The National Cultural Heritage Account helps Australian public cultural organisations buy significant objects that they could not otherwise afford.

A total of $500,000 is available each year. You can apply at any time. Funding is approved on a case-by-case basis.

The National Cultural Heritage Account keeps Australian protected objects in Australia so they can be preserved and made available to the public.

Cultural organisations that can care for and provide permanent public access to Australian protected objects have a priority for funding.

Individuals can also apply if they intend to gift the object to an eligible cultural institution with a permanent public collection. In these cases, the grant and the gifting of the object must be simultaneous.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups can apply for funding even if they do not have a permanent public collection. This is because of the special significance of Class A objects of heritage to Indigenous communities.

The following Australian protected objects are priorities for funding:

• Class A objects in Australia and overseas
• Class B objects that have been denied an export permit
• Class B objects that have been granted an export permit on condition that they be available at fair market value for purchase by an eligible cultural organisation
• Class B objects that are overseas.

Who can apply

Australian cultural institutions can apply for funding. This includes museums, art galleries, libraries, archives, historic buildings, national trusts and local history museums and galleries, and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander keeping places for sacred/secret material.

• Address: Department of Communications and the Arts GPO Box 2154 Canberra 2601 ACT
• Phone: 1800 819 461
• Email: movable.heritage@arts.gov.au