San José Creative Economy Fund

Overview

Learn about the 2025 San José Creative Economy Fund Grantees! Investing in the success of small arts, cultural, and creative businesses in San José The Creative Economy Fund (fka Creative Industries Incentive Fund) awards project grants to arts, cultural, and creative-based commercial businesses that are located in the City of San José and involved in the production or distribution of the arts, including manufacturers, service providers, presenters, and designers, among others. Funding supports projects and activities aimed at building successful arts, cultural, and creative-based small businesses in San José. For the 2026 grantmaking round, a total of $60,000 was available. Grants of up to $8,000 were awarded through a competitive grant application process. Competitive applicants contributed to the city’s cultural vibrancy, demonstrate readiness for project implementation, grow and achieve greater financial resilience, and demonstrate economic impact (e.g., attracting visitors, generating sales tax, creating jobs) in the City of San José. Competitive applicants also reflected the City’s diverse cultural communities and creative-based commercial landscape. The Creative Economy Fund is an initiative of the City of San José Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA). The Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), a nonprofit intermediary focused on the economic security of individuals in the arts, is partnering with OEDCA to administer the Creative Economy Fund.

Deadlines

Applications openMay 12 at 9:00 a.m. PT Applications closeJune 26 at 11:59 a.m. (morning) PT Panel Review:June 26 at 11:59 a.m. (morning) PT San José Arts Commission meeting (per approval of recommended grantees):September 21 Award NotificationsSeptember 29 by 5:00 p.m. PT Period of supportOctober 2026 - October 2027

Eligibility

To be eligible for Creative Economy Fund consideration, businesses must meet the following criteria:
Be a commercial enterprise, including small businesses (defined by the City of San José as businesses with 35 employees or less) and sole proprietorships (Note: businesses do not have to be brick and mortar; they can be online storefronts or nomadic enterprises);
Be based in San José;Primarily provides a cultural, creative, or arts-related service or product;Be in good standing with the City of San José, evidenced through possession of an active San José business tax certificate (aka business license, business permit)* and fulfillment of OEDCA or any other City department’s funding requirements, if applicable; and
Cannot have a conflict of interest (family or financial relationships) with the boards, staff, and directors of CCI or OEDCA.
*Applicants will be required to upload a copy of their active San José business tax certificate. To register your business or renew your business tax certificate, visit the City of San José’s website here. In addition, businesses can apply only once. In other words, businesses cannot submit multiple applications for different projects. Similarly, individuals who own or operate multiple businesses may apply only once for only one business. We will not accept multiple applications from the same proprietor. This is so we can support as many unique applicants as possible in a competitive application process. Past CIIF grantees, along with past and current Creative Economy Fund grantees, were eligible to apply if a final report has been submitted to and approved by CCI prior to the deadline of June 26, 2026. Please note that first-time applicants will be prioritized.

Refer to the Program Guidelines and FAQ for further details on eligibility.

San Jose creative economy fund_Alex_Clarke

Image Courtesy of Alex Clark, CCI Grantee. Covington, KY. Photo by Aspen Golann, 2024

Project support will be awarded to San José-based businesses through a competitive application process that includes a peer review panel. CCI and OEDCA will invite panelists with various backgrounds and expertise in the arts, arts-based business development, and related fields to review eligible applications and make award recommendations. Panelists will evaluate businesses and their proposed projects by their ability to:

Contribute to San José’s cultural vibrancy;
Show evidence or “signs of readiness” for project launch or implementation;
Grow and achieve greater financial resilience; and
Demonstrate an economic impact (e.g., attracting visitors, generating sales tax, creating jobs) in the City of San José. Panelists will also aim to ensure that recommended grantees reflect the City’s diverse cultural communities and creative-based commercial landscape. To that end, the panel will seek to balance the final grantee pool across factors, which include: geography, disciplines, communities served, and cultural form and/or tradition represented.

Refer to the Program Guidelines and FAQ for further details on the review process and criteria.

Info Session:

May 14 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. PT.

If you were unable to attend, email us to access the session’s recording and presentation deck!

Office Hours:

May 27 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. PT.

June 16 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. PT. Register Here

June 23 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. PT. Register Here

Please note: These are not formal presentations, nor will they be recorded. The Office Hours are an opportunity to have your questions addressed by CCI staff in real time. So that everyone’s time can be used efficiently, we ask that you review the grant guidelines, application preview, and Frequently Asked Questions in advance!

CCI staff are here to help and listen. For assistance, please email us at grants@cciarts.org (include San Jose Creative Economy Fund in the subject line) or call 415.288.0530. You may also schedule a time to speak here.

For Deaf applicants and those with hearing loss, contact CCI using the California Relay Service—our staff is trained in making and receiving these calls.

If you need technical assistance (e.g., password or upload issues), request support at: https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/. Submittable’s business hours are 9 am – 5 pm MT. They aim to respond within 24 business hours.

Refer to this Submittable Quick Tips for additional support!