•  KAC General Guidelines
•  KAC Values
•  Application
•  KAC HOME

FY2009 Guidelines and Instructions

Product Development Grant Program

Deadlines:        May 1, 2008 (for activities during 7/1/08 – 6/30/09)
   August 1, 2008 (for activities during 10/1/08 – 6/30/09)
   November 1, 2008 (for activities during 1/1/09 – 6/30/09)
     February 1, 2009 (for activities during 4/1/09 – 6/30/09)

Please also refer to the Application for this grant program.

Program Purpose

The purpose of the Product Development Grant Program is to provide financial assistance to craft businesses and visual artists to develop new products or prototypes for the wholesale marketplace.

The goals of the Product Development Program are:

• To provide financial support to craft and arts businesses to encourage development of new or enhanced products
  
  
• To encourage partnerships with retailers and the business community.
  
  
• To encourage development of resources that enable craftspeople and artists to develop products and grow their businesses.
  
  
• To increase sales for individual craft and visual art businesses

Performance Expectations

Your application will be reviewed using the following Performance Expectations:

Planning (40%)

• Detailed planning, including a timeline and budget, is in place regarding the proposed product and associated costs.

Product (40%)

• Product idea is a sound production idea
• Product represents a new or expanded opportunity for the applicant
• Product can be reproduced by the applicant.
• Items must be within the juried category previously accepted through the KCMP or Visual Arts at the Market programs.

Retail partner (20%)

• Retail partner has been identified
• Relationship and agreement with the retail partner has been established for the proposed product

Program Description

This program is part of a Product Development Initiative being administered by the Kentucky Craft Marketing Program (KCMP), a division of the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC). The KCMP provides assistance to Kentucky residents, individuals, or groups wanting to develop as craft professionals through economic opportunities and training, to other outside entities (e.g., craft retailers, craft and art organizations, community and government agencies), and the general public.

This grant program is intended to assist individuals in developing a new product in cooperation with a retail partner. It is not intended for design ideas but for the full implementation and production of a new product.

Grant requests may be for up to $500, with a required 1:1 match.

Examples of project expenses eligible for support include:

• Material costs and time associated with prototype design and development for an identified market, but not to include production runs.
  
  
• Purchase of supplies associated with product.
  
  
• Professional assistance associated with the development of the product, including packaging and labeling costs, design of other marketing support materials or technical expertise.
  
  
• Original visual images to be utilized on products.

Kentucky Arts Council Values

The mission of the Kentucky Arts Council is that the people of Kentucky value, participate in, and benefit from the arts. Working in partnership with organizations and individuals to deliver arts programs and services throughout the state, we ask that applicants and partners keep the following guiding values in mind when working with the Kentucky Arts Council:

Artists' Compensation

The Kentucky Arts Council believes that the time and work of artists have real value, for which artists should be fairly compensated. In dealing with artists' creative services and works, consideration must be given to the following:

• The full engagement of artists in plans for use of their work
  
  
• Gratis creative services and works, demonstrations, or performances should not be solicited as standard practice
  
  
• All parties should mutually agree upon equitable compensation for services, works or performances

Diversity

The Kentucky Arts Council believes that arts programs and services should be accessible to all people of the commonwealth. The Council recognizes that communities are not limited to geographic boundaries, and may be defined by common factors such as occupation, recreation, religion, ethnicity, belief, etc. that are shared by a group of people. The members of these groups share a common culture and a sense of aesthetics. These unique and diverse art forms bring people together and can promote positive intercultural relations among the state's various communities, including:

• persons of all ages
• gay, lesbian and transgender communities
• persons of all ethnic and racial groups
• persons with disabilities
• geographically or economically isolated communities
• disadvantaged and at-risk persons
• institutionalized persons

Preservation of Cultural Resources

The Kentucky Arts Council believes that the arts and cultural resources of Kentucky are key to understanding our heritage, and that honoring the past will help build our future. Recognizing that knowledge of our history will help build our future, we support identifying, documenting, conserving and protecting the cultural resources of the state including:

• artistic works
• cultural traditions
• historic sites
• historic structures

Advocacy

The Kentucky Arts Council believes in the importance of individuals and organizations advocating for the arts as basic to life. These are some of the ways in which you can help the Arts Council achieve public policy favorable to the arts in Kentucky:

• involve yourself or your organization in the public life of your community
• get to know your legislators and local officials and stay informed about the issues
• ask legislators and local officials to vote for your position
• acknowledge public funding sources
• discuss the value of the arts with your peers

Who May Apply

• Juried participants of the Kentucky Crafted Program
• Juried participants of the Visual Arts at the Market Program

Grant Amounts

Grants are up to $500, with a 100% required match, 50% of the match may be the artist's time (per budget page). Assistance is available for one (1) project per fiscal year per applicant.

Restrictions

• Artists may not receive more than one Product Development grant within a twelve-month period.
  
