Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do we apply?
Follow the application guidance — making sure to check that you have completed the Application Form for the relevant programme in full, and that you have supplied all mandatory attached documents

2. How much can we apply for?
Most Grants are in the range of £1,000 — £3,000. Most Commissions are in the range of £5,000 to £7,000.

3. Do we have to be a registered charity?
Registered charities are not the only eligible kind of organisation. We may also consider organisations whose annual reports and accounts are open to public scrutiny. This includes companies limited by guarantee and Community Interest Companies.

4. Do you support individuals?
Currently, our Grants and Commissions are only available to organisations. Individuals might be interested in Fellowships.

5. Do you consider grants outside Birmingham?
Organisations must be based in or have a working presence in the City of Birmingham, or make a significant contribution to life in Birmingham. 

6. When is the best time to apply?
Applications are accepted from 1st January each year. The deadline for applications is 5pm on 31st March. Decisions are made in May and all applicants will be notified of the outcome by 5pm on 31st May. 

7. Will you fund 100% of a project or organisation’s costs?
Yes, under exceptional circumstances — but you should keep in mind that we are a small Trust with limited funds available each year, and you should have a plan in place for what you would do if your application for a project’s full costs was unsuccessful.

8. We are a new charity/organisation and do not yet have any public accounts. Does this matter?
You would need to explain your individual circumstances. Sometimes we will consider a new charity/organisation without public accounts, but we cannot guarantee to do so.

9. Do you acknowledge all applications?
Applications will be acknowledged within one week of being submitted. All eligible applicants will be notified in the outcome no later than 5pm on 31st May. Due to our limited capacity, we will be unable to provide detailed feedback on unsuccessful applications. 

10. Do you expect us to spend the grant within a certain time?

You should tell us in your application when your activity will happen and when you expect it to be complete. Ordinarily, we would expect this to be within 12 months of receipt but we will consider longer projects or those that need a long lead time.

11. What happens if we no longer wish to spend the grant on the specified project? Can we spend it on something else?
No. This is not possible unless you contact us first and obtain permission for this change of purpose. Such permission cannot be guaranteed, and we may withhold funds or request to be refunded if deviation from the approved purpose is deemed unacceptable.

12. You have already given us a grant. Can we apply again?
You may put in applications to subsequent annual meetings, but we will not commit to anything other than one-off grants — success in a previous round does not guarantee success in future rounds. We require a brief report on the outcome of your project and will not consider a further application until we have received that final report. 

13. Do you support applications for core costs?

We focus on supporting specific projects rather than core costs. You can include a proportion of overheads and/or management costs within your application, but this should be no more than 20% of the cost of the project in question. In the case of Arts Commissions, our funds are only to be applied to the artist fees, not to other aspects of project delivery or management.

14. Will you come and visit us?
Trustees reserve the right to visit projects they have funded, or are considering funding. Our grant terms usually ask for an invitation to see the project culmination or performance. 

15. Can we apply for equipment?
We will consider applications for equipment and anything else which may be helpful to the success of your project. Where the cost of items of capital equipment is included, this needs to be demonstrably linked to the project in question.