Deadline: 31 March 2025
The Open Fund for Music Creators supports the development of outstanding music creators of all genres and backgrounds at different stages of their career.
The fund can support projects by music creators who are writing their own music or commissioning others.
Priorities
- Music Creators’ projects must fulfil all three of their funding priorities:
- To support the creation, performance and promotion of outstanding new music in any genre
- To enable the UK’s most talented music creators to realise their potential
- To reach audiences
Funding Information
- The Open Fund for Music Creators offers grants of up to £5,000. Please note that they cannot support 100% of the project costs and expect to see income from other sources as part of your application.
Eligible Activities
- Through The Open Fund, they support high quality new music projects which have tangible musical outcomes and a clearly defined start and end date. Their funding includes support of:
- Creation of new music
- Music Creator fees (to cover your time and work)
- Touring and live performances
- Recording and release
- Creative residency costs
- Fees to creative collaborators
- Promotion and marketing (when there is also an element of creation and/or performance)
- Equipment (not exceeding 20% of the total project budget)
Ineligible Activities
- projects that contain no element of live performance or creation. Although they can support marketing and promotional costs, they require there to be elements of creation and/or performance
- bursaries, tuition/education costs, or scholarships
- activity that falls before their decision date
- retrospective activity (i.e. projects that have already taken place)
- the purchase of vans and cars
- bursaries, tuition/education costs, or scholarships
- capital projects (e.g. building work)
- any project raising funds for another charity
- building a studio
- international tours/international activity unless part of a majority-UK based project
- start-up companies or record labels
- a roster of artists on a record label or management company
Eligibility Criteria
- The following are considered by PRS Foundation to be Music Creators:
- Songwriters
- Composers
- Artists
- Bands
- Producers who are involved in the composition/writing process
- Performers who are involved in the composition/writing process
- They are committed to supporting UK based music creators of all backgrounds.
- You may qualify for the Open Fund for Music Creators and should consider applying if you are:
- Based in the UK, applications can be made on behalf of UK based music creators by their representatives such as a manager, record label, publisher etc.
- Aged 18 or over, unless represented by an adult with a valid DBS check
- Applicants must have a track record of over 18 months
- Music Creators not signed to major record label
- Music Creators cannot be in full-time education, unless an exception is made by the Grants Team
- Music Creators must either be a member of PRS or in a position to join.
Ineligibility Criteria
- Music Creators cannot be previous recipients of The PPL Momentum Fund, The Writer Producer Fund, Hitmaker or The Composers Fund.
For more information, visit PRS for Music Foundation.
