The Indigenous Languages and Arts (ILA) program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to express, preserve and maintain their cultures through languages and arts activities around Australia.

The ILA program will invest over 48 million in 2026-27 for Indigenous languages and arts projects which includes a component of funding specifically for the annual open competitive grant opportunity.

The 2026-27 open competitive grant opportunity opens on 2 February and runs until 16 March 2026. The open competitive grant opportunity is designed to support one-off Indigenous languages and arts projects. There is a caps on the amount of funding available and the duration depending on the scale of the project.

The open competitive grant opportunity is designed to support one-off Indigenous languages and arts projects. There is a cap on the amount of funding available and the duration of the project.

To be eligible for an ILA program grant, your organisation must:

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be registered for the purposes of GST - if your business has a gross annual income minus GST of $75,000 (or $150,000 for non-profit organisations)
• have an account with an Australian financial institution 
• be one of the following entity types: 
  • an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 200611 and are compliant with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s12 (ASIC) requirements regarding director ID numbers
  • a Commonwealth or State or Territory government corporate entity
  • a company incorporated in Australia
  • a company limited by guarantee
  • an incorporated association
  • a not-for-profit organisation
  • a partnership
  • a joint (consortia) application with a lead organisation
  • a publicly funded research organisation 
  • a State or Territory local government council
• have no overdue acquittals or serious breaches relating to Australian Government funding (a serious breach is one that has resulted in, or warrants, the termination of a grant agreement) 
• not be bankrupt or subject to insolvency proceedings (as relevant to the entity type) 

• Phone: 1800 006 992
• Email: ila@arts.gov.au