Meet the Funder: Arts Council England
Arts Council England recently joined us for a lively and well-attended session, sharing everything you need to know about National Lottery Project Grants. The room was full of questions — so we've pulled together the key takeaways and the most frequently asked questions from the chat, right here.
If you think this funding could be for you, read on to find out what ACE can support, whether your work is eligible, and what makes a strong application in this highly competitive funding environment.Download the handout from the session.
Your FAQs, answered:
What counts as match funding, and what are the acceptable routes?
Match funding is simply the other sources of income in your project budget — and it needs to amount to at least 10% of your total project income. Acceptable sources include other grants from trusts and foundations, local authority funding, your own funds, sponsorship, crowdfunding, income from project partners, and earned income such as ticket or book sales.
Support in kind also counts — anything donated towards the project that you would otherwise have had to pay for, such as room hire, volunteer time, consultant expertise, mentoring, equipment, costume, props or travel.
One important note: if you're applying to other trusts and foundations for grant funding, make sure you're not applying to them for the same part of the project you're applying to Arts Council for. This is considered double funding and is not permitted.
What's the best advice if you're reapplying for a second or third time?
You're welcome to reapply as many times as you like, but it's worth going in with clear eyes. The process is competitive and you'll be up against new applications every time.
Start with the feedback. If specific weaknesses were flagged, address them. If the feedback says ACE decided to fund a different mix of projects, that's a positive sign — it means your application was fundable, but the available funds ran out. In that case, it's definitely worth reapplying.
If you've been turned down more than once, it may be worth considering whether your project is scoring strongly enough against other arts projects, and whether ACE funding is the right route for you.
Do you need to have a venue and resources confirmed before you apply?
No. Every application is a balance between the preparation you've done and when you need to submit in order to allow enough processing time (typically 12 weeks). The more that's confirmed, the better, but you won't be disadvantaged for not having everything in place. Some things simply can't be confirmed until funding is secured.
What ACE wants to see is that you've done enough planning and have started the right conversations with partners and venues.
Can you use consultants for your application and to deliver the project?
Yes, on both counts. If you use a bid writer for your application, you can't claim their fee back as part of the grant — because this happens before the funding decision, and ACE can't fund anything retrospectively.
For consultants delivering the project, ACE wants to see a clear explanation of their skills and experience that makes them right for the role. A breakdown of daily rates and number of days in the budget also helps to demonstrate value for money.
What should I do if I have a technical issue and need a quick resolution?
You can email enquiries, though the current response time is around 10 days. For a faster reply, use the live chat function on the ACE website. Open the chat box, type your question, and leave the box open — it can take up to 10 minutes for someone to become available, but they will get back to you. There are also FAQs on the website for common issues.
Meet the Blumers, who have written successful Arts Council bids.
_____________________________________________________
Useful links