Now open for applications: Culture Recovery Fund - round two

  • FAC and MMF will host an applications guidance session on Thursday 7th January at 16:00 - register for free here.

  • A further round of the Culture Recovery Fund has now been announced with up to £400m of funding available through grants and repayable loans.

  • In order to apply you must be registered on Arts Council England's Grantium system, which can take some time. We recommend that people register now to avoid being unable to apply in time.

  • We recommend that all artists register even if they may not be eligible for CRF, as they may be eligible for future ACE funding and will need to use Grantium.

  • The eligibility criteria for CRF can be seen here. 

  • Previous awardees are published here.

  • Opportunity for FAC members to receive written feedback on their applications, more info below.

 
 

Arts Council England have announced another round of the Culture Recovery Fund, applications are now open and closes on 26th Jan.  The fund is aimed at cultural organisations but that has been interpreted widely, with some artists and bands have managed to apply to support themselves or their projects.  We would like to strongly encourage all artists to apply.

We have prepared this list of notes below from a recent ACE CRF session, for artists considering applying.

Arts Council Links: Grants programme web guidance incl. Must read guide & FAQs / Welcome to Grantium / Help: enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk / Register for January webinars

FAC & MMF session on Thursday 7th Jan at 16.00

Navigating the CRF application can be difficult and time consuming. We, together with the MMF, are therefore hosting a session on the Culture Recovery Fund, including the application process. We are happy to announce that the session will be led by Jess Partridge. Register for free here.

Jess Partridge is the founder and editor of In Stereo group which is widely respected as a new music platform that supports the live sector with popular magazines in London, Bristol and Berlin. Jess has worked at PRS Foundation and for many funders in the UK, helping to create opportunities and advise applicants. Alongside this she’s a freelance events and projects manager; she helped to launch and grow PRS Foundation’s Keychange initiative for gender equality and curates conferences for Annie Mac’s ‘Presents’ series. Jess is a proactive and knowledgeable champion of new music and its diversity.

In conjunction with this session we will also offer an opportunity for FAC & MMF members to receive written feedback on their applications. This will be done by Jess Partridge at a cost of £20 per application. If you are interested in receiving individual feedback please book via this link. (Capacity is very limited)

Culture Recovery Fund – Round Two: Grants

Types of eligible organisations:

  • Limited companies registered at Companies House

  • Community interest companies (CICs) registered with the CIC regulator

  • Charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs) registered with the Charity Commission

  • Charitable companies or charitable trusts registered with the Charity Commission

  • Limited liability partnerships registered at Companies House

  • Partnerships established under a partnership deed/agreement (Partnership Act 1890)

  • Community benefit and co-operative societies regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

  • Royal Charter bodies

  • Statutory bodies and other public bodies including Universities and Local Authorities who run or maintain cultural services

  • Heritage organisations with a museum with either accredited or working towards accreditation status

  • NB. Sole traders & individuals are not eligible.

Other points from discussions:

  • Grant is to cover range of costs from 1 April to 30 June but a balance sheet at 31 March 2022 must be provided 

  • Must set out a plan for April 21 to March 22 assuming capacity no longer constrained after end of June.

  • “We recognise that some cultural organisations (for example, festivals) may not plan to operate fully until after 1 July 2021. They are still eligible to apply to the Culture Recovery Fund: Grants programme, and should demonstrate in their application how they will transition towards full operation during the April – June 2021 period”.

Notes from ACE webinar 22nd December 2020:

  • Hosted by: Graeme Calvert/Simon Mellor/Michelle Dickinson/Jane Dawson/Catherine Rockwood.

  • ACE will run four more webinars in January (all with same content) - see ACE website to register.

  • This info only applies to grant strand of funding.

  • Maximum application for three months of turnover plus eight weeks of reserves

  • Culture Recovery Fund Round Two - up to £250m in grants to distribute to protect the sector from the impacts of the pandemic.

  • This round is aimed at "helping orgs to return to activity between Apr 2021 & June 2021. Including getting up to full audiences.

  • There are a set of assumptions that are outlined in guidance, including the removal of social distancing, please consider the assumptions and include details of any assumptions made regarding the business/activity, in the application. They recognise that the circumstances may change and impact the current assumptions.

  • You may only apply if you are in England or most of your activity takes place in England.

  • You must have previously submitted at least two years of financials returns.

  • £25k - £3m per application for:

    • Running costs

    • Staff costs

    • Freelancers

    • Marketing

    • COVID-19 related capital costs

    • Debts from 1st Oct 2020 due to pandemic (not sure how this sits with the "activity Apr-Jun" criteria)

    • Reflating reserves up to max of 8 weeks turnover

  • Cannot use CRF to cover costs which are eligible for other Govt support e.g. furlough.

  • Cannot use CRF to cover Bounceback loans or CBILS loans.

  • Applications close on 26th Jan - decisions will be released in late March.

  • There is no minimum match funding requirement.

  • ACE want to see how the application will deliver value for money for the CRF spend.

  • Want to know:

    • How you've managed C-19 so far & why you need support

    • How you will use the grant & how you'll offer VFM

    • How you'll adapt if restrictions don't ease and the assumptions (set out in guidance) are not accurate

    • How funds will support your viability beyond July through to Mar 2022

    • What your orgs. work is and how it's culturally significant or will provide cultural activity

    • How will you open up access by improving diversity of audiences, visitors, participants, workforce etc

Webinar Q&A:

  • Use pre-C-19 figures to demonstrate turnover

  • Can use funds to build reserves or re-inflate and you do not need to have had that level of reserve previously.

  • You can apply for this and for project grants but not for the same costs.

  • No preference made to those that applied previously or otherwise.

  • Cannot apply for funds for more than that three months of activity.

  • Cannot apply for grants & loans, it's one or the other.

  • Timing of application submission isn't relevant as all are considered in one "balancing session" when the deadline is passed.

  • Suppliers and support orgs can apply.

  • ACE are going to update FAQs regularly

  • ACE may be able to ask for a return of funds if they are not used.

Billie Morton Riley