Callforentry.org

What Callforentry.org does

CaFÉ (Call for Entry and Application Management for the Arts) is a web-based SaaS platform purpose-built for managing calls for entry, jury administration, and artist application processing in the visual arts sector. It is operated by Creative West, a Colorado nonprofit (formerly WESTAF, founded 1974 and rebranded in 2024), with platform operations co-run alongside ZAPP Software LLC. The platform comprises three interconnected portals: an Artist Portal (artist.callforentry.org) where artists browse call listings, build portfolios, submit applications, and track status; an Administrator Portal (admin.callforentry.org) where arts organizations create calls, configure application forms, manage jurors, and review submissions; and a dedicated juror interface. Supporting infrastructure includes a public-facing CaFÉ API (documented January 2025), MySQL 8.0 databases, Amazon S3 for media storage, Braintree/PayPal payment processing, MFA-based authentication, and accessibility aligned with WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

The product monetizes through two complementary streams. Arts organizations pay subscription fees for access, with a CaFÉ Plus Plan adding a per-applicant fee after the 250th received application; artists access the platform for free, while CaFÉ retains a transaction fee on entry fees collected from applicants and disbursed to sponsoring organizations via Braintree (applicant payments) and PayPal (client payouts). Promotional e-blasts offer a paid reach-extension channel for organizations. Customer segmentation is two-sided: vertical B2B customers (galleries, museums, art festivals, public art programs, cultural institutions) and a long-tail of individual artists using the marketplace on the demand side. Distribution is self-service and product-led — the call listings directory at artist.callforentry.org/festivals.php drives organic acquisition, supplemented by social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X/Twitter), email newsletters, regular administrator webinars, and a content blog (CaFE Corner).

Name

Callforentry.org

Legal name

Creative West

Website

https://callforentry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CaFÉ is a web-based SaaS platform operated by Creative West that lets arts organizations create calls for entry, administer juries, and collect applications, while individual artists discover opportunities, submit work, and manage entries for free.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Entry Fee Processing: CaFÉ collects entry fees from artists on behalf of arts organizations and distributes funds to the sponsoring organization. The charge appears on credit card statements as 'CAFE AR, CREATIVE WEST, or WESTAF CAFE ARTREG'. CaFÉ takes a transaction fee from the entry fees collected. Payment processing handled by Braintree for applicant payments and PayPal for client payments.
2. Platform Subscription for Arts Organizations: Arts organizations pay for access to the CaFÉ platform to create and manage calls for entry, administer juries, and collect applications. Pricing varies by organization size and call volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CaFÉ is a web-based Software-as-a-Service platform that allows arts organizations to publish and manage "calls for entry" — juried competitions, exhibitions, residencies, public art projects, and grant opportunities — and enables individual artists to register, build profiles, upload images and video, search open calls, and submit applications with online entry-fee payment.

Product overview

CaFÉ is a unified call for entry and application management platform for the arts, operated by Creative West (formerly WESTAF). The platform consists of multiple interconnected products: the main CaFÉ Platform serving as the central hub, the Artist Portal where artists browse calls, upload artwork, submit applications, and manage entries, the Administrator Portal for organizations to create and manage calls, configure applications, assign jurors, and process submissions, and the Jury Administration System for managing the evaluation process. Supporting products include the CaFÉ API for programmatic access, Promotional E-Blasts for paid advertising, Media Burn Export for downloading submissions, Electronic Funds Transfer for payment processing, specialized Public Art Calls, and comprehensive Help Centers for both artists and administrators. The platform supports multiple media types including images, audio, and video, with integrations for YouTube and Vimeo for video work samples.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CaFÉ Call-for-Entry Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Artists can apply to multiple opportunities using a centralized portfolio
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• MUD FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2024MUD Foundation partnered with Creative West on the '50 Years, 50 Artists: A Celebration of the West' exhibition marking Creative West's 50th anniversary. The foundation hosted the virtual gallery exhibition showcasing 50 artists' works on the concept of time.
• Blick Art MaterialsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2024Blick Art Materials sponsored the '50 Years, 50 Artists' exhibition, providing support for the anniversary celebration exhibition of Creative West's 50th anniversary.
• ZAPP Software LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationZAPP Software LLC is a Colorado limited liability company that co-operates the CaFÉ platform alongside Creative West. Their General Terms of Service and Software as a Service Agreement govern platform usage.
• Braintree (PayPal)coreTechnology or IntegrationBraintree (a PayPal service) handles applicant payment data processing and storage. Credit/debit card payments for entry fees are processed through Braintree. PCI compliant payment processing.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayPal handles client payment data for arts organizations using the CaFÉ platform. Used for organizations receiving entry fee disbursements.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCaFÉ moved images from NFS server to Amazon S3 storage. Updated burnserver to point directly to S3 for media exports. AWS infrastructure supports the platform's cloud storage needs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Jotform: Jotform is a broad incumbent in online form building that can be configured to collect artist applications and entry fees. It overlaps with CaFÉ but lacks CaFÉ's purpose-built jury and arts-portfolio workflow depth.

Direct peers

• OpenWater: OpenWater is an application and review platform for awards, scholarships, grants, and conferences, with multi-round judging and scoring — directly comparable to CaFÉ's jury administration and conditional application logic.
• SurveyMonkey Apply: SurveyMonkey Apply (formerly FluidReview) is an application management platform for grants, scholarships, and awards with structured review workflows — directly comparable to CaFÉ's call setup and reviewer experience.
• SmarterSelect: SmarterSelect offers application management for scholarships, awards, and grant programs with reviewer assignment and scoring — comparable in workflow to CaFÉ's organization-facing admin and juror portals.
• Submittable: Submittable is a SaaS platform for calls, submissions, applications, and reviews used by organizations running contests, fellowships, and grants. It is the closest direct competitor to CaFÉ's call-for-entry and jury workflow.
• SlideRoom: SlideRoom provides portfolio and application submission tools for academic programs, arts organizations, and competitions — directly overlapping with CaFÉ's portfolio upload, jury scoring, and review capabilities.
• WizeHive (Zengine): WizeHive's Zengine platform powers applications, reviews, and grantmaking for nonprofits and associations — directly overlapping with CaFÉ's applicant management and multi-stage review features.

Emerging players

• Artlogic: Artlogic provides gallery and art business management software including inventory, CRM, and online sales. While not a direct call-for-entry competitor, it serves the same arts organizations and increasingly integrates application and event workflows.
• Fluxx: Fluxx offers grantmaking management for foundations, including application workflows and reviewer tools. It is an adjacent competitor in nonprofit application and review rather than an arts-specific call-for-entry platform.
• Foundant Technologies: Foundant provides grant management software for foundations and nonprofits, including application intake and review. It overlaps with CaFÉ's workflow on the organization side, though it is less focused on artist portfolio submissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAdqwJewxtovbmA4tW95tfA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaFECallForEntry
• Instagraminstagram.com/callforentry
• Xx.com/callforentry

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Callforentry.org