The Grassroots Music Fund has £20,000 available. The funding was secured at budget Council for the 2026-27 financial year, and this will be split equally into two stands.
Each strand will be divided as follows:
- Venues: £5000 each will be made available for two venues
- Musicians and promoters: we expect to allocate around 10 grants averaging £1000 each, however actual figures may vary according to need
Eligibility
- Venues: all applicants will need to demonstrate that they have an established venue with the capacity to offer free or significantly subsided space to musicians and promoters for rehearsals and performances
- Musicians and promoters: applicants can be either a company, group or individual from any musical genre
What we are looking to achieve
For venues to be able to connect with and support musicians and promoters by providing space and reducing costs for rehearsals and performances alongside other support as appropriate.
To reduce costs for musicians and promoters to enable more musical activity in the city.
Scoring criteria
For musicians and promotors
The following criteria will be considered:
- the quality of the proposal and proposed work demonstrated within the application
- the impact the grant will have on the musician, group, or promotors' own professional development
- the clarity demonstrated around understanding of the audience and how the work is pitched to market it effectively
- diversity of musical genres and people, including those at different stages of their career and those creating new work
For venues
The following criteria will be considered:
- the location and accessibility of an established venue within the city
- how many free or subsidised spaces are being offered for rehearsals and performances - how much money will musicians save as a result
- the size and type of room / stage
- audience reach
- additional support e.g. marketing / equipment / stage props etc.
How to apply
The Grassroots fund will be open to applications for an 8-week period:
- Opens: Monday 17 August at 3pm
- Closes: Monday 12 October 2026 at 9am
Apply for Grassroots Music Funding on plinth
We expect to inform applicants of the results on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
More information
If you require any further information, please contact us.
