Spirit of Achievement Arts and Culture Challenge Fund

Overview

They will award grants of between £100,000 and £250,000 to be spent over 2-3 years. Applications will be assessed by their Spirit of Achievement Panel, chaired by Susie Rodgers and made up of figures from the world of arts, culture and disability sport. They are particularly keen to see partnerships coming forward, applications from Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations (DPULOs) and inclusive opportunities for both disabled people and their families and friends.

They intend to award at least one grant to a project in Northern Ireland, provided that applications successfully meet our assessment criteria (see Annex A of the application form) and are approved by the Spirit of Achievement Panel for funding. This is because their current ‘Unlimited Impact’ programme for disabled artists only operates in England, Scotland and Wales, and we want to widen their work into Northern Ireland.

They are looking for projects that:

• increase opportunities for disabled people to participate regularly in arts & cultural activities;
• provide opportunities for disabled and non-disabled people (particularly families) to participate in activities together;
• provide regularly and sustained opportunities for participation (not one off activities);
• provide opportunities for disabled and non-disabled people to volunteer together to deliver those activities;
• provide disabled and non-disabled volunteers with training and skills that both ensure a high quality volunteering experience and boost employability;
• address a clearly identified and evidenced need, reflecting current public health priorities and including the views of potential beneficiaries;
• articulate a clear vision of how the project will impact beyond the life of Spirit’s funding.

What can you apply for?

You can apply for grants of between £100,000 and £250,000 over two or three years;

• Funding will be awarded for the specific activity proposed, including any necessary support/adjustments to remove the barriers to target beneficiaries’ equal access to participate;
• Core costs can be included to a maximum of 12.5% and evaluation costs to a maximum of 10%;
• Although they may occasionally give further funding for projects developed in response to Challenge Funds, that would be after a considered review of the project outcomes and the submission of a further application to our Board. You should not make assumptions about future funding if you are awarded a Challenge Fund grant. They stress that, in making a Challenge Fund Award, we do not guarantee continuing support;
• They are open to co-funding projects but not where our contribution is a small part of a much larger budget;
• Please note the budget allocated for Challenge Funds, and that we will approve only a small number of projects each round.

Who can apply?

Their funding strategy lists the types of organisations that can apply for funding. Please look at this carefully before you submit an application and speak to them if you are unsure whether your organisation is included. They are open to applications from partnerships or consortium. Please note that we cannot fund individuals directly.

They can only fund projects where the activity takes place and benefits people in the UK. However, they are open to proposals which may also involve international partners or that emulate good practice in other countries.