Apply for Inspire Small Grants Programme (UK)

Funding Information

• You can apply for funding between £500 to £1,500.
• Your project must be completed within 12 months of your first grant payment.

Eligible Activities

• New, one-off, non-profit cultural projects in Leeds
• They 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 LEEDS2023
• To support new activity (this can be as part of a reoccurring event – e.g., an annual festival)
• To support you to develop a new creative idea or to enable development of your own practice if you are working professionally in the cultural sector. Grants to develop your creative professional practice is only open to those whose primary income is from their creative practice
• 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
• They 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. They will accrue the data of applicants and beneficiaries over time and will respond to gaps in provision across the wider Leeds Cultural Investment Programme.

Ineligible Activities

• Repeat activity – your project activity must be new
• Educational establishments (schools, colleges, universities)
• Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations
• 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
• Organisations with a registered address outside 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

Eligibility Criteria

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

For more information, visit Leeds City Council.