ACAD launches 13th-round funding exercise of Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme
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The Advisory Committee on Arts Development (ACAD) today (December 5) launched the 13th-round funding exercise under the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS).
The ACDFS provides funding support for innovative and impactful proposals that contribute to four objectives, namely capacity development of arts practitioners, arts groups, art forms and/or the arts sector; programme/content development; audience building; and arts education. Over 170 successful applications have received funding in the previous 12 rounds to implement large-scale and cross-year arts and cultural initiatives that cover various art forms and practices including performing arts, visual/media arts, arts technology, multi-disciplinary arts, community arts, arts education/appreciation/promotion and arts administration.
The assessment criteria for applications include artistic/professional merit, creativity and originality, impact on the arts sector and the community, technical feasibility of the proposed initiatives/activities, capacity in financial planning and management, and the management ability of the applicant and the project team.
In the 13th-round funding exercise, the ACDFS will disburse a provision of approximately $50 million in the form of Springboard Grant and Project Grant.
Springboard Grant is a matching grant, which requires applicants to demonstrate that they have secured or will secure the cash income for implementing the proposals that are designed to elevate the applicants to a higher level of professional operation with deliverables capable of contributing to all the four objectives of the ACDFS. Through the matching grant, the ACDFS wishes to cultivate a supportive culture for arts in the community and foster a tripartite partnership involving the Government, arts groups, and the private sector. In the 13th-round funding exercise, the minimum requirement of cash income solicited by the applicants for matching is $750,000, of which not less than $250,000 should come from non-government sponsorships and/or private donations. A 200 per cent matching grant up to a maximum amount of $4 million may be provided over a maximum of two years. Successful applicants with proven performance may apply for a second Springboard Grant up to a maximum amount of $5.5 million with a funding period of three years at most. Arts groups completing the second Springboard Grant would become Graduated Springboard Grantee, and would be eligible for applying for the Art Development Matching Grants Scheme to sustain their development.
Project Grant is a direct grant intending to support proposals of high artistic/professional merit that fulfil one or more of the four objectives of the ACDFS. Project Grant provides successful applicants with funding support up to a ceiling of $3 million to organise large-scale and impactful projects, which may require a longer duration for implementation.
The 13th-round funding exercise under the ACDFS is open for application from today and will close at 6pm on January 30, 2024. Applications can be submitted online, by post or by hand. The Guide to Application and relevant materials have been uploaded to the website of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (www.cstb.gov.hk). The Secretariat of the ACDFS will arrange two briefing sessions on December 12 and 22, at the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Hong Kong Central Library respectively. Representatives of the ACAD and successful applicants in previous rounds will attend to share experiences with potential applicants. Details can be found on the above website. The application results are expected to be released around July 2024.
Ends/Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Issued at HKT 12:37
Issued at HKT 12:37
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