Deadline: 29-Jul-22
The Arts Council has launched the Cultural Development Fund to unlock local growth and productivity, promote economic and social recovery from the impact of Covid-19, and regenerate communities through capital investment in place-based creative and cultural initiatives.
Aims
- The aim of the fund is to level up through investment in culture. The fund will unlock local growth and productivity, promote economic and social recovery from the impact of Covid-19, and regenerate communities through capital investment in transformative place-based creative and cultural initiatives.
- This is the second round of the fund and it will build on the success of the pilot, which was originally launched as part of the Creative Industries Sector deal in 2018. This pilot invested in five projects in Grimsby, Plymouth, the Thames Estuary, Wakefield – which saw the establishment of a state-of-the-art innovation hub – and Worcester, which benefited from the regeneration of historic railway arches.
- It will capitalise on the untapped potential for investment in creativity and culture whilst addressing the regional undersupply and demand for capital funding in creative and cultural infrastructure.
Focus Areas
The focus is on supporting places to develop by offering:
- new strategic approaches to accelerating growth in high-performing and innovative sectors
- a focus on the creation of a rebalanced economy that will deliver prosperity to all, regardless of geography
- a continued emphasis on the role of culture, heritage and creative industries in making attractive places to live, work, visit and invest in
- local ownership of locally developed growth initiatives, agreed in partnership with local and central government
Funding Information
- Grant range: Between £2 million and £5 million.
- Applicants can apply for capital (asset) activity with a limited proportion of resource activity (project activity).
- Applicants can apply for a maximum of £700,000 for supporting resource activity within their total budget.
Outcomes
It will support places to achieve the following outcomes:
- Unlock local economic growth and productivity
- Become more attractive places in which to live, work, visit and invest
- Strengthen local leadership, partnerships and capability
Eligibility Criteria
- The Cultural Development Fund is open to places in England (excluding London) that have a strategic vision for their development and can demonstrate both cultural maturity and commitment to creative and culture-led growth but need investment in physical and/or digital infrastructure or other assets to accelerate and maximise their impact.
- Applications are particularly welcomed from towns and cities identified as 109 Levelling Up for Culture Places and priority will be given to supporting applications from these places.
- It is expected that applications will be from a partnership for the area, led by a local authority, Local Enterprise Partnership or other appropriate body that would lead a consortium of partners from both the public and private sectors, and the voluntary sector where appropriate.
- It is expected that at least one partner would be from the cultural, heritage or commercial creative industries, depending on who is most appropriate to meet the aims and objectives of the proposed activity. One organisation must act as the lead organisation and submit the application. The lead applicant must be a formally constituted organisation.
For more information, visit https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/cultural-development-fund-round-three#section-1
