Sector News

Changes to ACE Grants for the Arts

Goodbye to Grants for the Arts and hello to National Lottery Project Grants. ACE are also launching a new fund to help individuals develop their practice.

Posted: 10/03/2022


Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants

At the beginning of March, ACE closed their Grants for the Arts fund and opened a new fund in its place
called Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants. ACE state that the new grant programme is very similar but has a broader criteria. They say, ‘ Project Grants is our new open access programme for arts and museum projects, and for arts projects in and with libraries.’

What’s changed?

  • ACE have increased the budget for Project Grants, with £97.3 million available each year for museums, libraries, artists and arts organisations. 
  • This additional funding will further support the
    integration of museums and libraries.
  • Project Grants will also be more open to supporting those working in
    creative and digital media than the existing Grants for the Arts.

There are some other changes affecting Strategic Touring and Ambition for Excellence funds and for NPO’s. Details for these changes can be found here.

ACE also says that everything that was eligible for Grants for the Arts will still be eligible under Project Grants.

New Fund for individuals

Across 2018-22 ACE are launching a number of new development funds. The first is Developing
your Creative Practice
, aimed at supporting independent creative
practitioners. It opens on
12 April.

The fund will support: research and development opportunities, building new networks,  creating new work.

Grant range: £2, 000 – £10, 000

Eligibility: Individual artists and/or creative practitioners. You can find full
eligibility criteria in the guidance for applicants. Organisations
cannot apply.

Key dates

  • Round 1 open for applications 12 April 2018
  • Round 1 deadline 16 May 2018

More information and how to apply here.


"Just to say a huge thanks ... I am looking forward to progressing with this project thanks to your support, advice and guidance"

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