The Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (AACME) Funding Cycle supports the vibrant creative community across Austin. If you’ve been selected as a 2026 AACME Funding Awardee, congratulations!
After receiving your award notification, the next step is managing your grant through the Submittable portal, where you’ll complete administrative tasks, submit required forms, communicate with staff, and track payments.
This guide walks you through the key features of the portal and what to expect as you move through the award process.
Accessing Your Submittable Profile
Once you receive your award notification email from AACME, be sure to read it carefully. The message contains important information, deadlines, and next steps for managing your grant.
To access the portal:
- Go to thelongcenter.submittable.com/login
- Log in using your Submittable credentials
- You can also access your submission directly through your award email by selecting “View Submission.”
Once logged in, you’ll land on your Submittable Profile, where all grant-related activity takes place.
To find your award:
- Click the Submissions tab
- Select the title of your award
- Look for the “Accepted” status in green next to the submission name
This indicates your award has been confirmed and your administrative dashboard is available.
Understanding the Key Tabs in Your Profile
Inside your award submission, you’ll see several tabs that help you manage different parts of your grant.
Activity Tab
The Activity tab tracks all administrative actions related to your award.
This includes actions taken by:
- You
- Create Austin staff
- AACME staff overseeing your program
It serves as a record of updates and activity throughout the life of your grant.
Messages Tab
The Messages tab is your main communication hub with grant staff.
Here you can:
- View previous communications
- Reply to staff messages
- Send new messages
You may see messages from two different teams:
- Long Center Community Programs Team — provides administrative support and helps ensure you receive payments and navigate the portal.
- City of Austin AACME Staff — supports the programmatic side of your grant, including guidelines, reporting materials, and activity-related questions.
Whenever you receive a message in Submittable, you’ll also receive a notification in your email inbox.
The Forms Tab: Where Most Grant Work Happens
The Forms tab is the most important part of your Submittable profile.
This is where you or your Fiscal Sponsor will submit the required administrative materials for your grant.
There are three types of forms you may encounter:
Initial Form
The Initial Form compiles your previous application materials, including:
- Intake Form responses
- Application Form responses
Additional Forms
These forms are sent to you by grant staff during the award process.
They may require updates, corrections, or additional information. If edits are needed, staff may reopen them for you.
Request Forms
Request forms can be submitted multiple times and allow you to request administrative actions or provide additional documentation.
The status of request forms may change to reflect whether they are in progress, accepted, or completed.
Saving and Managing Forms
If you begin working on a form but need to return later:
- Click Save Draft
- Draft forms will appear with three dots on the left side and a “Continue” option
Forms you haven’t started yet will show “Open.”
Keep in mind that the forms visible in your profile will depend on your specific grant program and the stage of your award process.
For example, Progress Reports and Final Reports only become available after your first payment is issued.
Accepting Your Award
After your award notification, you will receive an Award Decision Form.
Each funding program has its own deadline to accept or decline the award, so it’s important to monitor your email and Submittable messages carefully to ensure you don’t miss this deadline.
Getting Your First Payment
To receive your first payment, two key steps must be completed:
- Signing your contract
- Verifying your financial information
Financial Information Form
You’ll submit your payment details through the Financial Information Form.
The information required may vary depending on:
- Your organization’s structure
- Your selected payment method
If a test payment is required, you’ll confirm the deposit through the Test Payment Confirmation Request Form.
Signing Your Contract
For some programs, the Long Center serves as the contract holder for your grant.
This means you will sign your contract directly with the Long Center rather than the City of Austin.
Contracts are signed through DocuSign, and you do not need a DocuSign account to complete the process.
You’ll receive a DocuSign email with a link to review and sign your contract. Be sure to:
- Carefully read all sections and exhibits
- Sign on the designated signature page
- Save a copy of your signed contract for your records
You also have the option to upload the signed contract to Submittable for easy access later.
Completing the Award Process
Beyond administrative paperwork, awardees may have additional requirements depending on their grant program.
For example:
- Submitting event listings to Visit Austin for publicly funded events
- Attending at least two Miles Partnership training sessions
Verification of these steps may be required before receiving interim or final payments.
Tracking Awards and Payments
The Awards & Payments tab allows you to view the financial details of your grant.
Here you can see:
- Total awarded amount
- Payment dates
- Payment amounts
- Payment memos
This section provides a clear overview of your funding distribution over time.
Using the Notes Feature
The Notes tab is a private space available for your own record-keeping.
Grant staff cannot see anything recorded here.
Many awardees use this space to track:
- Outstanding materials
- Reporting notes
- Administrative reminders
It can be a helpful way to stay organized throughout the grant period.
Accessing Technical Support
If you experience technical issues while using Submittable, you can request help directly from the platform.
To access support:
- Click the help icon in the bottom-right corner of your Submittable profile
- Search for help articles or FAQs
- If you still need assistance, select Email Support for Technical Help
For additional support, you can also contact the Create Austin team at: cityofaustingrants@thelongcenter.org
More resources are available at: createaustin.org/resources
Working with Fiscal Sponsors
Fiscal Sponsors may be used for Nexus and Elevate grants.
In these cases, the Fiscal Sponsor manages financial transactions and reporting responsibilities on behalf of the awardee.
To transfer submission ownership:
- Select Transfer Ownership under the accepted submission
- Enter the Fiscal Sponsor’s name and email
- Confirm the transfer agreement
The Fiscal Sponsor will receive an email prompting them to accept the transfer. Once accepted, they become the submission owner and are responsible for completing financial and reporting requirements. The Fiscal Sponsor can and should add the awardee to all forms, except for the financial information form, as a collaborator.
To add a collaborator:
- Click on Manage Collaborators at the top right-hand side of each form
- Enter the email of the collaborator
While the collaborator may work on the form, the Fiscal Sponsor must submit the form. Collaborators do not have the ability to submit the forms on their own.
Need More Help?
For additional information, resources, or technical assistance, visit:
createaustin.org/resources
You can also reach out to the Create Austin team at
cityofaustingrants@thelongcenter.org