The City of Austin is accepting applications for its Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment Grants.
Donor Name: City of Austin
State: Texas
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/18/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME) has launched $23 million in grants, supported by the City’s Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenue, continuing a multi‑year commitment to sustain a thriving and equitable creative ecosystem.
The City of Austin established Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (ACME) to better support the City’s ongoing work with Austin’s creative community, making the city a stronger place for arts, culture, and music. ACME goals include:
- Meaningful direct support for artists and cultural groups
- Local economy growth and development to attract visitors and build stronger communities
- Enduring partnerships between artists, cultural groups, and businesses
- Open and accessible spaces that connect residents and tourists through arts and culture to strengthen community identity and promote collective storytelling
- Further build Austin’s identity as a global city for creativity
- The ACME Funding Program Guidelines outline everything you need to know about eligibility, funding priorities, allowable expenses, and application review.
Goals
- Austin is home to many creatives that draw tourists and locals alike to the community. A central initiative of ACME is to invest in the creative economy and expand access and participation in arts, music, and heritage by providing grant funding for activities that enrich the public, broaden tourism, and contribute to a vibrant community. ACME supports the community by prioritizing the preservation of creative space, the elevation of arts and arts nonprofits, and through events, projects, and music that contribute to the cultural fabric of Austin.
- The programs support all Austinites with a focus on historically underrepresented communities in funding. The goals and measures of success align with city wide plans, such as Imagine Austin and the City-Wide Strategic Plan.
Funding Information
$5,000 to $250,000.
Eligible Expenses
- For HOT funded programs, eligible expenses include—but may not be limited to:
- Compensation
- Marketing and outreach
- Insurance
- Supplies
- Permits
- Rentals
- Production, performance and service fees related to the grant-funded activities promoted to tourists
- For grants for project-related equipment purchases/repairs, dependent upon the program and with ACME staff approval
- See individual program guidelines for additional details
Eligibility Criteria
ACME staff work with applicants and awardees to ensure expectations are clear and in line with City of Austin policies, which include the following requirements. Applicants must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Comply with the City of Austin ‘Conflict-of-Interest’ policies and practices
- Live or be based in the Austin–Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) for the duration of the grant agreement
- Maintain City of Austin grant compliance for continued funding eligibility
- Awardees may only accept one award from either the Live Music Fund or the Cultural Arts Fund if offered both in the same fiscal year. Additionally, applicants may hold only one active award from either the Live Music Fund or the Cultural Arts Fund at any given time.
- Each lead applicant may submit only one application per grant program, and duplicate submissions for the same project or entity are not allowed, except when an individual leads multiple fully distinct applicant entities with their own EINs, financial accounts, and separate missions, where applicable
- May only submit one application per applicant entity per ACME funding program. Must not submit multiple applications under different Lead Applicant names or aliases
- Not be a permanent, full-time City of Austin employee, nor an employee of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME) of any type.
- Maintain required insurance for grant-funded activities
- Ensure grant funded public activities occur in Austin or its ETJ
- Produce events and/or activities that are open and advertised to Austin residents, visitors, and tourists
- Decline any portion of awarded funds not needed
- Return any unused funds
For more information, visit City of Austin.
