Cultural Resilience Grants - Print version

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Grant details

We want arts, culture and creativity to play a key role in the lives of Coventry’s residents. We recognise, however, that there are many ongoing challenges in the cultural sector following Covid recovery and the growing cost-of-living crisis.

We therefore want to help our cultural organisations to become more resilient, so that they can continue to deliver high quality services and programmes for the benefit of the city.

We are now launching the Coventry Cultural Resilience Grants (CCRG) programme, which has been developed as a responsive and accessible source of funding, aimed primarily at smaller cultural organisations delivering public benefits to city residents.

By this we mean arts and cultural organisations providing such activity as:

  • Cultural engagement opportunities for residents
  • Skills development programmes or projects
  • Arts and health programmes
  • Creative community projects
  • Events, festivals or other arts activities that promote the development of the sector, as well as Coventry as a cultural city

The fund is designed to improve the financial and operational viability of these types of organisations at a challenging time.

We are unlikely to fund applications from organisations operating at the purely commercial end of creative industries, who should explore other opportunities for business development and access to finance. Recommendations include CWX [http://www.wearecwx.co.uk/funding]  and the Createch Frontiers [https://createchfrontiers.com/] programmes.

How much can I apply for?

The Cultural Resilience Grants scheme has a total fund of £50,000 and we are inviting applications between £2,500 and £10,000.

It is unlikely that we will be able to award multiple grants at the top end of the scale (£10,000) and as the budget is limited, we are likely to receive more applications than we can fund.

There is no match funding requirement for this grant.

Timeline – Key Dates

  • Applications close: midday 14 August 2025
  • Applicant notification*: Week beginning 25 August 2025
  • Delivery: 12 months from award of grant

*Dates subject to change

Eligibility - Who can apply?

  • Constituted in the UK as a not-for-profit arts or cultural organisation (or a registered association with a clearly defined Memorandum of Articles), with an address within the Coventry Local Authority District. 
  • Priority will be given to small organisations with an annual turnover of less than £1 million, although we can consider larger organisations if they, through their work, support a number of smaller organisations.  
  • Organisations who work primarily in the arts and culture sector. Please see FAQ document for further details.  
  • We want to encourage applications from organisations that have a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion – and can demonstrate this through their leadership.  
  • Organisations with a dedicated bank account requiring at least two signatories at different addresses. 
  • Organisations who have been trading at least 12 months when applying. We need to see evidence such as a recent set of audited annual accounts (or other evidence, such as budget documents signed by an accountant or detailed business account bank statements displaying income and expenditure) 
  • Applicants must be over the age of 18 and authorized to submit an application on behalf of their organisation 

Who cannot apply? 

  • Individuals (including sole traders and freelancers).  
  • Organisations who are registered in Coventry, but whose activities and services are mostly taking place outside the city. 
  • Organisations based outside the Coventry Local Authority District 
  • Organisations that don’t deliver arts and cultural activities as part of their core offer.  

Eligibility - What can you apply for?

The purpose of the grant is to support arts and cultural organisations to improve their financial viability and to unlock new opportunities. We understand that each organisation is unique and operates within a different set of circumstances. We do therefore not want to be too prescriptive on how the funding should be used.  

However, given the limited funding available, we want to ensure these grants will have a tangible, positive impact and provide support for organisations with the greatest need.  

We would need you to tell us why this investment is crucial in improving your viability – and how you will use the funding to unlock a new opportunity. In terms of how the funding could be used, we have included a few examples below – just remember that these should be thought about in the context of improved viability/unlocking new opportunities.  

