Grants of up to £2,000 are available to individuals and grassroots organisations across England to test and deliver new ideas and approaches to working with children and young people through music.
If you’re a creative music innovator or trail-blazing organisation working in England with children and young people and have an idea that needs funding and support in realising your ambition, it may be worth considering applying to Innovate UK’s Sound Connections grant programme.
The Sound Connections programme is designed to develop and support emerging practitioners and smaller organisations to realise new ideas and approaches to working with children and young people through music.
The fund is an opportunity to kick-start or incubate a project idea and aims to provide a space for people to take risks and try out ground-breaking work. The programme is particularly aimed at individuals and grassroots organisations with an annual turnover of less than £100,000 looking to launch or incubate a project idea and develop new connections and skills.
Grants of up to £2,000 are available to individuals and organisations with an annual turnover of less than £100,000 for projects and ideas that will:
- Offer an honest appraisal of the processes that you, your organisation and the children/young people have experienced – through creating new learning and models of best practice which can be shared across the music sector and beyond.
- Provide a new or innovative activity for young people who would not normally have access to such activity, and
- Test a new idea or innovative way of working for you or your organisation.
Innovate UK is especially interested in receiving applications from:
- Small organisations and individuals with an annual turnover of less than £100,000 who may be fundraising for the first time, or may not have experience of developing a funding proposal.
- Organisations and individuals working at a grassroots level (for example youth centres, children’s centres, community groups, libraries etc).
- Organisations and individuals that can use the funding as a stepping-stone to support them in developing skills and confidence to secure future funding, and
- Projects that have music at the heart of delivery.
Please note that all applicants must attend one of the following short group surgeries, via Zoom, with a member of the Sound Connections team:
Wednesday 12 June, between 9.30 and 10.30am.
Friday 14 June, between 1.00 and 2.00pm.
Wednesday 19h June, between 4.00 and 5.00pm.
Thursday 27 June, between 10.00 and 11.00am.
Monday 1 July, between 3.00 and 4.00pm, and
Wednesday 10 July, between 2.00 and 3.00pm
A surgery slot can be booked at this link.
Further information, guidance and details about how to apply can be found on Sound Connections website.
The deadline for applications is 9am on Monday 15 July 2024.