NSW First Nations Cultural Tourism Creativity Fund 2026–27: A$20,000–$100,000 for Community-Led Cultural Art
A creative tourism opportunity led by NSW First Nations communities
Create NSW opened the 2026–27 First Nations Cultural Tourism Creativity Fund on October 13, 2026. It supports NSW First Nations artists, cultural practitioners, businesses and community organisations developing culturally strong experiences that visitors can engage with safely and respectfully. A visual-arts project might involve an artist-designed visitor programme, a community-led interpretation of art and place, storytelling or a culturally authorised exhibition experience that can reach tourism audiences.
This is not an unrestricted global digital arts prize or a subsidy for any person who creates an image of Aboriginal culture. The applicant, project governance and creative authority must remain First Nations-led, with culturally appropriate permissions, protocols and community relationships. The NSW government seeks economic and cultural outcomes led by and for the communities connected to Country.
Two funding tiers: Develop and Grow
Tier 1 – Develop offers between A$20,000 and A$50,000 excluding GST. It is intended for concept development, pilot visitor experiences, product design, partnership building, feasibility research, skills and market testing. The initial proposal does not have to be fully tourism-ready, but it needs a credible pathway toward an experience that visitors can eventually understand, access or book.
Tier 2 – Grow offers A$50,001 to A$100,000 excluding GST for established cultural or arts experiences that are ready to expand. Potential activities include greater visitor reach, improvements to an existing cultural offering, partner collaborations and business capacity. Neither tier guarantees funding at the highest amount. The state also requires at least a 5% cash or in-kind contribution to overall project costs, so a 100%-government-financed project budget is not eligible.
Who is eligible to apply in New South Wales
An individual applicant must be a First Nations person aged 18 or older who has lived in NSW for at least twelve months, with an active ABN or an accepted funds administrator at contracting. Unincorporated groups must be at least 51% First Nations members; a majority of participants must have been based in NSW during the prior twelve months, and the group must document its project roles and commitments.
Incorporated applicants must be genuinely First Nations-led and have operated in NSW for the previous twelve months, including at least 51% First Nations representation on the board and among senior leadership. Consortia require an eligible First Nations-led lead organisation. All projects must be delivered in NSW and demonstrate cultural authority. A non-First Nations company cannot turn itself into an eligible lead applicant by merely hiring a First Nations artist as a contractor.
Eligible visual arts and the exclusions for screen and music production
Cultural storytelling, artists' product development, guided art experiences, heritage interpretation and visitor programmes rooted in creative practice are examples of work that could fall within the scheme. Digital interpretation may serve as a supporting delivery tool where a visitor experience is culturally authorised and tourism-focused. Such use should be discussed with the funding body; it does not automatically make standalone immersive video art an eligible project.
The rules explicitly exclude filmmaking, screen production, mainstream animation and film festivals, which are handled through Screen NSW, and contemporary music activities, generally handled through Sound NSW. The grant is therefore best suited to First Nations creative cultural tourism rather than financing an independent film, music release or conventional game-development pipeline. Cultural knowledge need not be disclosed or commercialised without the permission of its holders.
Submit by November 12 and plan delivery through June 2028
Applications close on Thursday November 12, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. NSW daylight-saving time. The online NSW Government grant listing leads to the required application form and current guidelines. Funded projects should start by April 1, 2027 and must finish by June 30, 2028. A realistic implementation plan should cover consultation, cultural governance, artist wages, materials, visitor access and reporting obligations.
Only approved, eligible costs incurred within the relevant project period can be supported. Applicants should document community permission, governance, expected visitor experiences, meaningful partnerships and their required co-contribution, rather than focusing solely on an attractive digital mock-up. Create NSW aims to direct half the overall programme budget to regional NSW applicants, but that policy goal does not guarantee any individual regional award.
Official source: Create NSW / NSW Government, 2026–27 First Nations Cultural Tourism Creativity Fund, checked 18 October 2026. Applicants need appropriate cultural authority and at least a 5% project contribution in cash or in kind. Film, mainstream animation and contemporary music projects are not eligible under this fund.