  • Exploring new operating models and organisational development activity (e.g. development of a new business plan) 
  • Board development and governance reviews (e.g. facilitators, away days)  
  • Core staffing or operating costs where this will enable exploration of future opportunities and/or make a significant impact on future financial viability 
  • Supporting fundraising activity (e.g. fundraising support, fundraising plans, NPO applications)  
  • Skills training and continuous professional development (CPD)  
  • Purchasing of new equipment or systems  
  • Improvements to environmental sustainability where this also leads to improved efficiencies and financial savings  
  • Marketing and communications  
  • Travel costs to sector events, trade shows, trade missions or other specific  opportunities  
  • Capital feasibility studies for accessing future capital funding 

You can apply for multiple items/activities within one application, but the total value of the application cannot exceed £10,000 including VAT (where applicable). We have set a lower limit of £2,500 to encourage expenditure that makes a material and identifiable difference to your organisation.

Applications will need to include a detailed breakdown of your intended expenditure, with clear, evidenced costings based on known costs, recent quotations received or reliably researched estimates. 

What we won’t fund 

  • Capital expenditure on buildings and facilities 
  • Purchase or leasing of land or buildings (excluding room/venue hire fees) 
  • Purchases or activity that has already taken place, or for which contracts are already signed/purchase orders issued before grant application decision date 
  • Using the grant to further invest into e.g. stocks or shares  
  • School/college/FE courses that are already enrolled upon, or part of normal curriculum delivery 
  • Total costs exceeding £10,000 

How to apply

  • Complete and submit an application form or a video application [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/8219/cultural-resilience-grants] as soon as possible, but no later than midday, Thursday 14 August 2025 
  • Submit your application and all requested documentation to artsdevelopment@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:artsdevelopment@coventry.gov.uk]  
  • Please send us your application form and documents in either Word or PDF formats. Please do not send links to cloud storage locations (for example Google Docs/Drive) or embed images and links in your application form. You can include website addresses but please write them out fully (not hyperlinked) and make sure they are accessible to the public  
  • If you have any queries about the application process please read the FAQs at the end of this document, or drop us an email to artsdevelopment@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:artsdevelopment@coventry.gov.uk].  

Please note that the mailbox is only monitored through standard working hours.  

Accessibility 

  • All applicants are welcome to contact us before submitting an application for an informal conversation or to answer any questions 
  • If you have access needs and wish to discuss ways in which we can help with completing your application (for example providing the application form in a different format), please contact us by email and we will be pleased to assist you 
  • Applicants are welcome to partially submit their responses to the application questions in video format, should this be more accessible or preferable. Please note the following conditions: 

Guidance for video applications 

Please make sure you read the application form and above guidance carefully, and check that you have included all the documents.  

If your application is missing information, we may not be able to consider it for funding. Please also respect the word/time limits – we will only consider text/video up to the maximum word/time limit.  

Data protection 

Coventry City Council complies with the Data Protection Act and the UK GDPR and is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a Data Controller. 

For full details of how and why we collect personal data, please view our privacy notice.  [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/privacynotice]

Frequently asked questions

What do you define as an ‘arts or cultural organisation’?  [#Definition]

What is a small organisation?   [#Small organisation]

What is a constituted organisation? [#Constituted]

Why can’t individuals or freelancers apply? [#Freelancers]

Why do you need our financial information?  [#Financial] 

What are the One Coventry priorities? [#Priorities]

How will applications be assessed?  [#Assessment] 

What happens if I am successful in my application?   [#Success]

How will the grant be paid?   [#Payment]

How long do I have to use the grant?   [#Duration]

Will I have to report on how the grant is being used?   [#Reporting]

What do you define as an ‘arts or cultural organisation’?

We will accept applications from organisations working in the following areas: 

  • Arts, including performing arts such as music, dance, circus and theatre 
  • Arts, including visual arts and any type of artistic creation 
  • Literature and spoken word, poetry 
  • Crafts (limited to artists/makers working by hand within a craft medium) 
  • Museums and galleries 
  • Libraries and archives 
  • Cultural education (excluding statutory education, further education, or higher education) 
  • Combined arts 
  • Community organisations providing arts and creative activities 
  • Digital art and film/video art 
  • Photography 
  • Independent publishers 
  • Arts and/or artist management, producing 

What is a small organisation?  

