Funding opportunities
Looking for funding for to help your organisation grow? Here's where we'll round up the latest grants, commissions and other funding opportunities for arts, culture and heritage.
England Grassroots Music Projects Invited to Apply for Funding
Arts Council England is offering grants to support organisations working within the grassroots music sector. The funding aims to help artists, bands and music professionals build sustainable careers while developing new audiences.
The Supporting Grassroots Music programme is delivered jointly by Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It provides financial support for a range of organisations including live music venues, rehearsal and recording studios, festivals, promoters and sector bodies.
Grants of between £1,000 and £40,000 are available. Projects may run for up to three years and must include some element of live programming or participatory activity that benefits grassroots artists or professionals. Eligible costs include artist and audience development, live programming, infrastructure improvements, touring networks and testing new approaches.
Applicants are expected to contribute at least 10% of total project costs from other sources. This may be through their own contribution, such as ticket income, or in-kind support from partners.
This is a rolling programme; should an application be received after a monthly deadline it will be automatically entered into the next round.
Repayable Finance to Support UK’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Organisations
The world’s biggest social impact investment fund for the creative arts is offering secured and unsecured finance up to £1 million to socially driven arts, culture and heritage organisations registered and operating in the UK.
Organisations who want to acquire new assets, improve built infrastructure, develop new ventures or scale up existing revenue streams can apply now.
The Fund offers repayable finance between £150,000 and £1 million with a repayment term until May 2032 and interest rates ranging between 3% and 8.5%.
The following fees apply:
- 1% completion fee
- 2% per annum, pro rata holding fee (minimum holding period is six months)
- No early repayment fee.
Eligible organisations must:
- Be registered and operating in the UK. Digital organisations will need to demonstrate their primary audiences are based in the UK.
- Have core operations or primary activity in the arts, culture and heritage.
- Have a clear social mission, reflected in its structure and governance.
- Be able to demonstrate measurable social impact on individuals or communities in the UK.
And work in one of the following disciplines:
- Architecture
- Combined arts
- Crafts
- Culture and heritage in the natural environment
- Dance
- Fashion design and textiles
- Film
- Graphic design
- Heritage
- Libraries and archives
- Literature
- Museums
- Music
- Sector support organisation
- Theatre and performance
- Visual arts
- Workspace provider
Applications are currently being accepted.
Arnold Clark’s Communities Support Fund Accepting UK Applications
Arnold Clark, the UK’s largest independently owned, family-run car retailer, has been offering grants to communities in the areas in which it operates since 2021.
UK registered charities and community groups who provide services that are widely accessible to their local community and are located within a 50-mile radius of an Arnold Clark branch can apply now for a Community Support grant of up to £1,000. Preference is given to smaller voluntary and community organisations.
The funding must be used for charitable or community purposes that address at least one of the following categories:
- Pet welfare (to help cover costs for pet bills, animal shelters, therapy animals - reviewed on case by case basis.
- Arts and culture (music, books, art and theatre groups looking for money for transport, resources, venue hire, and special licences at arts and culture.
- Community enhancement (enhancing community, defib installation and replacements, play parks, community gardens, community galas and events).
- Disability (sensory group resources, equipment and adaptations, this could be from groups or hospitals, trips for disability groups).
- Educational training / advancement (extra resources for a PTA, school/education fayre/gala, uniform poverty. Extra curriculum resources).
- Sustainability enhancements / projects (community clean-ups, recycling programmes, urban gardening, eco-friendly initiatives).
- Mental health support (local support groups, networks end events that focus on mental wellbeing support).
- Relief support organisations (emergency service aid, cancer or illness support groups).
- Equality and diversity (programmes that promote equal access and opportunity, address discrimination and inequality and foster community cohesion).
- Youth clubs and groups, such as Brownies, Scouts, Guides, Sea Cadets, Cubs, amateur sports teams, dance groups and gymnastics can apply for up to £750 for community trips, club costs materials, venue hire, transport.
There are no deadlines for applications; however, groups are encouraged to apply as early as they can as applications could be paused due to high demand.
Applications are currently being accepted.
Funding Available for the Conservation of Historic Buildings Across England and Wales
Grants of up to £250,000 are available for organisations across England and Wales to support the preservation of heritage buildings and structures of architectural significance, particularly historic country houses, including their gardens, grounds, and works of art within them.
Historic Houses Foundation will support projects that can show that:
- There is a compelling need for the work undertaken to be done within the next two to three years.
