ACAD launches 14th-round funding exercise of Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme

The following is issued on behalf of the Advisory Committee on Arts Development:
 
     The Advisory Committee on Arts Development (ACAD) today (November 27) launched the 14th-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 190 successful applications have received funding in the previous 13 rounds to implement large-scale and cross-year arts and cultural initiatives that cover various art forms and practices, such as performing arts, visual/media arts, multidisciplinary arts, community arts, and arts education/appreciation/promotion.

     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 14th-round funding exercise, the ACDFS will disburse a provision of approximately $50 million in the form of Springboard Grant, a matching grant, and Project Grant, a direct grant.
               
     The Government has put on trial in the 13th-round funding exercise a new initiative for successful applicants of the Project Grant. An additional 200 per cent Incentive Matching Sum, up to a ceiling of $800,000, will be made in respect of non-government sponsorship and/or donations solicited during project implementation. This arrangement will also be applied in the 14th-round funding exercise with a view to cultivating a supportive culture for arts in the community and fostering a tripartite partnership involving the Government, arts groups, and the private sector to promote arts and cultural development in Hong Kong.
          
     The 14th-round funding exercise under the ACDFS is open for application from today and will close at 6pm on January 22, 2025. 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 a briefing session on December 11 at the Hong Kong Central Library. 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 2025.