Zoo Labs supports music creators whose work is rooted in bold innovation, lived experience, and community expression – empowering them to fully own and expand their creative paths. It bridges the worlds of music and business by providing artist-tailored entrepreneurial training. It also supports Bay Area creatives through unrestricted funding and a strong professional network, investing in their power to build lasting legacies that drive cultural vibrancy and economic growth. In 2025, Zoo Labs: FUND will make available $230,000 in unrestricted grants to Bay Area culturally-rooted artist teams with a music business.

Zoo Labs: FUND is a grant and investment program designed to support Bay Area entrepreneurs who are building businesses that center music. By providing funding, mentorship, and educational resources, the FUND helps creative business owners in the Bay Area begin or scale their ventures in ways that contribute to cultural enrichment, economic empowerment, and community benefit.

The FUND prioritizes culturally-rooted artists (i.e., artists whose work is deeply influenced by their cultural heritage, traditions, and community experiences, and who draw upon the stories, symbols, practices, and values of their cultural background to inform their art) who face challenges or structural hurdles to accessing capital, and aims to create more opportunities in the local creative economy. Investing in these businesses fosters innovation, preserves cultural and artistic expression, and generates jobs. It also works against displacement by creating stable economic opportunities that enable individuals to thrive in the Bay Area. Through this support, Zoo Labs: FUND advances a fair and sustainable creative ecosystem for the public good.

Zoo Labs: FUND celebrates its fifth year of grantmaking in 2025. The application process and funding distribution will be administered in partnership with the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), a trusted nonprofit intermediary focused on the financial well-being of artists, arts workers, culture bearers, and creative entrepreneurs.  

Zoo Labs: FUND welcomes additional support!
If you would like to help with a tax-deductible contribution, click here to donate online, 
or contact Stephanie Imah, Program Director, Grants, at imah@cciarts.org.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be considered for funding, applicants:

• Must be teams of two or more people, with at least one culturally-rooted artist member¹; 
• Must be launching or have an already established business with a focus on music²;
• Must reside full-time in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, or Sonoma County (this criterion applies to ALL team members);
• Can be any age; however, if any member of the team is 18 years old or younger, CCI staff must be contacted to discuss the team’s eligibility; 
• Can be a previous grantee³; however, first-time award recipients may be prioritized; and
• Cannot have a conflict of interest (family or financial relationship) with the board, staff, or directors of Center for Cultural Innovation, Zoo Labs, or Intersection for the Arts.

¹Teams may consist of artists, content creators, producers, developers, engineers, managers, advisors, and other supporting roles.

²Music as a product, program, service, or art form/cultural expression must be the key feature of the business. We are open to a range of music businesses such as groups/ensembles, recording studios, music festivals or events, vinyl record presses, record labels, music technology, music-based healing services, and music education nonprofits, to name a few examples. Business types may include sole proprietors, or organizations including certified small businesses, Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBEs), 501(c)(3) organizations, and private for-profit organizations.

³Previous grantees must submit an approved final report and fulfill their mentorship requirements prior to the application deadline in order to be eligible for funding consideration.

TIMELINE

APPLY

 Guidelines 

 Application Preview    Application Preview

 Frequently Asked Questions

 Business Matrix (fillable)    Business Matrix

 Submittable Quick Tips

The 2025 application cycle opens May 19, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT. 

START YOUR APPLICATION

QUESTIONS & SUPPORT

CCI staff are here to help and listen. Please email us at grants@cciarts.org (include Zoo Labs: FUND in the subject line) or call 415.288.0530 for assistance. 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. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Zoo Labs: FUND is supported by Vinitha and David Watson, and individual donors.