Designer Fashion Grants
Up to $30,000 to support the Western Australian fashion industry.
Overview
The focus of the Designer Fashion Grants are to assist fashion designers and fashion design businesses to access commercial markets for their products, to develop skills and infrastructure, and to develop new markets for WA designer fashion.
This program supports activities which demonstrate that they are strategic, well planned and essential to the progress of the designer’s business/career to the next level.
For the purpose of the Designer Fashion Grants Program, ‘designer fashion’ is the applied art dedicated to the production of exclusive fashion, with a strong emphasis on design creativity.
Business Development – $20,000
This category is to assist designers to undertake projects that will improve business viability or take business activities to a new level.
The application should clearly outline development opportunities in new or potential products or markets and demonstrate how the project will improve the applicant’s long-term business viability.
Applications to this category need to be especially comprehensive with detailed, realistic budgets and convincing letters of support.
Eligible expenses may include:
- Participating in a national or international designer fashion week or trade fair
- Developing new marketing tools, such as a look book or a website
- Promotional planning within a collective or with a PR agency
- Researching and developing networks in order to source or gain information pertaining to availability of new materials and equipment.
NOTE: The costs of producing samples and garments are not eligible expenses.
Research and Skills Development – $10,000
This category is to encourage designers to seek industry experience within the designer fashion sector, or to collaborate with other industry professionals, locally, nationally or internationally.
The application should clearly outline how the project will create knowledge transfer, new networks and relationships between industry professionals and designers. In particular, research and skills development in the areas of design, production, administration, management and/or marketing should be demonstrated.
Projects should aim to nurture the business and creative skills of the applicant. There should be a focus on the pursuit of professional and creative excellence.
Eligible activities may include:
- Emerging designers seeking industry experience with established designers and/or businesses
- Collaborations with local, national or international manufacturers or designers
- Collaboration on a project with another designer.
NOTE: the costs of producing samples and garments are not eligible expenses.
Sector Development – $30,000
This category is for the implementation of strategies to support the growth of the Western Australian designer fashion industry.
To be successful in this category, applicants should clearly outline how the project will benefit a larger group of designers or the sector as a whole.
Eligible activities may include:
- Development of commercial and retail strategies for designers and Western Australian designer fashion businesses
- Western Australian designers participating in a group showcase project at an interstate or international event
- Industry-based conference/seminar activity.
Additional consideration will be given to those projects that:
- are innovative and strategic
- address the long-term needs of the sector
- will benefit the Western Australian designer fashion industry as a whole
- establish inter-industry sector cooperation.
Fashion Flight – $2,000 – Domestic Travel/ $4,000 – International Travel
This category is to assist designers to respond to short notice, out-of-round, career-building opportunities to research new markets or attend relevant industry events, where the time frame is out of the applicant’s control.
These opportunities may include fashion trade fairs, fashion weeks, conferences, relevant expos or meetings with distributors, agents or other relevant industry professionals.
The application should clearly out your experience and why it is of strategic importance for you to research this market or attend this particular event at this point in your career.
Eligible activities may include:
- Attendance at an interstate or international fashion event or trade fair
- Travel to research a new potential market
- Travel to meet with a distributor or agent
- Travel to research supply chain and/or manufacturers.
Eligible expenses:
- Travel
- Freight
- Accommodation.
NOTE: The Panel will not support activity that could have been submitted to a regular funding round.
This category is to assist designers to respond to short notice, out-of-round, career-building opportunities to research new markets or attend relevant industry events, where the time frame is out of the applicant’s control.
Assessment Criteria
Your application will be assessed by the Designer Fashion Panel against the following assessment criteria:
1. Artistic Merit
In assessing artistic merit the Panel supports activities that:
- nurture distinctive design
- develop the creative skills of WA designers, and/or
- involve personnel with the expertise to deliver the project’s objectives.
2. Commercial Merit
In assessing commercial merit the Panel supports activities that:
- develop commercial potential
- develop business skills and market knowledge
- assist in the development of markets for WA designer fashion locally, nationally and internationally
- encourages financial self-sufficiency
- addresses issues of sustainability.
3. Good Planning
In assessing good planning the panel supports activities that include:
- achievable, realistic objectives and outcomes
- commercial and marketing strategies
- a sound process to critically review and evaluate outcomes
- project outcomes which work towards the applicant’s broader goals for their business and creative development
- evidence of the timeliness and relevance to the applicant’s career
- evidence of community, and/or industry need and support.
4. Financial Responsibility
In assessing financial responsibility the panel supports activities that include:
- accurate and comprehensive costing
- efficient use of resources
- reasonable rates of pay for fashion designers and other project participants
- confirmed or anticipated support from other funding sources.
Closing Date
18 May 2012
