Step 1: Grow: Project guidance on eligibility

What if the application form isn’t accessible to me? 

We have Easy read, BSL and Audio described guidance. 

BSL guidance can be accessed via this link - BSL Grow Project 

Links to easy read guidance can be found below.

If our application form still isn’t accessible to you, please get in touch.  We can explore how we can support you to apply for the funding, in a way that meets your needs.  Please call 0113 336 7440 or email culturalgrants@leeds.gov.uk

• New, one-off large scale ambitious non-profit cultural projects in Leeds
• We define cultural projects as original, not-for-profit artistic activities in: Circus, Combined Arts, Crafts, Dance, Design, Digital Media, Festival / Carnival, Film, Literature / Poetry / Spoken Word, Live Art, Music, Photography, Theatre, Visual Art or any combination of these art forms
• To build on the legacies of LEEDS 2023
• To support new activity (this can be as part of a reoccurring event – e.g., an annual festival)
• To realise major projects developed through Inspire funding
• To encourage Leeds artists, producers, co-producers, promoters, and creative partners to make larger scale work across the city
• To provide leverage to enable you to draw in additional funding to your project and to Leeds
• To support delivery of Leeds City Council’s Best City Ambition
• To support activities that, on balance for each funding round, deliver opportunities and benefits across all areas of the city
• We are particularly keen to support activities that reflect the creative and cultural diversity of Leeds. This includes activities by, with or for those with protected characteristics and those living in the most disadvantaged areas of the city. We will accrue the data of applicants and beneficiaries over time and will respond to gaps in provision across the wider Leeds Cultural Investment Programme

• Individuals living in Leeds
• Cultural and creative organisations registered in Leeds
• Community or voluntary groups to run a discreet non-profit cultural project registered in Leeds
• Commercial (for-profit) organisations to run a discreet non-profit free to access cultural project registered in Leeds
• Groups of organisations or individuals working in partnership. One organisation or individual registered in Leeds will need to take the lead and have the responsibility for managing the application and being accountable for any grant given. We expect that a form of partnership agreement will be in place if your application is successful

• Repeat activity – your project activity must be new
• Educational establishments (schools, colleges, universities)
• Activity that does not involve work by artists (defined as an individual whose primary income is made through their creative practice)
• Activity that is not cultural (defined as original not-for-profit artistic activities in: Circus, Combined Arts, Crafts, Dance, Design, Digital Media, Festival / Carnival, Film, Literature / Poetry / Spoken Word, Live Art, Music, Photography, Theatre, Visual Art or any combination of these art forms)
• Core costs, that are not directly related to the delivery of the project, including general running costs, which are already covered by other funding or that should be covered by your own resources
• Ongoing overheads relating to equipment or buildings, such as salaries, insurance, building repairs and maintenance costs
• Activities that provide no benefit or engagement opportunity to people in Leeds
• Student/school projects or activities
• Organisations with any other Leeds Cultural Investment Programme funding
• Leeds Council operated organisations
• Artists and organisations with a registered address outside of Leeds
• Capital equipment
• Sports activity, kit or equipment
• Charity fund-raising events
• Competitions or lotteries
• Redistribution of funds as grants to other parties
• Activities that promote party political or religious views

Deadline: Monday 8 January 2024 @ 12pm

Deadline: Tuesday 7 May 2024 @ 12pm

Deadline: Monday 4 November 2024 @ 12pm

Between £5,000 to £15,000 per project

We aim to notify you of the outcome of your application within eight weeks of the submission deadline.  

We cannot fund activity which has already started so please do not start your project until we have received your signed funding agreement and we have issued the first grant payment.  

Your project must be completed within 20 months of your first grant payment.

You will be unable to receive any other funding from Leeds Cultural Investment Programme until you have completed your project and returned a Project Completion Form. However, you may be able to apply for future funding from us while you are still delivering your funded activity. 

Yes. This will vary depending on the amount of funding you are applying for.

You will require a minimum of percentage of eligible cash match funding.

• If you are applying for up to £10,000 from Grow: Project, you will need at least 25% eligible cash match funding.
• If you are applying for £10,001 or more from Grow: Project, you will need at least 50% eligible cash match funding.

Eligible match funding means:

• Cash match funding from other sources.
• We welcome the inclusion of in-kind support in your application but in-kind cannot be counted as your match funding requirement.
• You cannot include funding from other Leeds City Council departments as a contribution to your match funding.

Cash match funding could be from earned income, sponsorships, trusts and foundations or other cultural funders e.g. Arts Council England or National Lottery Heritage Fund.

You do not need to have match funding confirmed at the time of application, but applications that deliver more match funding or have match funding already confirmed might be considered stronger in assessment. You should consider this when planning your project.

Please note: While we will ask you to tell us about other funding from Leeds City Council that supports your project, we cannot count this as match funding. ‘Other sources’ means sources outside Leeds City Council.

1. You must first arrange to attend an advice session with a member of the Culture Programmes team. To book a session go to Step 2: Grow: Project Advice Session  This meeting will enable you to share your ambitions, tell us about your project and discuss what a realistic bid for support might be. Please note: all applicants must book an advice session even if you have previously applied or plan to resubmit.
2. You should then complete the Grow: Project application form on Culture Programmes website: Grow: Project | Culture Programmes (leedscultureprogrammes.org.uk)

To apply to Grow (project) you will also need to include the following attachments with your application:

1. An Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring form (download template)
2. Budget for your project showing income and expenditure and balanced outcome (download template)
3. Most recent set of end of year or audited accounts (if you are an organisation) 
4. Web Links to examples of your creative work

• Completed applications will be assessed by a panel of Leeds City Council officers and/or external assessors
• Incomplete applications cannot be assessed
• We may also take references from other relevant funders
• Following assessment, we will balance applications to ensure that there is a spread of investment across the city, a broad representation of the diversity of our city and a range of activity in different art forms. Balancing means that you may make a strong application but still not be successful
• It is possible that we will not invest in you if you did not follow previous funding requirements or complete the annual survey/ end of project report within the agreed timescales or if you did not seek approval for changes to your activity

Yes.

You are welcome to reapply at the next opportunity. Meanwhile you may wish to consider other funding opportunities in the Leeds Cultural Investment Programme: www.leedscultureprogrammes.org.uk

Due to the volume of expected submissions, we cannot guarantee feedback for specific applications.

We aim to notify you of the outcome within eight weeks of the published application deadline.

If your application is successful, you will receive 90% of the award on receipt of a signed grant agreement and subject to you meeting any additional funding requirements that might be necessary. This process might take a further 2 - 3 weeks.

You will receive the final 10% of the grant award on completion of your project and on the return of a Project Completion Form.

Please note: For projects over one year, we reserve the right to vary your payment schedule.

You should factor additional time into your project and financial planning.

We will also require that you complete the annual Leeds Cultural Impacts Survey (further details will be provided in due course).

Leeds City Council considers most Grow (project) grant funding from its Cultural Investment Programme will be a subsidy as defined under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (“the Act”) and will be subject to the conditions in the Act. If your application is successful, it may be awarded under the Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) exemption of the Act; the MFA exemption permits an organisation to receive up to £315,000 total MFA funding from all sources, within any three financial year period. In this case you will be sent a declaration form to notify us of any previous MFA funding you have received so far in the current financial year and the preceding two financial years, and to confirm that the proposed Inspire grant from Leeds City Council will not take you over your £315,000 MFA limit.  If the Grow (project) grant would take you over the MFA limit, then Leeds City Council will have to carry out a further assessment of your eligibility under the Act to receive this funding.