  
• The Product Development Grant may not be used for:
  
        - Design ideas or concepts for design
        - Products that are to be produced outside of the craft/artist's studio
        - Production runs
  
  
• Applicants may not apply to more than one Kentucky Arts Council program for the same project

Kentucky Arts Council funds may not be used for the following purposes:

• Purchase of equipment, property, library holdings or acquisitions.
• Capital improvements, facility construction, structural renovation and restorations.
• Publications or recordings for commercial purposes.
• Scholarships or other activities related to academic credit or degrees.
• Activities intended primarily for fundraising.
• Food, beverages or other refreshments.
• Requests designed to reduce or eliminate existing deficits.
• Interest on loans, fines, penalties and/or litigation costs.
• Expenses incurred before the starting date of the period covered in the grant request.
• Investments of any kind.
• Performances not available to the general public.
• Programs that have sectarian purposes.
• Indirect costs.

How to Apply

• Read the Materials: Thoroughly read the Guidelines/Instructions and Application for this program before applying.
  
  
• Submit application: Complete and submit an application and all requested materials by the deadline (see below).

Timeline

Postmark application deadline	August 1, 2008
Notification of Awards	September 30, 2008
Final Reports due from applicants	One year from receipt of grant

Application Deadline

Applications must be postmarked by August 1, 2008, or hand delivered to the Kentucky Arts Council office no later than 4:30 p.m. on that date. Applications with deadlines falling on Saturdays, Sundays, or federal or state holidays will be accepted on the next business day if they are 1) officially postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service, 2) when using a shipping service (e.g. UPS, Federal Express, etc.) a dated receipt is provided, or 3) they are hand delivered by 4:30 p.m. Packages dated with internal postage meters will not be accepted. Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances and will be returned. Faxed applications will not be accepted and incomplete applications are unlikely to be considered.

Note: Due to postal regulations, all packages over 16 ounces must be given directly to a postal clerk at a post office, and not dropped in a postal box.

---

Instructions

General Format Requirements

Please note: Format requirements enhance the readability of your application for the panelists. Failing to follow these requirements may result in your application being returned, or portions of your application being unreadable due to hole-punching, copying, etc.

• All applications must be prepared on a computer and/or typed. No handwritten applications will be accepted.
  
  
• If you have Internet access and the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader®, you can open the Application form on the Arts Council website located at artscouncil.ky.gov, and fill-out and print the form using your computer. (Adobe Acrobat Reader® can be updated or downloaded FREE by visiting their web site at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.)
  
  
• Use standard-size (8½ x 11) white paper for all pages; single-sided copies only.
  
  
• Use minimum one-inch margins on top, bottom, right and left sides of narrative pages.
  
  
• Use minimum 11-point type. Standard fonts such as Times, Helvetica, Arial or Courier, are recommended; decorative fonts will not be accepted.
  
  
• Number all pages and place the artist's name and the words "Lincoln Bicentennial Product Development Grant" on the top right-hand corner of each page.
  
  
• Do Not staple applications or enclose them in folders or binders of any kind; use paper clips only.

Section by Section Instructions

Applicant Info. This section is self-explanatory.

Project Info.

• Provide a brief title summarizing the project, e.g. "development of mugs for Barren River".
  
  
• The project beginning date is the date of the first activity or expense. (NOTE: The project beginning date must be at least five weeks after the program deadline.) The project end date is the date of the last activity or expense.
  
  
• The grant amount requested for this program may be up to $500.
  
  
• Grantee race/ethnicity. Please choose the race code(s) that best represent(s) your race/ethnicity. Select ALL that apply.
  
  
• Project race/ethnicity. If the majority of the grant activities are intended to involve or act as a clear expression or representation of the cultural traditions of one particular group, or deliver services to a designated racial population, choose that group from the list. If the grant or activity is not designed to represent or reach any one particular group, choose "No Single Group".

Additional instructions regarding questions for the written narrative are included in the application form.

Supporting Materials

Supporting materials that confirm the details of your proposed project may be submitted along with the application. When submitting supporting materials, submit one copy of each item. Please be sure that each item has your name clearly marked on it.

How Funding Decisions are Made

Product Development applications are reviewed by Program Directors of the Kentucky Arts Council. Applications are scored based on the Performance Expectations stated on page one of the program Guidelines.

Appeals

Kentucky Arts Council decisions are final. There are no appeals in this category.

For More Information

The Kentucky Arts Council welcomes all questions regarding this program. For more information about this program please contact:

Nancy Atcher
Product Development Coordinator
502-564-3757 Ext. 486
E-mail: Nancy.Atcher@ky.gov

---

Kentucky Arts Council
21st Floor, Capital Plaza Tower
500 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40601-1987
Phone: 502-564-3757
Toll-free: 888-833-2787
FAX: 502-564-2839
Send comments or questions to: kyarts@ky.gov

Copyright & COPY; 2007 Commonwealth of Kentucky. All rights reserved
URL: http://artscouncil.ky.gov

Revised: September 3, 2008