How to Apply for Creative New Zealand Funding

Updated

Creative New Zealand (CNZ) accepts funding applications through its online CNZ portal, and the site sets out a clear sequence: check which applicant type fits you, read the Terms and Conditions of Funding and the relevant investment programme guidelines, prepare your application with the published assessment criteria in mind, then submit through the portal and report on the activity if you are funded. Before you start, confirm that your project matches an open opportunity in the funding calendar and that you meet the criteria for your applicant type (early career artist, artist/practitioner, or arts organisation/group).

Before you apply: confirm eligibility and fit

The site separates applicants into three groups, and each has its own guidance:

  • Early career artists
  • Artists and practitioners
  • Arts organisations and groups

Start with the Funding and support section, which lists all opportunities and links to a funding calendar and other sources of funding and support. Use the calendar to check what is open and its closing dates, and use the "other sources" page if CNZ funding is not the right fit.

Two documents are essential reading before you write anything:

  1. Terms and Conditions of Funding — the rules that apply to any grant you receive.
  2. Investment programme guidelines — the specific programme you are applying to, including its assessment criteria.

The site also publishes assessment criteria covering sustainable careers, making connections, navigating the law, and navigating your finances. These tell you what assessors look for, so map your application to them rather than treating them as background reading.

Get advice before you write

CNZ offers an advice and support section and a "Speak with an adviser" option. This is the most direct way to test whether your project idea fits a programme before you invest time in a full application. The site also lists a supported application service — useful if you need help with the process itself.

If you are unsure about anything in the guidelines, raise it with an adviser early; the guidance is written to be used before submission, not after.

Making an application through the CNZ portal

The site's "Making an application" guidance and CNZ portal help pages cover the mechanics. The general sequence is:

  1. Create or manage your CNZ account — use "Manage my CNZ account" to set up or access your login.
  2. Choose the correct opportunity — apply against the specific programme open in the funding calendar, not a general form.
  3. Prepare your content offline first — draft your project description, budget, and any supporting material against the programme guidelines and assessment criteria.
  4. Submit through the portal before the closing date, and check that you receive confirmation.
  5. If funded, report — add an activity record to your report, complete activity details and statistics, and follow the guidance on how to count activity statistics.

The site also explains how to use Creative New Zealand logos once you are funded, and the reporting section covers 6-month reports, programme and budget projections, development goals, and financial year end reports for investment programmes.

Common sticking points

  • Wrong applicant type. The guidance is split by applicant type; reading the wrong one leads to mismatched criteria.
  • Skipping the Terms and Conditions. These apply to every grant and are separate from the programme guidelines.
  • Leaving reporting until late. If you receive funding, the reporting requirements (activity records, statistics, financial year end reports) are part of the grant, not an afterthought.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in applications

CNZ publishes specific guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence in applications. Read it before using AI tools to draft or edit any part of your application, and follow what it says rather than assuming AI assistance is either fully permitted or fully prohibited.

If you are not applying for a grant

The site also covers bursaries, fellowships, scholarships and residencies, including named opportunities such as the Berlin Visual Arts Residency, the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship, the New Zealand/Aotearoa Music Scholarships, and the Te Waka Toi Awards. These have their own pages and processes — check each one rather than assuming the standard grant steps apply.

For general context on the organisation and its 15-year strategy, see the related questions on what Creative New Zealand is and what funding and support it offers.