Fund A
Overview
Grants of £2,000 to £30,000 are available and the fund is designed to support music-making and music-making related activities for children and young people (aged 0-25) facing barriers.
Fund A is a one-stage process.
Project Length
Your project should last between 6 and 24 months.
Upcoming Deadlines
Round 20
Application deadline: Friday 04 December 2020
Notification of decision: Friday 12 March 2021
Round 21
Application deadline: Thursday 01 April 2021
Notification of decision: Friday 02 July 2021
Round 22
Application deadline: Friday 30 July 2021
Notification of decision: Friday 29 October 2021
Round 23
Application deadline: Friday 03 December 2021
Notification of decision: Friday 04 March 2022
The Grants Portal opens for applications 1 month befor the application deadline.
Eligibility Criteria
If you can answer yes to all of the following points, then your programme meets the Fund A criteria.
The organisation is:
- Is a UK based organisation that has a signed governing document
- Has been legally constituted and providing activity for one year, and has a set of accounts.
- Has the relevant insurances** in place (including employers’ and public liability) and complies with all relevant statutory legislation
- Has a safeguarding policy** that is regularly reflected on and updated
- Current grantholders only – is up to date on reporting requirements
**We don’t automatically request policies and insurance but they should be available upon request.
The project:
- Offers a music-related programme for children or young people facing barriers in England
- Meets one or more of Youth Music’s priority areas (Early Years, Disabled young people, Young adults, Youth justice system, Young people facing barriers and Organisations and the workforce)
- Is co-designed by children/young people
- Embeds the Youth Music Quality Framework
- Doesn’t include ineligible activities
- Includes an evaluation plan to reflect on programme’s intended outcomes
- Includes plans to share learning from the programme with others
- For a school-based programme and or from a Music Education Hub lead organisation – meets the additional requirements
- Meets the budget criteria (including: pays staff the Real Living Wage, is predominantly for revenue costs, doesn't include ineligible costs)
- Commits to raising at least 10% match funding (at least 5% cash match funding) and minimum match funding is not from Arts Council England or National Lottery funding.
Please note that for Fund A we will not fund;
- Individuals and sole traders
- Profit-making programmes
- Activities that promote party political or religious beliefs
- Activities that other statutory bodies would be expected to fund
- GCSE Music or A-Level Music
- Activities that have taken place before you have received confirmation of grant award
- Costs incurred in making your application
- Significant capital costs
- The purchase of land or buildings
- Reserves, loans or interest payments
- VAT costs that can be recovered
- Art forms that are not related to music
Essential Guidance and Documents
Before completing your application, please read all the guidance carefully. You can also download a template of the application which is helpful to use prior to transferring information to the main grants portal.
Fund A Guidance (word)
Fund A Guidance (PDF)
Sample application form (word)
Sample application form (PDF)