Arts and Heritage Emergency Funds announced

Arts organisations and individuals can now apply for emergency funding from Arts Council England to support the creative industries during the Coronavirus emergency.

There are two rounds of funding open for individuals with grants up to £2,500.  

For organisations (who are not National Portfolio Organisations) there will also be two rounds of this fund with grants up to £35,000.  

Round one opens for applications on 9 April and has a deadline of 16 April. Round two opens for applications on 16 April and has a deadline of 30 April.  Only one application can be made: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19

Eligibility for both schemes is that the applicant must have experience in delivering work that was publicly funded. For further details or questions, please email: artswest@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

On 1 April National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) announced £50million available for a Heritage Emergency Fund to support the UK heritage sector as an immediate response to the COVID-19 crisis. https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/coronavirus-update

This will provide short-term funding for organisations delivering heritage projects or running previously funded projects, and safeguarding heritage sites NLHF have previously invested in to ensure they are not lost to the public.

The Heritage Emergency Fund will be available as: 

• A fund that organisations can access over the next three to six months as short-term funding to stabilise operations and manage unforeseen risks. Grants of between £3,000 and £50,000 will be available.
• A select number of key strategic investments where heritage is identified as at greatest risk. This could include grant increases to funded projects that are currently underway

Organisations will have to meet the following three requirements: 

• ·organisations that have received funding in the past and are either a current grantee, or still under contract following a previous grant
• ·organisations with limited or no access to other emergency initiatives from other funding bodies and Lottery Distributors
• ·organisations where there is limited scope to repurpose existing funding for a project

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “I’m sure these new grants will be welcomed by our arts and heritage businesses. Please make sure you are registered on the Arts Council’s funding portal, Grantium, new registrations can sometimes take up to ten working days. 

“The Coronavirus is affecting us all, there is support available, I know it’s not immediate and I know there are frustrations but this is something none of us has been through before. Making sure grant payments are made is urgent but please allow time for the various funders to work through the applications process.”  

National Lottery Heritage Fund website: https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/coronavirus-update.