- The project will enhance the historic environment.
- There will be appropriate public access.
- There is a financial need for the grant.
- The project can proceed within a reasonable timeframe.
- The project is sustainable, with a suitable conservation and/or business plan in place.
- The building or structure is listed.
- The structure is rural, either in the countryside or where it has been overtaken by urban or suburban development.
Organisations legally responsible for repairing a historic building, garden, and grounds can apply.
The Foundation typically expects the applicant to own the building or estate, hold a full repairing lease with a term of at least 20 years to run, or be able to demonstrate a legally binding agreement to acquire such a building or estate.
Grants of between £1,000 and £250,000 are available. Most grants are for less than £50,000. Larger awards will only be made in exceptional circumstances.
Applications can be submitted at any time.
Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund Opens for UK Applications
The Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund helps regional and smaller museums to borrow works of outstanding quality and significance from national and major lending institutions across the UK.
The grants help to cover the practical elements of strategic loans projects as well as funding funds activities to maximise the impact of the loaned items and develop the skills of museums professionals.
There are two categories of grants:
- Grants of between £5,000 and £35,000 to cover 100% of the costs associated with securing, displaying and publicising a loan.
- Research and development grants to support the development of plans for a loans project. Activities might include research, travel and consultation.
UK public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries and archives can apply as long as they:
- Have permanent collections.
- Are regional and/or run by local authorities or universities or have independent/charitable trust status.
- Are open for at least half the week for at least six months of the year.
- Are at least provisionally accredited under the Arts Council Accreditation scheme.
Applications can also be considered from small and contemporary arts spaces and other non-collecting institutions, provided they meet the programme’s aims. Non-national institutions that are on the list of eligible lenders can also apply.
Applications accepted from 13 October 2025 to 12 December 2025.
Hinrichsen Foundation Accepting Applications for Fourth 2025 Funding Round
Grants of between £500 and £3,000 are available for charities and organisations across the UK to deliver music projects that focus on the performance, commissioning, or recording of contemporary music.
The Hinrichsen Foundation will support projects and activities that:
- Align with The Hinrichsen Foundation's values and objectives for contemporary and experimental music.
- Express a clear programme of activity and project timeline, parameters, and outputs
- Deliver high-quality projects for diverse audiences, prioritising the cultivation of less familiar and experimental music appreciation.
- Embrace artistic risks and diversity.
- Encourage thoughtful collaboration among composers, musicians, and project leads.
- Ensure fair payment for composers and musicians, particularly in larger organisations.
- Demonstrate the financial need and feasibility of the proposed project.
Applications that take artistic risks, promote diversity, consider sustainability, or are artist-led are encouraged.
The Foundation rarely supports projects where they are the sole funder. Applicants are expected to indicate another source of income, either secured or projected.
The deadline for applications is 19 December 2025.
Theatres Trust Small Grants Scheme
The national advisory public body for theatres in the UK offers small grants of up to £7,500 for essential works to not-for-profit theatres in the UK that will enable them to be viable and thrive in the future.
The grants will support small capital improvements to theatres run by charities and not-for-profit groups that will make a big impact to a theatre's resilience, sustainability or accessibility, or to improving the diversity of audiences.
Eligible projects include:
- Improvements and repairs to the building fabric.
- The installation of key plant and machinery.
- The purchase of key equipment (not software) to improve digital infrastructure.
Priority will be given to improvements to buildings that protect theatre use and remove barriers to participation and attendance.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Own or manage theatres with titles or signed leases of more than five years on buildings in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
- Run a regular theatre programme of professional, community and/or amateur work presenting no less than 30 performances a year.
- Have a bona fide UK charitable or not-for-profit legal structure and be able to provide certified or audited accounts for at least two years.
The funding cannot be used for revenue and survey costs.
Eligible projects include:
- Improvements and repairs to building fabric.
- Purchase of key plant and machinery.
- Purchase of capital items that improve physical access and the audience/participant experience.
- Purchase of equipment to improve digital access.
Priority is given to projects where the total project costs are less than £250,000 or where the grant is the sole external funder and/or achievable within the total fund awarded.
The next deadline for applications is 16 January 2026 (12 noon).
Funding for UK Visual Artists and Small Arts Organisations
Grants for artists, small organisations and galleries within the UK to make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when frustrated by lack of funds.
