National Grants Programme Guidance

National Grants Programme Guidance

Contents Contents... 1 1. Welcome... 2 2. Our Strategy... 2 3. Eligible Organisations... 3 4. Regional and National Organisations... 3 5. The Financials... 4 6. Your Activity or Work with Musicians... 4 7. Your Organisation and its Strategic Development... 5 8. Excluded Activity... 5 9. The Application and Assessment Process... 6 10. National Grant Programme 2017 timeline:... 7 11. Monitoring and Evaluation... 7 12. How to Apply and Help... 7 1

1. Welcome Help Musicians UK (HMUK) is the leading independent charity supporting and empowering musicians to have successful careers and lives. As well as playing a vital role supporting working musicians who are dealing with an illness, injury or accident, we also provide a range of opportunities to support learning and professional development. Through our new strategy, Agenda 2021, we have revised our approach to supporting musicians across the UK from any genre and from any background. Through our new Creative Programme, we aim to help musicians during the course of their careers by investing in innovation across artistic practice, talent and professional development, removing barriers that exist for many to launch and sustain professional music careers across all genres. A key strand of the Creative Programme is a new National Grants Programme, which offers open access funding for three years to organisations working with musicians. This document outlines the criteria and the process for applying to the National Grants Programme. Help Musicians UK s Vision A WORLD WHERE MUSIC THRIVES Help Musicians UK s Mission HELP MUSICIANS UK PROVIDES HELP, SUPPORT & OPPORTUNITIES TO EMPOWER MUSICIANS AT ALL STAGES OF THEIR LIVES When we refer to musicians we include those working in professions involved in the creation of music of any genre (such as record producers, music managers, musical directors, sound engineers, composers and conductors) and those aged 18+ studying music in higher education or via less formal routes. 2. Our Strategy To reach and empower more musicians between 2017-21 HMUK will use six strategic themes to prioritise, shape and inform its work. Through the National Grants Programme we will primarily focus on three of these strategic themes: Reach, Transform and Innovate. The criteria for this programme have been developed around these three themes which are: 1. TRANSFORM: Extending and developing HMUK s help, advice and creative services. 2. REACH: Being a truly national charity. Increasing HMUK s impact across the UK, across all musical genres and on musicians from diverse backgrounds 3. INNOVATE: Being relevant and visionary. Using strong research, evidence and partnerships to inform and deliver the work of the charity. 2

All applicants will need to demonstrate clearly how they will use HMUK funds to help us meet these key strategic themes through their work with musicians. 3. Eligible Organisations This programme is open to organisations based in the UK. This includes organisations currently or previously funded by HMUK, along with organisations that have no prior relationship with HMUK. Types of organisation that can apply: registered charities charitable incorporated organisations companies limited by guarantee community interest companies Organisations of any size and turnover can apply and you should have a bank account with at least two unrelated signatories. You should have been in existence for at least 3 months to apply. Organisations can apply in partnership / as a coalition, but for the purpose of the application there should be one lead applicant. Please note we cannot fund: local authorities or other statutory organisations primary/secondary schools and Universities unincorporated organisations companies limited by shares organisations that award grants or bursaries to other organisations and individuals membership organisations record labels individuals or bands (through this scheme) 4. Regional and National Organisations We recognise London is the major cultural hub of the United Kingdom and that many of the country s creative organisations are based in the capital. However, through this programme we wish to build a truly national portfolio of funded organisations; creating an equitable balance of organisations based in and outside of London. The National Grants Programme will encourage and support musicians who live, work and study all over the UK and help build vibrant and successful local music economies. Regionally based organisations can help us deliver our strategic priority of reaching more musicians across the whole of the UK. HMUK wants to be effective in supporting the ongoing growth and development of music infrastructure in the regions. You will therefore be asked to provide details of your geographic reach, noting whether your organisation is: 3

Based in London with a national reach and reputation For example, a nationally recognised orchestra based in the capital but working with and reaching musicians and audiences from across the UK. Based in London with a local reach and reputation For example, a music venue based in South London working with emerging grime artists from the local area. Based regionally in the UK with a national reach and reputation For example, an opera company based in a major northern city but working with and reaching musicians and audiences from across the UK. Based regionally in the UK with a local or regional reach and reputation For example, an artist development agency based in Scotland working with emerging folk artists from the Highlands. If you are applying as a national organisation (irrespective of where you are based) you will need to demonstrate that you reach musicians from across the whole of the UK. 5. The Financials You can apply for funding of between 5,000 and 40,000 per year. You can apply for three years funding in one application. If you are considering putting in an application at the top end of the scale it s worth talking to us first. Multi-year funding is subject to satisfactory annual reporting and renewal of your grant agreements each year. We would normally expect our funding to make up at least 20% of the total cost of your project and no more than 90% of the total cost. The remainder can be made up with other funding, in-kind contributions, and/or income you generate via the project. 6. Your Activity or Work with Musicians You can apply for funding to deliver a new or existing project or activity.. Whatever your activity is, it should be able to meet all of these basic guidelines in terms of the musicians it engages with and reaches: Your activity should offer timely and relevant opportunities for musicians to develop their talent, skills and artistic experience at any stage in their careers The musicians benefitting from the initiative should be over the age of 18 and either UK residents or have been resident in the UK for at least 3 years. The musicians should either be emerging (we define this as musicians in the final stages of study or training whether formal or informal, or those on the cusp of a professional career) or professional (we define this as musicians who are already earning a living from music). This grant programme is genre-neutral, so we welcome initiatives working in any genre of music. However, it is HMUK s aim that our funding reaches musicians working across all musical genres, with no one genre dominating our investment by 2021. So we therefore 4

