Seasons of Culture: Nature Application Process Frequently Asked Questions

We will hold two online introduction sessions, these free sessions will be held on:

Friday 20 March 2026 at 10am and Monday 23 March 2026 at 5pm If you would like to join either session, please email culturalgrants@leeds.gov.uk and state which session you would like to attend and a TEAMs link to the event will be sent.

Who can apply for this grant? The grant is open to individuals who live in Leeds, organisations / community groups registered in Leeds and Leeds City Council Projects Teams who meet the eligibility criteria. Please refer to the eligibility section on our website for full details. When must the project take place? The project must be planned and delivered between 1 July 2026 and 18 November 2026.

Is there an age restriction for applicants? Yes, individual applicants must be 18 years or older.

I am an individual artist who lives outside Leeds but works in Leeds, am I able to apply? No, individual artists must live in Leeds and the activity you are applying for must be in Leeds, for example, hot desking in a Leeds venue is not sufficient.

Can I start my project before I have had the funding confirmed? No, projects that are awarded funding cannot start until we have received a signed Funding Agreement. For this programme projects are to be delivered between 1 July 2026 and 18 November 2026.

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

Does my project have to take place outdoors? No, indoor projects are eligible as long as their focus is nature, biodiversity, sustainability, or climate resilience.

What counts as a green or blue spaces? Parks and woodlands Nature reserves Canals, riversides and wetlands Community gardens or allotments If using these areas projects you should respect and protect the spaces.

Do I need permission to use outdoor spaces? Yes. If your project takes place in a park, nature reserve or any publicly managed space, you must obtain appropriate permissions and sites are subject to availability. To receive more information and an application form to apply to deliver an activity in a Leeds City Council park or green space please contact: eventsinparks@leeds.gov.uk If you plan to use a privately owned space, please ensure you have provisionally received permission to use the space for the date and type of activity before submitting the application form and check if you need a Temporary Event Notice. What if my project has environmental impact concerns? Projects must minimise harm to habitats and wildlife. If there are environmental risks (e.g. footfall in sensitive areas), you should outline how you will manage them.

How much funding is available? There is £250,000 available in Project Grants for Seasons of Culture.

Is there a minimum or maximum amount I can apply for? Yes, applicants can request between £3,000 and £15,000, depending on the scope and scale of the project. What can the grant be used for? Grants can be used for project costs such as artistic costs, materials, staffing specifically for the project, venue hire, marketing, access and other relevant expenses. Are there restrictions on how the funds are spent? Yes. Funds must be used in accordance with the approved budget and cannot be used for expenses or activities outside the scope of the project, core costs of the organisation or debt repayment. Can I apply for funding for an existing project? No, unless you are developing a new element which includes nature or sustainability themes. We cannot support projects that are already fully funded. Please contact us before applying if you are unsure if your project idea is eligible. Do I need to provide a budget? Yes. A detailed project budget is required and you must use the template provided. Do not change the budget template, add or delete rows, and do not change the file type, it is an excel document and you should resubmit it as an excel document. Do you fund a 100% of the project? No, you will be required to provide a minimum of 10% eligible cash funding within your project, we do not provide 100% funding for any projects. Cash funding can include: Earned income from your activity (such as ticket sales) Funding from public organisations such as Arts Council England, central Government or international schemes  Grants from trusts and foundations Sponsorship Kickstarter campaigns Donations Designated LCC or WYCA funding* In kind support will not be accepted as cash funding. *Can I use Leeds City Council (LCC) or West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) funding as the 10% cash funding? Funding from other LCC & WYCA sources can only be used if the funding has been agreed in writing and designated for this project, funding from the Leeds Cultural Investment Programme can not be used as cash match. I have already confirmed my cash funding; do I need to show you the evidence? Yes, you will be required to submit evidence of any additional cash funding you have in place, e.g. an offer letter, redacted bank statement, funding contract. If you do not include the evidence the cash funding will be classed as not confirmed. Applications that have a higher percentage cash funding or have cash funding already confirmed might be considered stronger in assessment. I have applied for cash funding from another funder, but I have not heard if I have been successful, am I still able to apply? Yes, you can apply but you must state the funding is not confirmed. You will be required to confirm the cash funding within 6 weeks from when you receive our grant offer and 4 weeks before the proposed date of the start of your activity. If you are unsuccessful with your proposed cash funding we may reduce or withdraw the grant award. What is in-kind support? In-kind support may be free support from another artist / organisation or reduced costs on a venue or hire of equipment. Can I use in-kind support towards my 10% cash funding? No, whilst it is good to show what in kind support you and others may be putting towards this project, this cannot be used for the 10% cash funding. Can this funding cover my organisation’s running costs? No. This fund supports project-specific costs only. Overheads may be included only if directly linked to the delivery of this project. Can I apply for funding for a launch event? No, the grant is for the activity, whilst it is good to celebrate your project, we do not fund launch events. Can I apply for funding for food and drinks? This funding is intended for the creation and delivery of an arts and cultural activity related to nature. We do not normally fund food or refreshments. However, if food is an essential part of your project, please explain its relevance in your application and budget, and we may consider it. How will the funding be delivered? Successful applicants will receive 75% of the grant once we have received a signed funding agreement. The remaining 25% will be released after the project is fully completed and the project report has been submitted.