The fund is committed to helping artists and art institutions and galleries that depart from the routine and signal new, distinct and imaginative sets of possibilities.
Priority is given to artists in the fine arts and small organisations and galleries within the UK.
The Trustees’ main objective is to support new work within the UK.
Grants are usually between £2,000 and £5,000.
Arts festivals, group exhibitions, charities organising community events, theatres, symposia, conferences and projects with a total budget exceeding £30,000 will not be supported.
There are normally four rounds each year.
The next application round is open 18 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 (midnight).
Funding for Music and Heritage Projects Across the UK
Radcliffe Trust is offering grants averaging between £2,500 and £7,500 for charities, not-for-profit groups, and exempt organisations across the UK to support projects in the areas of music or heritage and crafts.
For music projects, the Trust will consider projects in the following categories:
- Composition and contemporary music - in the case of commission applications the lead composer must be named.
- Bursaries for courses and summer schools; limited to UK-based students.
- Music therapy and special needs.
- Academic research.
- Youth orchestras.
- Performance projects.
- Educational projects - excluding applications from individual mainstream primary and secondary schools.
- Miscellaneous.
For heritage and crafts projects, the Trust will support the development of the skills, knowledge and experience that underpin the UK’s traditional cultural heritage and crafts sectors. This includes support for:
- Emerging craftspeople.
- Craft and conservation projects and training.
- Projects demonstrating creative outcomes by designer-makers.
- Projects with potential for capacity building within the sector.
- Special needs projects focusing on the therapeutic benefits of skills development.
Other areas of cultural creativity related to heritage and crafts may also be considered, including theatre, performance, and literature, especially where projects can be shown to promote and develop high-level skills among early career practitioners and disadvantaged groups.
There are two deadlines per year for both the Music and Heritage and Crafts schemes:
- 31 July (for consideration in December)
- 31 January (for consideration in June)
Groups can apply for Music and Heritage & Crafts grants in the same funding round.
Applications Invited for AIM Museum Fundamentals Grant Programme
Association of Independent Museums (AIM), in partnership with the Julia Rausing Trust and the Pilgrim Trust, is offering grants of up to £20,000 for small-to-medium-sized museums with fewer than 50,000 visitors per annum across the UK to support core activities, enable them to care for collections more effectively and efficiently, and meet the standards required for Accreditation.
Proposed projects can include the following elements up to the value of £10,000:
- Professional expertise.
- Conservator-led training for staff and/or volunteers.
- Environmental surveys.
- Developing emergency plans.
- Developing collection management plans.
- Collection care improvements.
- Equipment such as environmental monitoring and control devices.
- Integrated pest management.
- Storage containers and packaging materials.
- Remedial object conservation by an ICON-accredited conservator.
Proposed projects can also include the following elements up to the value of £10,000:
- Small-scale building work to improve the condition of collections.
- Improvements to heating, lighting, and other building services that lead to improvements in collections care.
- Specialist technical advice, such as conservation treatment proposals.
- Special advice and other activities to support collections review.
- Documentation materials and equipment.
- Collections management software.
- Collections research.
- Online access to collections.
- Costs associated with the production of new displays and interpretation.
- Staff costs.
- Volunteer recruitment and expenses.
There is a two-stage application process. Groups must first submit an expression of interest before being invited to complete a full application.
The next deadline to submit an expression of interest is 6 February 2026.
Arts Council England Launches Research and Development Support for Individuals
Arts Council England has announced a time-limited priority under its National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG) programme to support creative and cultural practitioners undertaking research and development activity. The measure has been introduced while the Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) fund is paused until April 2026.
A total of £7.5 million from the DYCP budget has been allocated to the £30,000 and under strand of NLPG. The investment aims to help individuals explore new ideas or ways of working, supporting personal creative development and contributing to the wider cultural sector. Applicants can request between £1,000 and £30,000, with most awards expected to be up to £12,000.
The programme is open to individuals based in England or elsewhere in the UK who are at least 18 years old and working in disciplines including music, theatre, dance, visual arts, literature, libraries, combined arts and museums practice. Small collaborative groups may also apply, with one member acting as the lead applicant.
All applications must focus solely on research and development. Projects can involve a range of activities such as residencies, mentoring, professional development, partnership building or exploring cross-sector collaborations.
The deadline for applications is 26 February 2026.
Henry Moore Foundation Invites Applications for Aug-Sep 25 Funding Round
Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations for projects and activities that promote the growth and development of sculpture across historical, modern, and contemporary registers, and research that expands the appreciation of sculpture.
