18 creative grants and funds to help get your next project off the ground

Application: Ongoing
Location: UK
Amount: £1,000 – £100,000

National Lottery Project Grants support individual practitioners, communities and cultural organisations. They fund projects that span a range of disciplines, including literature, visual arts and performing arts, though they’re currently prioritising music, museum and library projects. The fund is open all year round and distributes funding of up to £100,000.

Application: 24 June – 28 July 2025 (Forma Residency)
Location: London & Arbroath
Type: Residencies

Launched for New Contemporaries’ 75th anniversary, this three-year programme offers fully-funded residencies for emerging UK-based artists. The first opportunity is a year-long studio residency at Forma in London for live and time-based practices. A two-week residency at Hospitalfield in Scotland, with a £1,000 bursary, follows in spring 2026. Open to those without prior access to similar opportunities.

Application: Monthly until October 2025
Location: UK
Amount: £500 – £5,000

Heritage Crafts’ is targeted at people facing financial hardship while striving to make their living as a professional craftsperson. The charity awards 50 grants of £1,000 to practitioners in the UK – and grants do not have to be used just for business costs; they can be used for general living costs or other purposes.

Application: Ongoing
Location: Northern Ireland
Amount: £2,000 – £12,000

Based in Northern Ireland? The Support for Individual Artists Programme (SIAP) offers several grants for artists between £62 and £15,000. The funding can be used to help you develop your practice, create new work, cultivate fresh ideas, receive mentoring and travel.

Application: August – September 2025
Location: UK
Amount: £500 – £5,000

If you’re a budding musician with big ideas, this is for you. The Youth Music NextGen Fund offers young creatives grants of up to £3,000 to invest in their own projects and make their ideas happen. The fund is especially aimed at those whose lack of finance holds them back from pursuing their goals.

Application: Ongoing
Location: UK
Amount: £500

The Black Artists Grant offered by Creative Debuts, a global art platform, is a no-strings attached financial support to help Black artists. Grantees can spend the funds on whatever they want – be that make new work, buy equipment or materials, travel, research, visit exhibitions or conferences, or to even just cover some life expenses.

Application: January, May, September
Location: UK, West Midlands
Amount: £500–£5,000

Founded in memory of Philip Bates, a young musician from Birmingham, this trust aims to advance the education of young people under the age of 25 in the arts. It supports artistic development, projects as well as workshops. Although anyone in the UK can apply, the trust particularly welcomes applications from the West Midlands.

Application: Opens throughout the year
Location: Scotland
Amount: £500 – £50,000

The Open Fund for Individuals is one of Creative Scotland’s key funding programmes. It’s meant to support periods of research, development, or delivery of specific projects by creative practitioners in Scotland. Freelance and self-employed artists and creative practitioners living in Scotland who are at least 18 years old are eligible to apply.

Application: Open
Location: UK
Amount: Up to £150,000 

Into documentary filmmaking? The British Film Institute provides support of up to £150,000 for independent documentary features and immersive non-fiction projects. They support both emerging talent and more established directors, with a focus on championing under-represented talent in the region.

Application: Open
Location: UK
Amount: £500 

Intrigued by the name? This fund is run by two creatives and provides a one-off £500 payment to a working class creative practitioner. It has no-strings attached, offering financial support to help them in everything from buying materials to doing research and paying bills. Creatives of all disciplines are welcome to apply.

Application: Open
Location: UK
Amount: £500 – £7,500

Run by the Arts Council of Wales, this fund supports artists who have experienced barriers to accessing funding – specifically, creatives who identify as being ethnically and culturally diverse, Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent. Some of the activities they fund include training courses, mentorship, business development and even setting up a new organisation.

Application: Opens 23 October 2025
Location: UK
Amount: £2,000 – £12,000

This fund from the Art Council supports individual creative and cultural practitioners in an array of disciplines, helping them in their artistic development. Among the development activities they fund are international travel, professional development training and mentorship.

Application: Opens in the second half of 2025
Location: UK
Amount: £500 – £5,000

Founded in 2021 by a trio of artists, Grand Plan has awarded over 150 grants since its launch to artists of colour in the UK – giving writers, filmmakers, dancers, potters and more the boost they need to get their projects off the ground. They provide grants of £1,000 and aim to make the process as simple, accessible and as transparent as possible.

Application: Closed, but opens throughout the year
Location: UK
Amount: £2,000 – £5,000

Established in 1975 to support the needs of emerging artists, The Elephant Trust aims to directly help artists without elaborate application processes. Its grants are usually between £2,000 and £5,000, and priority is given to fine arts practitioners, small organisations and galleries.

Application: Deadline August 1st 2025
Location: International
Amount: £4,000

Got a creative idea that needs some extra cash to get off the ground? Or maybe you’ve already started a project that could use a funding boost? The MORNING Fund is offering £4,000 to support creative projects from anywhere in the world. To find out how to apply, just send them a “HELLØ” at [email protected] and they’ll send over all the details.

Application: 10th July 2025
Location: UK
Type: Residencies

Oxford Contemporary Music’s annual BOOM scheme supports musicians, sound artists and producers looking to create work outside traditional venues, from outdoor shows to digital installations. Open to artists at any stage.

Application: Monthly deadlines until mid-February 2026
Location: England
Amount: Up to £3,500

Managed by PRS Foundation, this fund supports independent promoters who are essential to England’s grassroots music scene. Grants of up to £3,500 are available to help book and promote gigs, showcases, club nights and tours, alongside capacity building like mentoring and workshops. It also aims to reach underrepresented promoters and help them grow sustainable careers.

Application: 14th July 2025
Location: UK (hosted in France)
Type: Residencies

Magnetic 4 is an artistic exchange that gives UK artists the chance to spend 2–3 months hosted by French arts organisations. Includes a monthly fee, accommodation, studio space plus mentoring, development and networking with the host’s curatorial teams.