Creative Industries Division Grant Opportunities

Application Period – December 1-31, 2026

Overview webinar: Friday, December 4, at 10 AM Register here

This program supports existing creative businesses with at least three years of operation.

Eligible businesses must:

• Have a minimum of three-year history of operations
• Be a for-profit entity in good standing

This grant is available to for-profit, legal entities only. Secretary-of-State data must show a minimum of three years of history prior to application opening date. Sole-proprietor applications are not accepted. If the legal entity recently reorganized, applicants are required to submit legal documentation such as federal or state tax information, Secretary-of-State records, or prior registration.

Preferential points will be given to businesses with fewer than ten employees, including part-time staff, and to businesses located in rural areas (outside of the cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe) per statutory language requiring that 50% of funding go to rural and underserved businesses. Eligible businesses are also identified in the grant FAQ, division statute by industry area, and corresponding NAICS codes available in Appendix C on page 206 of the 2024 Division Study.

Uses include:

• inventory – no more than 30% of the total funding request can be consumable inventory tied to orders, workshops, projects, etc., and be used during the grant period. See the FAQ on allowable uses for the Business Development & Expansion Grant program below
• equipment
• marketing, promotion, digital presence
• small infrastructure improvements that can be completed within 12 months
• technology and software improvements
• capacity for impact measurement, engagement, evaluation, and economic contribution

Non-allowable use: Hiring of full-time personnel

Prospective applicants will be asked to describe their plans to leverage potential grant funding for greater returns on investment. Anticipated awards up to $25,000, subject to change.

Review details on the program uses in the FAQ section below.

Please note applicants may only apply for one cycle for this program per fiscal year (July 1– June 30). This grant is available to for-profit, legal entities only, sole-proprietor applications are not accepted. The only exception is, if the business recently reorganized to an LLC, they are required to submit legal supporting documentation that proves the business was in operation before the registration shown by secretary of state such as federal or state tax information, or prior registration.

Projected program timeline:

• Grant application opens: Dec 1, 2026
• Application coses: Dec 31, 2026, at 6 pm
• Review period: Jan–Mar 2027
• Projected project period: May 2027–Apr 2028

Application Period – August 3-28, 2026

Overview Webinar: https://youtu.be/m-Y906pTjXA

The Creative Industries Division (CID) invites county, municipal and Tribal governments and state agencies to submit public development project concepts that support creative industries in New Mexico.

This call builds on the 2024 Creative Industries Division Study and the division’s initial funding of 18 public projects statewide.
This is the grant application.

All eligible applicants are required to have submitted a Letter of Intent during the pre-application phase, which ended on June 30.

Projects should:

• Strengthen local creative industries
• Support small creative businesses and entrepreneurs
• Build or improve public infrastructure connected to creative industries (see infrastructure uses table in FAQ below)
• Support workforce development initiatives
• Expand economic opportunity through creative industries in rural and underserved communities

Submission requirements:

• A narrative (maximum 1,200 words)
• Proposed project plan(s)
• Proposed timeline (1–2 years)
• Contingency plan
• Budget (Total project cost, requested funding amount – maximum funding ceiling $150,000.00 not including estimated matching financial support or in-kind support)
• Up to three letters of support

Projected program timeline:

• Grant application opens: Aug 3, 2026
• Grant application closes: Aug 28, 2026, at 6 pm
• Review period: Sep-Nov 2026
• Projected project period: Jan 2027–Jun 2028

Apply using the blue button at the top of this page.

This program is currently inactive.

A one-time initiative aimed at demonstrating the economic potential and cultural impact of directly funding state-authorized ACDs. The program aims to provide catalytic resources for ACDs to implement high-impact creative industry programming, drive local economic growth, and build the case for sustained investment through a dedicated fund outside the Creative Industries Division. Anticipated awards up to $100,000, subject to change.

2025 projected timeline:

• Application Period: Aug. 4-29, 2025 (closed)
• Review Period: Sept. 2025
• Processing Period: Oct.-Nov. 2025
• Project Period: Dec. 2025 – Dec. 2026

Creative Industries Division Grants are awarded to legal entities, not individuals. Legal entities include state, counties, municipalities or other political subdivisions of the state, Indian nations, tribes or pueblos, and for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Sole-proprietorships and individuals are not eligible for any grants.

Individual grants may have varying applicant pools, but they are still restricted to this broader group as per statutory requirements.

Grantee recipients are responsible for any applicable state and federal taxes, including Gross Receipts Tax, and will receive a 1099 from the state. Tax-exempt entities are excluded.

Final scores are based on the scoring rubric provided in the respective grant application.

Each grant program is scored competitively by scoring committees that include division and department staff, division ambassadors and potentially others, all of whom are required to sign a conflict-of-interest agreement.

In accordance with statute, at least fifty percent (50%) of all funds awarded from the Creative Industries Fund shall be awarded to projects or programs located in rural or underserved communities, as defined by the division.

Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis to projects or programs that demonstrate the potential to stimulate community or economic development through creative industries and demonstrate or support one or more of the following statutory requirements.

• Broad local support, including in-kind or financial support from local governments and surrounding communities or neighborhoods
• Assistance to small businesses with fewer than ten employees
• Expansion of existing creative industries
• The promotion of inclusion and diversity

Questions related to grants can be asked & answered during the grant overview webinar, usually the Friday of the week of a grant announcement.

Questions permitted during grant cycles, outside of the overview webinar, will only be considered if they are related to application accessibility or other technical questions not associated with the content of perspective responses, applications or proposals.

