Ambassador Access provides mentorship, professional development, booking and marketing support and - of course - grant funding to help artists take their first solo tours. Ambassador Access is more than a program – it’s a pipeline to begin your touring career. 

Eligibility:

• Must meet the eligibility requirements for all MEM opportunities.
• From diverse backgrounds – Ambassador Access will prioritize people of color, women-identifying, and non-binary artists
• Professional readiness to tour (i.e.: commercially released music whether physical or digital, a history of local live shows) but little to no touring as a solo artist. (If the applicant has been on a tour as a band or crew member but did not contribute to the booking process or management - you are eligible!)
• Be available to take part in all programming spanning through March 2026 AND available to perform at out-of-town performances booked for cohort in late July 2025.

• All Ambassador tour grant recipients must meet the eligibility requirements for all MEM opportunities.
• To be eligible for an Ambassador tour grant, you must have 5 or more tour dates booked outside of Memphis. The majority of those dates should fall outside of a 100-mile radius of Memphis. We do not typically fund artists with multi-date residencies (multiple dates at a single venue in a single city) unless they are part of a bigger tour. 
• Private events, radio performances OR any event for publicity (photoshoot, interview, or video shoots) are not eligible unless they are accessible to the public via ticketing and promoted publicly. 
• When prepping your application be sure you plan well in advance of your tour dates. Applications are reviewed on the 15th of every month. You should submit your application at least one calendar month before your tour starts. Ex: Tour starts on March 20. You should apply before February 15 or earlier.
• Funding decisions are competitive and made based on a number of factors, including the artist or band’s viability as an excellent ambassador for the city of Memphis. In most cases, artists meeting our eligibility requirements for the grant are funded. The funding amount awarded to each applicant is decided based upon the size of the band, geographic reach of the tour and number of tour dates.     
  • Multiple members of the same band will not be funded. Bands should submit one application and indicate the total number of people the grant will fund.
  • If an artist or band is an opening act on a tour, they can be funded separately from the headliner as long as they are a billed artist.
  • Artists cannot receive Ambassador grants for showcases already funded by other MEM programs (i.e.: Experiences or Export Bank). 
• Some Ambassador artists will have the chance to highlight a favorite Memphis music location in a video promoting their music and the tour. For all Ambassadors, Memphis-themed hardshell suitcases are available to use for merch table displays.
• Ambassadors receive between $500 – $2,500 per request. There is no limit to how many times an artist can be funded, with an annual cap of $5,000.

Solo artists or bands can receive up to $1,000 (not to exceed 50% of the total project cost) to support the creation of merchandise (tee shirts, koozies, CD pressing, vinyl records, etc.). The money must be spent with a Memphis-based business or service provider and must be paid directly to the service provider on the artist’s behalf.

ELIGIBILITY

• All applicants must meet MEM’s eligibility requirements. 
• Merch Fund grants are competitive. Applicants should explain the potential impact of the merch order, make a case for why they should receive support and how they rep our city.
• Applicants must submit a proposal, scope or quote from the business in the application process. Merch Fund grants can be spent with a provider at any stage in product development, from the graphic designer to the printer or manufacturer.
• Applicants who use a Merch Fund Preferred Partner may receive a grant greater than 50% of project cost.
• When reasonable, artists who receive a Merch Fund grant will be asked to donate one item produced with the grant to MEM for use in upcoming silent auctions or donor giveaways.
• There is no limit to the number of times an artist can be funded, with an annual cap of $2,000.

Music Export Memphis has funds available for artists and industry professionals to attend music industry conferences and professional development events outside of Memphis.

• All applicants must meet MEM’s eligibility requirements. 
• Your application should be framed around the specific conference or opportunity you would like to attend or take part in. Please note that for conferences with tiered pricing (based on how early you purchase a badge or pass) MEM will only fund the lowest tier badge price – plan ahead! Submit your application well in advance of the cut-off date for early bird pricing.
• If you are selected to receive a scholarship, MEM will purchase the badge directly from the conference or professional development opportunity provider in your name.