Morgan Messick, assistant director for Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME), presented the department's consolidated grant rollout and outreach plan, telling the commission the department will open an intake and eligibility form on Oct. 14 and publish full application questions on Oct. 21. "On October 14, we are planning to open that intake and eligibility form process," Messick said.

Key dates and process: Messick described a three‑step application funnel: a singular intake form, an eligibility form and the program‑specific application. The timeline presented was: intake and eligibility open Oct. 14; application questions posted Oct. 21; intake/application deadline Dec. 4; and anticipated funding distribution by early March 2026.

Programs and cadence: ACME plans to launch several programs together on Oct. 21, including Elevate Live Music Fund, Creative Space Assistance and the Heritage Preservation Grant, with smaller Nexus grants following in March and subsequent program launches on a March/July/September cadence in future years. Messick said Creative Space Assistance and Thrive operate on alternate‑year schedules.

Technical assistance and outreach: Messick and Erica Shamley described technical assistance to be offered: staff‑led workshops (virtual and in‑person), recorded sessions with captions, a Long Center‑managed bilingual phone line Monday–Friday 9–11 a.m., and weekly virtual office hours Tuesdays 10 a.m.–noon. Messick said application questions, scoring rubrics and guidelines will be published when the Mayor/Council memo is finalized.

Ending: Staff said they will post the memo and program guidelines as soon as they clear administrative review and will share slide decks and communication assets with commissioners to assist outreach to applicant communities.