The City of Austin's Nexus Grant program provides financial support to emerging cultural and creative individuals or organizations to produce public projects and activities that benefit Austin's diverse communities. The grant is designed to assist small organizations, cultural groups, individual artists, and those new to City funding. The program is now an annual funding opportunity, with applications open from January 28, 2025, at 10 a.m. CST until March 6, 2025, at 7 p.m. CST. Funded activities must take place between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026.

The Nexus Grant awards a fixed amount of $5,000 to eligible applicants. Qualifying applicants include 501(c) nonprofit arts organizations, individual artists aged 18 or older, and creative businesses. Applicants must have an annual operating budget of $150,000 or less and demonstrate at least one year of operating history within the Austin metropolitan statistical area (MSA). Additionally, at least 51% of the applicant’s creative production must take place within the Austin 10-1 districts or extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Applicants receiving City funding for the same activities in the same fiscal year are not eligible. City of Austin employees and non-arts organizations are also ineligible.

Eligible projects include exhibitions, performances, workshops, classes with a public performance or exhibition, and public art projects installed in publicly accessible spaces. The grant covers administrative expenses, artist fees, space rentals, equipment rentals (excluding purchases), supplies, marketing and promotional costs, insurance, and fiscal sponsor fees (capped at 10% of the award). Applications will be evaluated based on eligibility, completeness, and the detailed description of the proposed event. Priority will be given to previous applicants who have not received funding, new applicants with an extensive history of creative work in the Austin ETJ, and underrepresented disciplines in the awardee pool.

To assist applicants, the City of Austin provides several support resources. Program guidelines, application previews, and a materials checklist are available in English and Spanish to help applicants verify their eligibility and prepare submissions. Additionally, workshops and virtual office hours are offered through March 4, 2025, allowing applicants to ask questions and receive guidance. Information sessions are also available on-demand.

A successful Nexus application must be complete, meet all eligibility requirements, and propose an event that takes place in the Austin ETJ within the funding period. Applicants may apply individually and as part of a group, provided the proposals are unrelated. Previous Nexus recipients may reapply if all their contracts are closed and in good standing by April 30, 2025. In the case of a tie, priority will be given to first-time applicants, those with the longest history of creative work in the Austin ETJ, and those in disciplines that are least represented in the current award cycle.