for a programme of activity
- The template that is built into the Budget section of the application form
If you are a sole trader or registered as a company, you can choose to have your grant paid into your company account rather than your individual account.
Quotes
Your application must include quotes for costs from consultants or suppliers (e.g., from mentrors, training specialists or IT providers).
Video and audio support material
You can choose to include a web-link to a video or audio file (of 5-minutes maximum in length) as support material for your application. This is an opportunity for you to record yourself talking about the skills development you are looking to undertake. This should not include footage of your work such as performances or presentation. Read the Guidelines - support material for guidance of the formats we accept.
Building Business Capability for Individual Practitioners Fund assessment criteria
Your application is assessed by external peer assessors using the following criteria.
- Timely – There is a compelling case for this project and for why this support is needed now.
- Impact – This project is likely to achieve the desired goal/s and have long term benefits for the sustainability of the artist’s career.
- Planning – The planning and timeline is realistic and achievable.
- Budget – The budget is thorough and accurate.
- People – The people involved have the skills and experience to deliver.
For more information about our assessment and decision-making process, see Guidelines - Assessment
After the round closes, staff check if your application is eligible before it moves to peer assessment.
We will let you know the result of your application on 25 November 2022. There will also be a full list of funded applications on our Results page
If your application is successful, we’ll contact you about your:
- Funding agreement
- Payment details
- Reporting requirements. See Guidelines - Reporting
If your application is not successful you can email the Capability Services & Initiatives team to get feedback on it, and you may consider looking into other sources of funding and support
For more information, advice or to discuss your project schedule a conversation with a Funding Adviser online or email the Capability Services & Initiatives team
You can read all the information you need to apply on this page.
If you prefer, you can watch a recording of one of the following webinars on our Building Business Capability for Individual Practitioners Fund:
- General Q&A: Building Business Capability for Individual Practitioners Fund (YouTube 45 mins)
Watch this general Q&A with our Capability Services and Initiatives team, recorded on 30 August 2022.
- Zui: Building Business Capability for Individual Practitioners Fund (YouTube 51 mins)
Watch Te Otinga Hohaia, Funding Adviser, Funding Services and Kereama Te Ua, Arts Practice Director - Māori in this Zui to discuss the fund, recorded on 31 August 2022.
- Zono: Building Business Capability for Individual Practitioners Fund (YouTube 54 mins)
Watch Evotia-Rose Araiti, Senior Adviser, Capability Services & Initiatives, Pacific and Paul Lisi, Arts Practice Director – Pacific in this Zono to discuss the fund, recorded on 1 September 2022.