The Henry Moore Foundation offers funding in the following categories:
- New projects and commissions: Grants of up to £20,000 to encourage new thinking about sculpture or sculpture history or contribute to public awareness and appreciation of sculpture.
- Acquisitions and collections: Grants of up to £20,000 for museums and galleries to acquire or conserve sculpture for their collections, cataloguing, and display costs.
- Research and development:
- Long-term grants of up to £20,000 for projects that require funding for more than one year, such as a permanent collection catalogue.
- Small research grants of up to £2,500 for academics, curators, and independent scholars for research costs on the history and interpretation of sculpture.
- Conferences, lectures, and publications: Grants of up to £5000 to publish a new book or journal, or to stage a conference or other event related to sculpture.
There are typically four deadlines per year. This funding round is for projects starting, or opening to the public, no sooner than 1 January 2026.
There are typically four deadlines per year:
- 1 February to 1 March (23:00).
- 1 May to 1 June (23:00).
- 1 August to 1 September (23:00).
- 1 November to 1 December (23:00).
The next round of funding opens on 1 November with a deadline of 1 December 2025 (23:00).
BFI Creative Challenge Fund Supports UK Talent Development Programmes
The British Film Institute is accepting applications to the National Lottery Creative Challenge Fund for UK-based organisations delivering creative or talent development programmes. The funding aims to support projects in feature film and narrative immersive media, including narrative, documentary and animation.
The fund is designed to address challenges within the screen industry such as underrepresentation of certain genres, lack of early career producer opportunities and limited support for scalable projects with broad audience potential.
A total of £2.7 million is available over a three-year period. Applicants can request between £12,000 and £150,000. Eligible costs include staff and freelance fees, participant payments, venue and equipment hire, travel, creative practice sessions, mentoring and access provision. Reasonable overheads not already funded from other public sources are also eligible.
Applications are open to organisations across the UK with a track record in delivering professional or creative development work. These include production companies, film festivals, limited companies, CICs, partnerships, registered charities, local authorities and other statutory bodies. For-profit organisations may apply if the funded work is not-for-profit.
All funded work must be completed by 31 March 2026.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but must be submitted at least 16 weeks before the planned start of activity.
PRS Foundation Early Career Promoter Fund
PRS Foundation – the award-winning charitable funder of new music and talent development – announces today a new initiative targeted to early career music promoters in England and supported by Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The new and ambitious Early Career Promoter Fund recognises the vital role independent promoters play in supporting the talent pipeline across England and within the nighttime economy, and offers grant funding and capacity building support, with the aim of bolstering the grassroots music ecosystems.
Grants of up to £3,500 will be available to support a range of activity, including:
- The booking, programming and promotion of gigs, concerts, club nights, showcases, tours and other performances
- Costs associated with those activities (including venue hire, production, artist and/or DJ fees, crew fees, administration and other related costs)
- Capacity building (including mentoring, coaching, shadowing, workshops, masterclasses, and other skill building and networking opportunities)
- Other expenditure which helps grantees to programme a diverse range of artists, develop new audiences and build their skills
Rolling monthly deadlines will be listed on PRS Foundation’s website. All funding decisions will be delivered within 6-8 weeks of each deadline, and selected grantees will be invited to attend cohort induction meetings and a series of workshops delivered by PRS Foundation and associates.
Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) - Project Development Grants for England
Grants of up to £20,000 are available to help not-for-profit organisations cover some of the costs of developing and co-ordinating their historic building project and taking it towards the start of work on site.
To qualify, organisations must have established that the end use of the project is likely to be viable and have decided to take the project forward. At the end of the funded work, organisations should be at or closer to securing capital funding to enable the delivery of their project.
The one-year grants typically will support appointing professional advisors to work with the organisation to advance the plans. This can include architects, surveyors, and engineers to develop the designs and plans for the historic building; additional support to build the capacity of the organisation by employing or contracting a project manager; and support with refining the business plan, building community engagement and preparing funding bids.
Although 100% of the cost of the work involved can be funded, there is a preference for some match funding as the overall package of work required may be more than the grant can cover.
Applications will be accepted from the following not-for-private profit organisations and lowest tiers of local government:
- Unincorporated charities
- Charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs).
- Charitable companies limited by guarantee.
- Community benefit societies.
- Not-for-private-profit companies limited by guarantee.
