Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (Hong Kong)

Deadline: 13-Jan-22

Funding is now available under the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS) to support for large-scale and cross-year arts and cultural initiatives and activities, covering various art forms and practices such as performing arts, visual/media arts, multi-disciplinary arts, community arts, arts education / appreciation / promotion, arts administration and arts technology.

The scheme also seeks to cultivate a supportive culture for the arts in the community and to foster a tripartite partnership involving the Government, arts groups and the private sector to promote arts and cultural development in Hong Kong.

Objectives

The ACDFS calls for applications on an annual basis and provides funding support to innovative and impactful proposals that contribute to the objectives of:

• capacity development of arts practitioners, arts groups, art forms and/or the arts sector
• programme/content development
• audience building
• arts education

Types of Grants

Two types of grants are provided by the ACDFS:

• Springboard Grants
  • Springboard Grants are intended to support non-profit Proposals, i.e. proposals which are not implemented primarily to make a profit and are designed to elevate Applicants to a higher level of professional performance with enhanced deliverables capable of contributing to the four objectives of the ACDFS (viz. capacity development, programme/content development, audience building and arts education). The Applicant must demonstrate that it has secured or will secure a cash income of not less than $1 million Hong Kong Dollars of which not less than $250,000 Hong Kong Dollars is non-government sponsorships and/or donations for its Proposal. A 200% matching grant up to a maximum amount of $4 million Hong Kong Dollars may be provided in respect of the Applicant’s actual cash income. The funding period may last for a maximum period of two years unless otherwise approved by the Government.
  • Each successful Applicant of Springboard Grants may apply for a second Springboard Grant. In the case of a successful application for a second Springboard Grant, the maximum funding period is three years for the Successful Applicant to implement its enhanced Proposal for a more sustainable development of its organisation. The Applicant must demonstrate that it has secured or will secure a total cash income of not less than $1.5 million Hong Kong Dollars of which not less than $375,000 Hong Kong Dollars is non-government sponsorships and/or donations for its Proposal. A 200% matching grant up to $5.5 million Hong Kong Dollars may be provided in respect of the Applicant’s actual cash income. Neither ACAD nor the Government is bound to recommend and approve respectively any application for a second Springboard Grant. Should a second grant application be approved, the Successful Applicant will no longer be eligible to apply for any further Springboard Grant.
• Project Grants
  • Project Grants are intended to support non-profit Proposals of high artistic/professional merit that fulfil one or more of the objectives of capacity development, programme/content development, audience building and arts education. Project Grants seek to fund large-scale, impactful arts projects which contribute to local arts development by allowing a longer duration for project implementation.
  • Applications involving Proposals with an overall projected expenditure at or above $800,000 Hong Kong Dollars can be made for Project Grants.
  • Part or whole of the net approved project cost after deducting the expected income and revenue obtained from the project may be covered by this Grant. A direct grant up to a maximum amount of $3 million Hong Kong Dollars may be provided for a maximum period of two years unless otherwise approved by the Government.

Eligibility Criteria

• Individual arts practitioners, specially formed ensembles of arts practitioners, entities (including commercial entities) incorporated in Hong Kong and arts groups not receiving recurrent subvention from the Government are eligible to apply for Project Grants for implementing non-profit Proposals. Applicants should also note related requirements in paragraph.
• Successful Applicants for Springboard Grants must be companies incorporated under the Companies Ordinance or the old Companies Ordinance as limited by guarantee whose objects and powers do not include the distribution of profits to members or charitable institutions or trusts of a public character which are exempt from tax under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Such legal status must have been acquired by the Applicant prior to entering into the Funding Agreement.
• Successful Applicants for Project Grants must be companies incorporated under the Companies Ordinance or the old Companies Ordinance or charitable institutions or trusts of a public character which are exempt from tax under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Such legal status must have been acquired by the Applicant prior to entering into the Funding Agreement.
• A Successful Applicant must maintain the non-profit nature of the Proposal by returning residual funds or operating surplus to the Government upon completion of the Proposal unless under special circumstances.
• The Applicant must not be receiving recurrent funding of any form from the Government (such as subvention provided by the HAB and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to the nine major performing arts groups and the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society respectively) during the Funding Period. In addition, to avoid double subsidy, a Successful Applicant for Springboard Grant which is receiving a grant of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council’s Eminent Arts Group Scheme or Year Grant Scheme must undertake to relinquish any such grants before signing of the Funding Agreement.
• The Applicant must be the organiser of the Proposal, unless specifically mentioned in the Proposal, or under special circumstances and approval has been obtained from the Government in advance.
• Joint applications are allowed. Except in the case of an incorporated joint venture or a partnership, all the parties constituting the Applicant must indicate their consent to submit the application and be bound by the Funding Agreement.

For more information, visit https://www.hab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities/arts_culture_recreation_and_sport/acdfs.htm