Basic Income for the Arts Scheme 2026 – 2029 - FAQ

Please read the following document and the scheme guidelines before starting your application.

The scheme will open for applications at 1pm on Wednesday 15th April 2026.

Who is eligible to apply?

• Artists with a professional artistic practice who are
• Based in the Republic of Ireland at time of application and can
• Evidence their creative practice is primarily based in Ireland
• Recently Graduated Applicants (see specific detail in the Guidelines)

Who is not eligible to apply?

• Applicants who cannot demonstrate that they have an active professional artistic practice, (i.e. amateur or aspiring artists)
• Aosdána members in receipt of the Cnuas payment
• Artists not based in the Republic of Ireland at the time of application and for the duration of the payment
• Artists whose practice is not primarily based in Ireland
• Those in full-time education: full-time students or those who will be engaged in full-time study during the period October 2026 to end-2029 (those who graduate by 1st April 2026 are welcome to apply)

How do I prove my eligibility for the Basic Income for the Arts Scheme?

Applicants (other than RGAs) must be able to provide three pieces of evidence / proofs, at least two being from an Irish organisation, grant body or representative body.

A list of the proofs / evidence of professional artistic practice which will be accepted is provided in the Guidelines document and applicants are encouraged to collect three proofs in the order listed in the Guidelines for ease of application.

• Evidence of practice in the categories of income, active practice and membership of a representative organisation are included
• Applicants are required to upload three proofs in order to make an application
• At least two items must be from an Irish organisation, funder etc. to evidence an active practice based in Ireland.

Detailed guidelines were published on 1st April 2026 Basic Income for the Arts Scheme 2026-2029 Guidelines for Application. The guidelines set out the means by which artists can evidence their professional creative practice.

What is a Recently Graduated Applicant (RGA) and how do I apply as one?

While most applicants will apply under the general stream, 100 places are being provided for artists who have recently graduated but cannot yet demonstrate that they have a professional career. This stream is limited to those who have completed their training at the time of applying and graduated in 2024 or 2025. A maximum of 100 places is available under this stream.

Recently Graduated Applicants are required to supply supporting evidence of having graduated with a third level qualification (level 8 or above only) for a relevant, practice-based course, from a relevant institution in 2024 or 2025 and must certify that they intend to have a professional practice for their future career. Applicants under this stream must certify that they intend to have a professional practice for their future career.

Are samples of my work a CV, or a portfolio sufficient eligibility document / proof?

No. A list of the proofs / evidence of professional artistic practice which will be accepted is provided in the Guidelines document.

Can I email my proofs to the Department or send a DropBox / WeTransfer / Googledrive link?

No, all applications along with proofs of eligibility and completed survey must be FULLY submitted through the application portal ahead of the deadline. We are unable to open DropBox, WeTransfer, Google Drive files. Please upload your proofs to your application in the form of a document or screenshot.

What does an Arts Council proof look like?

An Arts Council Grant from the last 3 years is ONE OF the ways in which an applicant may evidence their eligibility for the scheme.

Applicants may submit their grant letter or grant email from the Arts Council or a screen-shot of their Arts Council ARN (Artist Reference Number) page showing granted funding. If you are providing an Arts Council grant as a proof of eligibility, you will also be asked to enter your Arts Council ARN.

What should I provide as proof of Local Authority Arts Office funding for my practice?

You should submit the letter of offer that the Local Authority Arts Office issued to you at the time of awarding the grant. This document is signed by the Arts Office, dated and on the Local Authority or Arts Office letterhead. It will also include the name of the funding scheme. You do not need to contact your Arts Office to request a specific letter for the BIA application. Local Authority funding relevant for BIA application includes Bursary, Project Grant, Commissions for Percent for Art, Awards, Residencies, Music Generation as ‘music educators’, Mentorship programmes.

How did the Department select the Membership Organisations for inclusion on the eligibility proofs list?

Organisations with sufficiently high entry requirements, that is, proof of an active creative practice were selected. However, applicants do not need to be a member of one of these organisations: there are other ways to demonstrate eligibility.

What Irish Resource Organisations memberships are relevant?

Do I need to have Artists’ Tax Exemption to apply for the BIA?

No. Existing Artists’ Tax Exemption (at 1st April 2026) from Revenue is ONE OF the ways in which an applicant may evidence their eligibility for the scheme.

How do I use a Form 11 as one of my proofs of eligibility?

If a Form 11 is being submitted it must show turnover (no lower or upper threshold) from artistic or creative work under case I or II of Schedule D. The document you upload must be one that has been returned to and acknowledged by Revenue. Other information on the Form 11 may be redacted by you.

Can a group (for example: production company, quartet, band, artists’ collective) apply?

No. The Basic Income for the Arts is for individual applicants only.

I paint in my spare time and sell at local markets, am I eligible to apply?

No. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an active, professional artistic practice, (i.e. not amateur or aspiring artists) by providing three pieces of evidence / proofs, at least two being from an Irish organisation, grant body or representative body.

A list of the proofs / evidence of professional artistic which will be accepted is provided in the Guidelines.

I graduated from Art College 5 years ago but haven’t had an art practice since, am I eligible to apply?

No. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an active, professional artistic practice, by providing three pieces of evidence / proofs, at least two being from an Irish organisation, grant body or representative body.

I work in the arts in Administration, Management, Advertising, Promotion am I eligible to apply?

No. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an active, professional artistic practice by providing three pieces of evidence / proofs.

I have always wanted to be a writer and have been drafting my first book, am I eligible to apply?

No. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an active, professional artistic practice, (i.e. not amateur or aspiring artists) by providing three pieces of evidence / proofs, at least two being from an Irish organisation, grant body or representative body.

I have written songs, am I eligible to apply?

No. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an active, professional artistic practice, (i.e. not amateur or aspiring artists) by providing three pieces of evidence / proofs, at least two being from an Irish organisation, grant body or representative body.

I played the violin all the way through school and have my Grade 8 exams, am I eligible to apply?

No. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an active, professional artistic practice, by providing three pieces of evidence / proofs, at least two being from an Irish organisation, grant body or representative body.

I want to move to Ireland to avail of this scheme, can I do that?

No. Applicants must be primarily based in the Republic of Ireland at time of application and at least two of the three pieces of evidence / proofs that they provide must be from an Irish organisation, grant body or representative body.

Can I apply if I am over 66?

Yes. There is no upper age limit for applicants. If you can demonstrate an active practice as a professional artist whose practice is predominantly based in Ireland you can apply.

However, the impact of the BIA on social protection payments, for example: pensions, will depend on your individual circumstances. Applicants are strongly advised to investigate what their own particular situation should they receive payment, by contacting the Department of Social Protection.

Can I submit an invoice as proof of having an active creative practice?

No. An invoice cannot be used as proof of an active creative practice. Please upload a alternative document as proof of your creative practice; for example: a contract for service relative to your creative work from the last three years or royalties for your work. Please refer to the published guidelines for information regarding proofs.

How do I apply?

Applications may be made through the online application portal. The application form is available in English and in Irish. The portal will open for applications at 1pm on Wednesday 15th April and close at 5pm on Tuesday 12th May 2026. Late applications will not be considered. Draft applications will not be considered. Only applications submitted through the Online Portal will be accepted.

A User Guide for the application portal is available at the portal link once this opens.

How recipients of BIA will be chosen?

Selection will be via an anonymised random selection process which will be used to determine the recipients from the pool of applicants for the scheme. The selection will then be verified for representation against the pool of applicants to confirm that it maps to the application population across all demographics including age, gender, location etc.

This is considered the fairest selection process where all eligible applicants cannot be funded at this time. Random selection gives every eligible applicant an equal chance of selection and minimises human bias. Random selection also ensures that those selected are representative of the wider pool of applicants, ensuring geographical spread, gender balance, and balance across e.g. arts forms, age etc.

Will there be merit assessments made of applications?

Participants will be selected using an anonymous random selection process. Only applicants who can demonstrate their eligibility under the guidelines will be selected to receive the grants. This is considered the fairest selection process where there is not enough funding to provide the BIA to all eligible applicants.

Will the answers I give to the survey questions affect whether I am selected for the scheme?

No. Selection will be via an anonymised random selection process which will be used to determine the recipients from the pool of applicants for the scheme. The data collected through surveys will be anonymised for the evaluation of the base-line data (the data collected from all applicants to give information at the outset of the scheme).

Will applications be means tested?

No, BIA applicants will not be tested for means. The BIA payments are reckonable for the purposes of income tax. All selected recipients will need to register with Revenue as self-employed and pay Schedule D income tax, where appropriate, on the Basic Income for the Arts grant payment Income from the pilot will be liable for Class S PRSI

Why does the application take up to 90mins to complete?

The Basic Income for the Arts is underpinned by a research programme. Therefore, recipients will be required to engage in ongoing data collection. This data will be used to continuously evaluate the scheme, in line with Government guidelines on evidence-based policymaking.

As part of the application, all applicants are required to complete a survey which will form the base-line information for the scheme. The completion of similar surveys will be a condition of participation on the scheme for those selected. Applicants who do not fill out the survey at application stage will be considered ineligible.

Applicants are advised to look at the Survey Questions Sample Application Survey ahead of the application window in order to prepare their answers to help with completing the application more quickly.

What is base-line data?

Base-line data is the data collected from all applicants to give information at the outset of the scheme. This is being collected from all applicants as they are required to complete a survey as part of the application.

Which stream I should apply under?

Almost all applicants should apply under the standard stream and need to provide three proofs of active, professional artistic practice.

