Grants, usually for between £5,000 and £25,000, are available to support the core costs of running Ofcom-licensed community radio stations and Community Digital Sound Programmes in the UK.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Community Radio Fund, which has a budget of £400,000 for 2024/25, is designed to support the core costs of operating Ofcom licensed community radio stations including (please note this is not an exclusive list):
- Administration costs.
- Community outreach projects.
- Financial management and reporting.
- Fundraising, such as commercial sponsorship, donations and grants).
- Management costs, and
- Volunteer support (but not volunteer expenses).
Around £200,000 is expected to be awarded in this round, with a further round expected to scheduled for January 2025.
Community Digital Sound Programme (C-DSP) stations may also apply for grant support alongside existing analogue community radio stations if the station is broadcasting on a digital radio multiplex at the time of their application.
Please note that analogue community radio stations must have a minimum of 15 months remaining on their licence. If there are less than 15 months remaining on the licence, the licensee must have submitted an extension application to Ofcom. C-DSP licences do not have an end date. All applying stations must be on air at the date of their application.
While the Fund does not have a minimum or maximum grant award level, grant awards in previous rounds ranged from £5,000 to £25,000, with an average award of £15,000. Any awarded made must be used within 14 months of the grant being confirmed.
Details of previous awards are available on Ofcom's website.
Please note that funding is not available for:
- Capital expenditure/equipment (for the office, studio, transmission etc.)
- Company directors’ fees.
- Cost of building repairs, construction or maintenance
- Costs associated with launching a radio station.
- Costs reimbursed or to be reimbursed by funding from other public authorities or from the private sector.
- Costs relating to another licence type held by the licensee i.e. a small-scale digital radio multiplex.
- Fees payable to Ofcom (including but not limited to application and licence fees.
- Funding for the repayment of loans.
- Interest payments (including service charge payments for finance leases).
- Licence fees or copyright fees (such as PPL/PRS or software fees).
- Programming or marketing costs.
- Rent and/or mortgage payments.
- Retrospective grants ie, to cover expenditure already incurred.
- Statutory fines, criminal fines or penalties.
- Utility bills.
- Vehicle costs, or
- Volunteer expenses.
Further information, guidance and an application form, which should be returned by email to communityradiofund@ofcom.org.uk, can be found on the Ofcom website.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 14 June 2024. The Community Radio Fund Panel will meet in late July or early August 2024 to review applications.