ACME unveils streamlined Creative Reset grant guidelines, opens multiple funding programs this fall

Angela Means, director of the Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME) department, and staff presented the department’s Creative Reset updates and new fiscal year 2026 grant funding guidelines to the Economic Opportunity Committee on Sept. 19.

ACME consolidated six previous grant guidelines into a single, streamlined set of documents and said it processed more than 11,800 public comments during a six‑step community engagement process used to shape changes. “This engagement model shows what’s possible when community, technology and staff all work together,” interim chief administrative officer Candace Cooper said.

Assistant Director Morgan Messick described notable changes across the department’s program suite: Nexus (entry-level awards for individual artists and small arts groups, now $5,000 or $10,000 awards based on scoring), Elevate (wider award ranges, applicants grouped to compete against organizations of similar operating budgets), Thrive (top‑tier operational support for 501(c)(3) cultural nonprofits with updated eligibility and removal of a prior mandatory break requirement), Creative Space Assistance (flat $60,000 award for eligible leased creative spaces), Austin Live Music Fund (awards to musicians, promoters and qualifying venues with updated thresholds), and an expanded Heritage Preservation Grant (now includes events as an eligible category and awards from $50,000 to $250,000).

Messick said ACME introduced universal appeals procedures across all programs, strengthened standard operating procedures to prevent double‑dipping between funds, updated panel and scoring processes, and published “eligibility at a glance” guidance to help applicants find the best fit. Staff also committed to workshops, office hours and targeted outreach aimed at broadening the applicant pool beyond historically funded recipients.

Key rollout dates provided in the briefing: application openings on Oct. 21 for Elevate, Austin Live Music Fund, Creative Space Assistance and Heritage Preservation grants; Nexus will open March 2026; the department expects a regular cadence of application openings starting in 2027 (March, July, September cycles).

Councilmembers asked about appeals timing and staff capacity. ACME said it would set aside a portion of program budgets as a reserve to handle successful appeals and would schedule appeals before final awards are distributed to avoid delays in fund disbursement. Councilmember Harper Madison and others also emphasized continued investment in outreach and community navigators to reach new applicants and smaller creative organizations; ACME staff said they will explore ways to revive navigator‑style outreach and to partner with local influencers and grassroots organizations to reach underrepresented groups.

No formal council action was requested; staff said the proposed guidelines will be published and the application periods will open according to the schedule shared in the briefing.