Newcastle Culture Investment Fund. Now open for applications.

NCIF will support core revenue costs over 3 years from April 2018 and/or project activity from April 2018 – March 2019.

Please read full guidelines document on our website where you will also find the application form

The Newcastle Culture Investment Fund is a grant programme for independent cultural organisations working in the Newcastle City Council area, which is being run as a partnership between the Council and the Community Foundation.

The fund will support cultural activities that fulfil the Newcastle Vision for Culture as well as the Council’s aims for the city. Specifically, the fund will enable the development of a rich, diverse and accessible independent cultural sector in Newcastle that reflects the creative needs and aspirations of all residents and visitors, and gives them the opportunity to participate in the creative activity of their choice. The Fund will therefore support a wide portfolio of art forms and types of work within the constraints of the funding available. Grants from the Fund will help increase participation in creative activity and grow the contribution of cultural activity to the social, educational and economic well-being in the city.

The core resources for the Fund are being provided through the Community Foundation by the City Council. The Foundation in turn will hold and manage the Fund and award grants in line with the criteria and processes agreed with the Council. The Foundation has appointed an independent Fund panel, which includes two Newcastle City Councillors as well as other independent members who are in the majority. The Chair is one of the independent members.  The Foundation will award grants from the Fund on the basis of the panel’s recommendations.

About the Grants

Grants are intended to support core revenue costs and/or project activity from April 2018 onwards.

Two types of grant will be available

  • Grants for core revenue costs and some project activity will be for a maximum of £100,000 a year. Applicants can apply for up to three years from April 2018, a total of £300,000 over the period 2018-21.
  • Grants for stand-alone projects will be for a maximum of £10,000 for activity taking place between 1stApril 2018 and 31st March 2019.

 

25% of every grant awarded must be directed towards supporting Newcastle Council’s Health and Wellbeing priorities – for more information on this refer to http://www.wellbeingforlife.org.uk/

 

This fund does not replace the Newcastle Fund which will be continuing to give grants, including to the arts, for work that fulfils the aims of the Council and the Newcastle Fund.

 

Application Criteria 

  • The fund is only open to applications from cultural organisations based and delivering activity in the Newcastle City Council area. Project grants may be made to individual artists in exceptional cases only. We would recommend artists working with an organisation to deliver a joint application.
  • Consortia of organisations and artists can apply with one organisation taking the lead and taking responsibility for managing the application and the grant. Consortia can include organisations from outside the Newcastle City Council area but the lead organisation must be from the area.
  • Organisations can only apply once, either as a sole applicant OR as part of a consortium.
  • Organisations are not required to be registered charities, but must be formally constituted, have their own bank account and operate on a not-for-profit basis.
  • CIC’s or other social enterprises with a good business plan can apply for help with expansion but will not be eligible for running costs or existing projects.
  • Applicant organisations must be run independently of local and national government.
  • Applicant organisations must have been established and operating for at least two years and have at least one set of audited or independently examined accounts.
  • Applicant organisations must fulfil the standard criteria required by the Community Foundation.

 

We will not support:

  • Organisations that are for profit or activities solely for private benefit.
  • Organisations or projects that are run as part of local or national government.
  • Organisations based outside the Newcastle City Council area.
  • Activities outside the Newcastle City Council area.
  • Activities that do not benefit Newcastle residents or visitors.
  • Activities that do not meet the aims of the fund.
  • Activities or core costs that are already financed through other funders or via earned income.

 

How to apply                                

This is an online application process available via the Community Foundation website. The closing date for applications is Monday 18th September at 5pm.

Before applying you must speak to the Community Foundation to discuss your application. Applications received where there has been no preliminary discussion may be rejected regardless of the eligibility and quality of the application.

As well as a completed application applicants will need to provide:

  • Their governing document.
  • Their most recent audited or independently audited accounts.
  • Management accounts for the current year as reported to their Board or equivalent, including the budget for the year, expenditure to date, variance and any changes to the forecast outturn.
  • Projected budgets, core funding or project, for the period of the application (i.e up to three years if apply for 3 years of funding). If not made clear on application form.
  • Any policies relevant to the application e.g. child protection if you work with children.

You may be asked to supply further supporting documents as part of the assessment process, but you should not include any other material in your application other than that set out above.

Other funding

As with all applications to the Community Foundation, there may be an opportunity for an application to be presented to other funds held at the Community Foundation if applicable. We will inform you if other funds are interested in supporting your work