Division staff cannot aid anyone directly in the application process of an active grant or answer questions about the content of prospective responses, applications or proposals.

Other questions related to grants must be submitted before or after the grant period or during a grant overview webinar at info@edd.newmexico.gov.

It can take at least 8-16 weeks or more to process grants and disperse payments, depending on the communication with the division and the internal state processes to evaluate, check and confirm information.

Sometimes processing time can take longer than expected if the internal finance team, or other state agency is backlogged with other applications and review of documentation.

The agency runs numerous grant programs that must be approved by other agencies, including the Department of Finance Authority and Taxation and Revenue.

Grant recipient response times and incomplete tax information can also cause processing setbacks.

W-9’s, which are required, can take several weeks to process through respective agencies.

All grant applications close at 6 pm Mountain Time on the specified date.

If you are having technical difficulties with your application, please reach out to us at least 8 hours before the application closes so we can address any issues while staff are available.

If applications are received after the posted date and “end of day” time (6 pm MT), the application is deemed invalid and will not be evaluated.

Applicants may apply for separate, distinct programs in the division, as long as the project scopes do not interfere or overlap in intent, budget, funds, execution or uses.

Grant awardees may NOT apply for an additional grant from the same program if they are still within a project period for the initial grant, i.e. awardees who received funding in 2025, who do not submit a final report until June 30, 2026, cannot apply for additional funding from the same program before June 30, 2026, or before the final report due date.

Some of our grants include infrastructure and will have different improvement funding. Allowable uses for individual programs will be articulated in the respective grant application.

All organizations must have a three-year minimum history of operations, programming and/or services at the time of application. Please review grant-specific guidelines for additional information.

1. Read the guidelines for each individual grant in full before beginning an application.
2. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare and submit an application.
3. Be specific and be clear. Successful proposals address the grant program requirements and goals.
4. Be authentic. Celebrate what makes your proposal unique. Avoid jargon and unedited AI-generated responses in your narrative.
5. Prepare your responses in a word processing application (MS Word or Google Docs) before inputting your narrative into the online grants management system.
6. Check the online application for specific instructions about uploads and documentation that are not detailed in the guidelines.

The division does not support businesses, organizations, or people engaged in enterprises involving film. Film refers to any “filming activity supported by the New Mexico film division of the department,” (the New Mexico Film Office).

Any business receiving/reporting a tax incentive in the most recent tax year to Taxation and Revenue and/or the NM Film Office is not eligible for division programs.

All projects/program participants must make a sincere effort to include participants rooted in a wide swath of creative industries and not overly favor certain specific industries.

FAQ CID Business Development & Expansion Program Uses – Allowable and Ineligible

Guidance on allowable uses for the Creative Industries Division Business Development & Expansion Grant, including definitions, boundaries, examples, and caps where applicable.

1. Inventory (Consumable Only)

Consumable inventory directly tied to fulfilling orders, workshops, production, or project delivery during the grant period. Inventory must be used within the 12-month project window and cannot be stockpiled for future use. Total inventory is capped at 30%.

2. Equipment

Equipment refers to durable tools, machinery, production devices, or specialty items that directly enable business expansion and increased production capacity. Leases are not covered; only equipment purchased outright is eligible. Vehicles or large machinery must be clearly tied to business development and expansion.

Vehicle Policy

Vehicles may be eligible only when: They are special-purpose vehicles directly tied to creative business activities. They meet the same criteria as equipment: tied to expansion, increased access, or service delivery.

3. Marketing, Promotion, and Digital Presence

Activities that expand visibility, reach, sales, and brand positioning. Examples include website improvements, digital content creation, paid advertising, branding updates, and improvements to packaging design. These activities must support measurable business growth within the grant period.

4. Small Infrastructure Improvements

Minor physical improvements to creative production or retail/studio spaces that improve operations, safety, or customer accessibility. Must be able to be completed within the 12-month grant period. Examples include basic interior improvements, display installations, minor flooring, lighting upgrades, or accessibility enhancements. Equipment such as kilns or fabrication tools fall under the equipment category, not infrastructure.

5. Technology and Software Improvements

Technology upgrades that improve production, customer management, operations, or creative output. Eligible uses include point-of-sale systems, accounting software, customer relationship management tools, design software, and inventory management systems.

6. Capacity for Impact Measurement, Engagement, Evaluation, and Economic Contribution

Tools or systems that help businesses track and measure economic impact, customer engagement, production cycles, or business outcomes. Examples include analytic tools, data dashboards, survey systems, evaluation frameworks, and software that improves data-driven decision-making.

Summary Table of Allowable Uses

FAQ CID Infrastructure Program Uses – Allowable and Ineligible

What is creative infrastructure?

The spaces, facilities, physical improvements, tools, and built environments that allow creative people, businesses, and public entities to produce, collaborate, teach, perform, exhibit, and innovate. This includes everything from adaptive reuse of historic spaces, renovations, creative business workspaces, studios, maker spaces, cultural venues that incorporate creative activity, digital production infrastructure (non-film related), and public spaces that support creative ecosystem development.

Examples:

Public Development Projects (Tribal/State/Local): Renovation and adaptive reuse of public creative facilities, such as the theaters, makers spaces, libraries, museums and more.

Nonprofit CSO Projects: Creative ecosystem infrastructure such as creative business incubation systems.

For‑Profit Business Development & Expansion Projects: Small infrastructure upgrades like HVAC installation, or workspace renovations that expand creative business capacity.