Early Career Fund - Toi Tipu Toi Rea

The Early Career Fund – Toi Tipu Toi Rea offers grants of up to $10,000 to artists and practitioners who are at the early stage of their career. You don't need a previous track record to apply — this fund is designed to give you the space and resources to learn, create, and grow.

You can apply as an individual or as a group of collaborators working together on a shared arts project. If you operate as a sole trader or through a company, you still apply as an individual, though grant payments can be directed to your business account.

Funding can be used to create, present, or distribute your work; gain new knowledge and skills; or pay a mentor. Applicants to the Ngā toi Māori funding pool are especially encouraged to include a mentor in their project.

If you identify as Deaf or disabled, or experience an impairment, you may be eligible for an additional accessibility payment on top of your grant to help cover related costs during the grant period.

Applications are assessed by artform peer assessors, Ngā toi Māori peer assessors, or Pacific arts peer assessors, depending on which funding pool you choose. Assessors consider whether the proposed activities help you learn and develop as an early career artist, why now is the right moment for this work, and how the project will grow your practice and open future pathways.

No budget is required at the application stage — if you're successful, you'll be asked to provide one when the grant is offered.

Creative New Zealand actively seeks to support a diverse range of early career artists, including those who are new to the funding process or have not previously received Creative New Zealand support.

Round 2 2026

• Opens: 31 August 2026
• Closes: 1:00 PM NZT, Thursday 1 October 2026
• Results due: 9 December 2026

Note: guidance on this page is based on the most recent funding round and may be updated in June 2026 before Round 2 opens.