We have used the Companies Regulations 2024 classification of micro-entities with an annual turnover of £1 million or less 

Financial turnover is the total amount of money an organisation makes from selling its products or services over a defined period, such as a year. It doesn’t mean profit - it’s just how much money came in before paying for costs such as utilities, wages, or supplies 

What is a constituted organisation?

A constituted organisation is a formally registered organisation with its own written constitution. This may take a number of different not-for profit forms, including charity, company limited by guarantee or a CIC (Community Interest Company). We will also accept applications from registered community associations with a clearly defined Memorandum of Articles. 

Why can’t individuals or freelancers apply?

For this particular scheme eligibility is restricted to not-for-profit constituted organisations.

Constituted organisations have the capacity for greater reach in the services they provide, which will bring benefit to more Coventry residents through resilience grant support. While individuals can’t apply directly, maintaining the activity of these organisations helps support ongoing opportunities for freelancers through their projects and partnerships.

Individuals/freelancers may find guidance and support for business development through the Council’s Business Investment team https://www.coventry.gov.uk/support-services [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/support-services]  

Why do you need our financial information?

As a public authority we need to exercise due diligence in the use of public monies. This will include checks on the eligibility of your organisation with Companies House or the Charity Commission, and inspection of your financial information:  

  • we need to confirm that you are currently engaged in arts and cultural activity 
  • we need to assess your financial need, and the viability of your organisation to remain operational for the duration of the grant delivery period 
  • ensure that the grant will be used to support activities that will strengthen your organisation’s future  

Please note that personal bank statements will not be acceptable.  

What are the One Coventry priorities?

These are Coventry City Council's priorities identified in its One Coventry Plan 2022-2030 [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/strategies-plans-policies/one-coventry-plan] as the areas most important to the growth of a healthy and prosperous city:

  • increasing the economic prosperity of the city and region
  • improving outcomes and tackling inequalities within our communities
  • tackling the causes and consequences of climate change

Applicants are asked to explain what difference the grant will make to Coventry and its residents, referencing one or more of the One Coventry priorities

How will applications be assessed?

Application assessment will be based on:  

  • the eligibility of your organisation and your planned grant expenditure 
  • whether you have fully completed all required parts of the application and provided any additional information or documents requested 
  • how you have answered each of the questions asked 
  • the detail and accuracy of your proposed budget 
  • evidence of diversity in leadership or governance (this is not a compulsory requirement but will be considered during the assessment process) 

Once initial eligibility and due diligence checks have been carried out on your organisation, an assessment panel will score applications to arrive at its preliminary decision. 

If further questions are required before a decision can be made, shortlisted applicants will be contacted. 

Preliminary decisions will be scrutinised by additional individuals not part of the assessment panel before final decisions are made. 

What happens if I am successful in my application?

If successful, you will:  

  • receive a confirmation letter by email, followed by a grant agreement outlining terms and conditions 
  • be issued with a purchase order with which to invoice for your grant payment 

How will the grant be paid?

We wish to provide the majority of the grant straight away to enable you to implement your plans with minimal financial risk. Grants will be paid in two instalments:  

  • 90% following acceptance of award  
  • 10% at end of delivery period following submission of your evaluation report 

Please note that it may take up to 28 days from receipt of invoice until payments can be made. 

How long do I have to use the grant?

You will have up to 12 months from the date of payment to complete your funded activities. The exact timeline will be confirmed in your grant agreement.  

Will I have to report on how the grant is being used?

A short evaluation report will be required at the end of the delivery period. This should explain:  

  • a full budget breakdown showing how the grant was spent  
  • how the grant has delivered on intended outcomes - what difference it made to your organisation’s resilience  
  • what benefits were delivered for Coventry residents  

This is essential to receive the final 10% of your grant.  

In addition, there will be informal check-ins during the delivery period to offer support, answer questions, and ensure your funded activity is progressing as planned.   

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