- Community interest companies (CICs) limited by guarantee.
- Co-operatives
- Parish and town councils.
If applicants do not already own the building, they will need to provide evidence that they have a formal agreement to acquire it.
There is a two-step application process. The first step is to submit a short online Expression of Interest. Those who are successful will be invited to submit a full application.
Expressions of Interest can be submitted at any time.
New National Lottery Heritage Grants Accepting Applications from Across the UK
National Lottery Heritage Grants form part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund's new 10-year strategy, Heritage 2033, that aims to invest £3.6 billion across the UK with grants ranging from £10,000 up to £10 million.
The strategy is centred around a simplified framework of four investment principles:
- Saving heritage.
- Protecting the environment.
- Inclusion, access and participation.
- Organisational sustainability.
Grants are available to support projects of up to five years that care for and sustain heritage in the UK. This could include nature and habitats, historic buildings and environments, or cultures, traditions and people’s memories.
The programme funds projects that:
- Clearly focus on heritage – this can be national, regional or local heritage of the UK.
- Take into account all four investment principles.
- Have a clear plan with a defined start, middle and end.
- Have not already started.
- Can demonstrate the need for National Lottery investment.
Two levels of funding are available:
- Grants from £10,000 to £250,000 for projects of no more than five years in duration.
- Grants from £250,000 to £10 million for projects of no more than five years in duration (excluding the development phase).
Applications from:
- £10,000 to £100,000 will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations, private owners of heritage and partnerships.
- £100,000 to £10 million will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations and partnerships led by not-for-profit organisations.
Applications for more than £250,000 require an Expression of Interest which can be submitted at any time. If successful, applicants will then need to submit a development phase application. These have quarterly application deadlines.
Applications for grants of between £10,000 and £250,000 are open all year round with decisions in about two months.
Commenting, the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Chief Executive, Eilish McGuinness said:
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re able to invest £870 million across our first three-year delivery plan in projects of all sizes that connect people and communities to the UK’s heritage.
“We see heritage as broad and inclusive. If there’s something from the past that you care for and want to pass it on to future generations, we want to hear from you.”
Applications are currently being accepted for all levels of funding.
Unlocking Collections: a time-limited grant theme for museums
Arts Council England’s time-limited theme is aimed at enabling museums to develop their collections-based work and increase public engagement with, and the use of, their collections. ACE is looking for work which:
- Reinterprets collections to reach a wider audience
- Uses digital tools and mechanisms within museums, and to link across the sector
- Collections review improving standards of collections storage and display
The application process varies depending on grant size, for under £30,000, £30,001 -£100,000 and over £100,001.
Music Venue Trust - Pipeline Investment Fund
The Pipeline Investment Fund (PIF) is a new grant-giving fund established by Music Venue Trust with the support of venue members of the Music Venues Alliance. PIF is now open for small-scale grant applications (up to £5,000) from UK-based grassroots music venues to support two areas of work - small-scale capital applications and staff & training.
The fund will prioritise support for organisations who may be excluded from other available funding and they ask venues to approach the fund appropriately and economically, for something that will make a real difference to your organisation and venue.
Heritage Crafts Association (HCA) Maker Relief Fund Supports UK Craftspeople in Need
The Maker Relief Fund is offering grants to UK-based professional craftspeople facing financial hardship.
Grants of £1,000 will be awarded to 50 eligible applicants over the course of a year, starting in November 2024 and running through to the end of October 2025.
These grants are intended to provide flexible financial support, allowing recipients to use the funds without restrictions.
Practising professional craftspeople are eligible to apply if they identify with one or more of the following groups:
- Individuals on low incomes.
- Working-class people.
- Black and ethnically diverse people (including Gypsy, Roma, and Travellers).
- People with disabilities, neurodiversity or those managing chronic physical or mental health issues.
- LGBTQIA+ individuals.
- People with caring responsibilities.
The initiative aims to support these people in sustaining their careers during times of financial difficulty.
Applications can be submitted at any time until the end of October 2025.
Developing your Creative Practice
Developing your Creative Practice supports individuals who are cultural and creative practitioners and want to take time to focus on their creative development. Individuals can apply for £2,000 to £10,000 to focus on their cultural and creative development - this could be a period of research, time to create new work, travel, training, developing future ideas, networking or mentoring - and reach the next stage in their practice.
Applications are now closed. Future rounds will be announced early 2025