There is also a stream for Recently Graduated Applicants (RGAs), who are required to supply one piece of supporting evidence only. There is a separate page / tab on the application form which they will use to do this, it is clearly marked. This only applies to those who graduated from a relevant institution in 2024 or 2025 with a third level qualification (level 8 or above only) for a relevant, practice-based course. The stream is limited to a maximum of 100 of the 2000 places available.

When can selected applicants expect to start receiving payment?

The first payment to selected recipients will be made before the end of 2026. The funding secured in Budget 2026 allows for payment of €325 per week from September to 2000 artists. However, regardless of the date of the first payment recipients’ payments will be backdated to September 2026 and paid before the end of the year.

When will the BIA 2026 – 2029 Scheme open for applications?

The Basic Income for the Arts Scheme will open for applications on Wednesday 15th April 2026 and payments will begin before the end of the year. Minister O’Donovan publishes Guidelines for the New Basic Income for the Arts scheme The Guidelines were published on Wednesday 1st April, in advance of applications being accepted, in order to allow applicants time to gather the relevant evidences required to demonstrate eligibility, and familiarise themselves with the survey questions ahead of making their application.

How many artists will get the BIA payment?

2,000 eligible artists will be funded under the scheme at a rate of €325 per week. The department expects a high volume of applications, well in excess of the number of artists for which funding will be available, therefore it will not be possible to provide funding to all eligible applicants.

Will the new recipients of the payment be permanently on the scheme?

No. Recipients will receive the payment for 3 years.

Will the recipients be anonymous?

No. Names of recipients for the 2026 - 2029 BIA will be published, in line with common practice for arts funding and may be published to the EU State Aid register, which is publicly available.

Will all eligible artists get funding?

No. With an allocation of €18.27 million for 2026, the Department is in a position to fund 2,000 artists. A high volume of applications is expected and therefore it will not be possible to provide funding to all eligible applicants.

Will artists on social welfare benefits lose their benefits if they accept the BIA?

BIA Payments received will be treated by DSP as income from self-employment for the purpose of its various means tests. This means that where a scheme includes a disregard of a certain amount of income from self-employment, that disregard will be applied to income from the BIA.

It should be noted that not all means-tested schemes include disregards for income from self-employment. The extent to which this income will have an impact on a person’s DSP payment will depend on the means test for that scheme and the person’s individual circumstances.

Applicants who are selected to receive the payment are advised to engage with the Department of Social Protection to determine the impact on their social welfare payments if they were to receive payment before accepting an offer to participate.

Who can I contact for information in relation to my Social Protection situation and the BIA payment?

DSP published a webpage https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-social-protection/publications/interaction-of-the-basic-income-for-the-arts-pilot-scheme-with-dsp-payments/ to assist potential applicants to BIA with their concerns which can be found here: Interaction of the Basic Income for the Arts scheme with DSP payments.

Contact details are available for relevant sections under Heading 5. Potential applicants should contact the relevant section that they are getting their social welfare payment from.

Why this is not a Universal Basic Income?

It is important to note that that the Basic Income for the Arts is not a Universal Basic Income. This is a sectoral intervention to support practicing professional artists to focus on their creative practice.

Will the research programme continue?

Yes. All policies must be evidence-based and applicants will have to provide continuous survey data for the duration of the scheme. If they fail to provide this they will be removed from the scheme.

Will outputs be public?

Yes, research outputs will be made public, as was the case during the Pilot. You can find reports from the Pilot BIA scheme here: BIA reports. The data collected through surveys will be anonymised in the evaluation of the scheme. Data will be evaluated at an aggregate and not individual level.

What the research will comprise of?

As part of the application, all applicants are required to complete a survey, and the completion of similar surveys will be a condition of participation on the scheme for those selected. Applicants who do not fill out the survey at application stage will be considered ineligible.

The Basic Income for the Arts is underpinned by a research programme. Recipients will be required to engage in ongoing data collection through surveys. This data will be used to continuously evaluate the scheme, in line with Government guidelines on evidence-based policymaking.

Please see here for an example of the type of questions that will be asked as part of the application survey BIA_2026_Application_Survey_Example.pdf

Can those who were on the Pilot BIA apply to the successor scheme?

Yes, as long as they can demonstrate that they meet the eligibility criteria of the 2026 – 2029 scheme. Eligibility for the Pilot does not automatically mean an artist is eligible for future rounds of the scheme.

Can those who were part of the Pilot BIA Control Group apply to the successor scheme?

Yes, as long as they can demonstrate that they meet the eligibility criteria of the 2026 – 2029 scheme. Eligibility for the Pilot does not automatically mean an artist is eligible for future rounds of the scheme.

Can those who were eligible for the Pilot BIA but were not successful apply?

Yes, as long as they can demonstrate that they meet the eligibility criteria of the 2026 – 2029 scheme. Eligibility for the Pilot does not automatically mean an artist is eligible for future rounds of the scheme.