encourage organisations and initiatives working in multiple genres or in underrepresented genres. We also want to help musicians based across the UK, without an imbalance towards musicians based in London and the South East by 2021 you will therefore need to demonstrate how you will help us achieve this. We want our work to be accessible to all musicians from a diverse range of demographic backgrounds representative of wider society you will therefore need to demonstrate how you will help us achieve this. 7. Your Organisation and its Strategic Development In addition to funding activity and projects for the development of individual musicians, HMUK is interested in the growth and development of organisations working in the music sector. Via this grant programme we wish to invest in organisations where innovation is supported and progressive services and opportunities for musicians are delivered. By innovation, we mean a particularly original or new approach to tackling an issue in the sector or an inventive way of supporting the development of musicians careers that hasn t been widely adopted yet. You should be able to demonstrate how you already do this or how you will be able start doing this using our funding. Examples of this may include: Initiatives which help move organisations towards financial sustainability and resilience. Research, scoping and learning which encourages the broader sector to adopt new models or effect positive change. Organisations or projects which require seed funding to support the development of a new idea until it can become sustainable or can leverage further funding. Working with other organisations to develop new innovative collaborations, partnerships and local and regional networks. Initiatives which lead to stronger, longer-term artistic futures for your organisation and/or individual musicians, with wider funding/income bases and enhanced profiles and skills. Projects with robust exit plans which can demonstrate how they will become self-sustaining over time. 8. Excluded Activity We are unable to fund activity which involves the following: Capital purchases (for example purchasing/refurbishing a building or a vehicle) Initiatives which only involve purchasing musical instruments or equipment Initiatives working with musicians under the age of 18. There is no upper age limit, however projects should be focused on either developing emerging musicians, or helping to sustain and further develop the careers of those already working as professional musicians. Initiatives that only involve a one-off performance, or a very small number of performances Initiatives happening primarily outside of the UK (although it s OK for an element of a your work to take place outside of the UK) 5

Initiatives which are wholly commercial or profit making in nature Retrospective activity, i.e. initiatives which have already started or been commissioned before we have made a decision on your application Activities which involve making grants or bursaries to third parties using funding received from us. Activity which promotes a particular religious or political belief 9. The Application and Assessment Process What you will need to submit: Your completed application form through our online portal Your organisation s most recent audited or independently examined accounts (or a financial projection if you are new) Your organisation s governing document A project timeline outlining the format and timescale of your project A budget on HMUK s template Once submitted, your application will be checked for eligibility, and if eligible, assessed by HMUK staff according to the timetable outlined in section 10 below. Our assessment will consider how strongly your activity matches our criteria (outlined in sections 6 and 7 above). We will also consider your activity alongside other applications and will look at the range of projects we support. We want the projects we fund to cover a broad range of musical genres, geographical areas and musicians from diverse backgrounds. We will also assess your organisation, its management, governance and finances. If the programme is heavily oversubscribed, we may choose to prioritise applications from organisations based outside of London. Decisions on funding will be discussed and ratified by HMUK s Creative Advisory Board, a committee of industry professionals, the chair of which is an HMUK Trustee, and final funding approved by HMUK s Chief Executive Successful applicants will be notified via email and sent an Offer Letter and Grant Agreement, including our standard and any specific conditions. If you are unsuccessful we will notify you via email and will include some brief feedback in writing. We are unable to provide feedback in person or by phone. If you are not happy with the way we dealt with your application, you can contact us and we will discuss it with you. If you are still unhappy, you can follow our complaints procedure, however, please note that decisions are final and cannot be appealed. 6

10. National Grant Programme 2017 timeline: Applications open Thurs 6 Oct 2016 Deadline for applications Fri 18 Nov 2016 at 1pm Assessment period Late Nov early Dec 2016 Decisions communicated Early January 2017 Grant agreements issued Mid Jan 2017 Funding confirmed and external Late Jan 2017 announcement made Please note that once this programme closes for applications, we do not envisage opening it again until the end of 2019. 11. Monitoring and Evaluation If you are awarded a grant your funding will be subject to our monitoring and evaluation processes, which include: Annual reporting on a standard report template which will also include equal opportunities reporting. Meetings with us on an annual basis so we can discuss funding arrangements, review your progress and see the work we have funded taking place. Attending HMUK facilitated meetings with groups of other National Grant Programme organisations to encourage collaborative working tied to HMUK campaigns and themes or sector issues. Providing HMUK representatives opportunities to attend relevant events, performances or meetings linked to your funded work. Providing opportunities for HMUK to directly engage with project participants in order to recruit possible ambassadors for our work, volunteers or fundraisers. Sharing relevant data and knowledge with HMUK, particularly with regards to your funded activity, the musicians you work with and any research you have undertaken. 12. How to Apply and Help Applications are accepted through our online portal on our website. If you wish to contact us about a proposal or for help with your application, we can be reached via: creative@helpmusicians.org.uk 020 7239 9119 Twitter @HelpMusiciansUK Facebook @HelpMusiciansUK Help Musicians UK 7-11 Britannia Street London WC1X 9JS www.helpmusicians.org.uk 7