How will the funding be delivered? Successful applicants will receive 75% of the grant once we have received a signed funding agreement. The remaining 25% will be released after the project is fully completed and the project report has been submitted.

How do I apply? You apply using our online application form which is located on the Leeds Culture Programmes website, there you will be able to download a PDF of the questions asked on the application form to use as a reference. 

When you access the website, there is a ‘Log In’ button in the top right-hand corner.

Once you have clicked this, you will be redirected to a page that provides three options: ‘Log in’, ‘Create new account’ and ‘Reset your password’. Choosing ‘Create new account’ will take you to the registration form for the website where you must fill in your details. Alternatively, you can follow this link: Create new account | Culture Programmes

What documents do I need to submit? As well as completing the application form you must submit: A project budget (using the template provided by us on the site) An Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring form Evidence of cash funding if this is confirmed Any supporting materials you would like to accompany your application Are there word counts on the questions? Yes, where it applies, each question will inform you of the word count. Can I submit a draft for feedback before the final application? No, we are unable to provide feedback on drafts due to the volume of applications. What is the deadline for applications? The deadline is Tuesday 21 April 26 at noon. Late applications will not be accepted, so please ensure you submit your application in plenty of time. Can I submit more than one application? You may submit more than one application but can only receive funding for one project within the programme year. If submitting multiple ideas, ensure each is distinct.

Technicalities I’ve forgotten my password! Please visit Reset your password | Culture Programmes to reset your password. Please enter your email address or username associated with your account and password reset instructions will be sent to your registered email address. The online application form doesn’t work for me! Please try to use the most up to date version of your browser when working on the online application form, and where possible it is preferable to use Google Chrome. Other browsers such as Safari, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, should work but are notorious for causing issues generally on online forms, particularly if they are older versions without recent updates applied. Please do not attempt to complete the application form using your smartphone. I already have a project budget and / or EDI information prepared can I submit those? No, we provide you with excel templates to provide the additional information we require to make a full assessment of your grant application. If you do not use the template documents provided, OR if you amend them to include information you think we need or want to know, this can cause considerable extra work at our end and we reserve the right not to accept your application if it is submitted on documentation not provided by us, or on our documentation that has been amended by you by adding or removing rows or columns, or saving in a different file type. I still have a question that has not been answered! Please email: culturalgrants@leeds.gov.uk and we will come back to you as soon as we can.

Can I edit my application after submitting it? No. Once submitted, applications cannot be edited. Please review your application carefully before submission. The deadline is Tuesday 21 April 2026 at noon and we highly recommend not leaving submission until 11:55am on that day. What if I submit an application that is incomplete? Incomplete applications will not be assessed. How long does the assessment period take? We aim to announce the confirmation of grant awards by mid-June. How will I be notified of the outcome? Applicants will be notified via email on the address submitted on their application. What happens after I apply? Applications are assessed by a panel. You will receive an outcome by email. Due to the number of applications, we expect to receive and the limited capacity of the team feedback will not be offered on this scheme.

What are the reporting requirements if I receive the grant?Reporting is a condition of funding and helps us evaluate the success of the programme. Grant recipients will be required to submit a final report detailing outcomes, budget spend, audience and participant data and feedback, images and impact of the project and lessons learnt which will be required 4 weeks after the completion of the project.