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.
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.
Health and Wellbeing in Museums Fund Opens in April 2025
The Museums Association, in partnership with the Julia Rausing Trust, is offering around ten grants of between £50,000 and £75,000 for Museums across the UK to support the development and continuation of health and wellbeing programmes.
Funding will enable Museums to build upon their existing health and wellbeing work. Applicants should have a proven track record of health and wellbeing work, a strategic commitment to health and wellbeing at their museum, and a clear idea of how they would like to develop their work.
There will be a multi-stage application process. Groups will first need to complete a short online eligibility quiz. Eligible applicants will then book a conversation with the Museums Association to discuss their ideas further. Successful applicants will then be invited to complete a full application.
The fund will open for applications on 28 April 2025 with a deadline on 26 June 2025.
One-off £20m Fund for Civic Museums in England Opens for Applications
The new, one-off, one-year £20 million Museum Renewal Fund, provided by the Government and delivered by Arts Council England, is accepting applications until 22 May 2025.
Regional and local museums that are owned and directly maintained by local authority funding, who hold collections of national or local significance and whose financial position is of significant concern, can apply for grants of between £10,000 and £1 million.
The funding aims to improve public access to collections and buildings, as well as community and educational programmes which will help ensure they are fit for the future.
This programme is intended to help these museums meet the shortfall between operating costs and income throughout their 2025-26 budget, where the shortfall results in a reduction of programming, footfall and days the museum(s) are open to the public.
The shortfall could include costs incurred through staffing, overheads, reflation of reserves.
To be eligible, organisations must meet one of the following criteria:
- Wholly owned by or operated by a Local Authority.
- Manage the majority (75% or more) of collections and buildings on behalf of a Local Authority.
- Have been previously owned or operated by a Local Authority and now operating as an independent trust.
- Have a governance link to a local authority defined in their current governing document (for example the local authority has the right to nominate members to the Board).
Museums must be Accredited and demonstrate their local authority’s commitment to maintaining funding at the same level as 2024-25 funding.
The funding period is for activity within 4 August 2025 to 31 January 2026. All funds should be committed /spent by 31 January 2026.
There is only one funding round.
The deadline for applications is 22 May 2025 (12noon).
Arts Programme Supports Sustainable Touring Across England, Denmark and Norway
A seminar-led initiative is offering project funding to support sustainable and inclusive international touring practices in the performing arts.
Organised through the International Touring and Environmental Responsibility Programme, it is open to venues, touring companies and individuals in the dance, music and theatre sectors based in England. Participants must form partnerships with professionals in Denmark or Norway to be eligible for funding.
The initiative begins with two free seminar series held in 2025. These will explore environmentally responsible and equitable approaches to international collaboration. Following the seminars, attendees may submit joint proposals for projects shaped during the sessions.
Successful partnerships will receive up to £40,000 to develop and deliver their proposed concepts. Funding may be used for activities such as creating artistic content, testing new presentation or distribution models, or research and development. Selected projects will begin in January 2026.
To be eligible for the funding round, applicants must have completed one of the seminar programmes and formed a partnership with at least one participant from Denmark or Norway. Applications for the funding round will open on 26 September 2025 and close on 28 November 2025.
The deadline for applications to the programme is 4 June 2025 (17:00).
Theatres Trust Accepting Small Grant Applications
The Theatres Trust, the national advisory public body for theatres in the UK, offers small grants for essential works to not-for-profit theatres in the UK that will enable them to be viable and thrive in the future.
Starting with this round, the Trust has increased the level of grant from £5,000 to £7,500.
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 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 will be given to improvements to buildings that protect theatre use and remove barriers to participation and attendance.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a not-for-profit organisation. This can include local authorities or Town and Borough Councils that own and/or operate a venue.
- Present at least 30 performances of live public performance (theatre, dance, comedy, musicals) each year.
- Have a lease with at least five year left to run.
The funding cannot be used for revenue and survey costs.
There are two funding rounds per year (usually in summer and winter). It takes about four months before a decision is made.
The next deadline for applications is 6 June 2025 (17:00).
Henry Moore Foundation Accepting Applications for Sculpture Projects Across the UK
Henry Moore Foundation is offering various grants of up to £20,000 for not-for-profit organisations concerned with art and art history for projects that promote the growth and development of sculpture across historical, modern, and contemporary registers, and research that expands the appreciation of sculpture.
The 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:
Spring '25
Applications open 1 May 2025, 9:00 | Submissions close 1 June 2025, 23:00
For projects starting, or opening to the public, no sooner than 1 October 2025
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.
Grants for Early-career Craftspeople - New Round Open
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) Emerging Maker Grant is a funding opportunity for talented early-career craftspeople who have a strong foundation and commitment to their craft, but who are still in the process of developing their skills and expertise.
A grant of up to £10,000 is provided towards craft training and education. The training can take many forms, from traditional college courses to vocational one-on-one learning with a master craftsperson, or a bespoke programme of short courses.
The grant is open to all UK-based makers who identify their practice within the field of craft and have a strong foundation and clear commitment to their craft.
Emerging makers are defined as individuals at an early stage of their career, who have been in professional practice for four years or less.
Autumn applications will open 9 July to 13 August 2025 with awards made in November for training taking place from January.
Aesthetica Creative Writing Award
The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award is accepting submissions from writers worldwide, offering an opportunity to gain recognition and showcase their work to industry leaders. The competition is open to both emerging and established writers, with no age or nationality restrictions.
Two categories are available: Poetry and Short Fiction. Poetry entries must not exceed 40 lines, while short fiction submissions are capped at 2,000 words.
The winners in each category will receive a £2,500 cash prize, with a total prize fund of £5,000. Additionally, selected entries will be published in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual, providing further exposure for entrants.
This international award highlights outstanding literary talent and supports creative voices by offering a platform for their work.
Entries must be submitted by 31 August 2025.
Funding for UK Theatres to Improve Environmental Sustainability
The Theatres Trust, in association with Wolfson Foundation, is currently accepting applications for grants of up to £20,000 to support not-for-profit theatres in the UK who need financial support to help reduce their environmental impact.
The Wolfson Foundation renewed its support for the scheme this year (2024), with a further £510,000 in total to be awarded over the next three years, thus providing further opportunities to secure funding from this highly competitive scheme.
Grants can be used for capital costs of building or equipment.
The theme for applications is Improving Environmental Sustainability. Funding will be given to projects that demonstrate how a small intervention can have a big impact on reducing the theatre's environmental impact.
Grants support a range of projects that consider different ways theatre buildings can reduce their environmental impact, for example sedum roofs, new windows, building management systems and more efficient water heaters.
To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Own or manage theatres with titles or signed leases of more than five years on buildings in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
- Demonstrate that they run a year-round programme of live performance, of 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. This can include local authorities or town and borough councils that own and/or operate a venue.
- Have the permission of the property owner and any relevant planning body to do the work required.
- Operate theatres that achieve excellence through their producing and programming and/or community engagement and/or architectural significance.
Organisations currently in receipt of other grants from the Theatres Trust or the Wolfson Foundation are not eligible to apply.
The next deadline for applications is noon on 5 September 2025.
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