Greater Manchester Culture Fund

Aims/priorities: The Greater Manchester Culture Fund supports cultural organisations that are committed to providing excellent cultural experiences and opportunities, and to helping to ensure the city-region remains world famous for its cultural offer. A new investment approach, designed to better support the cultural sector through challenging economic times and to widen and diversify access to culture for all residents, was recently agreed by Greater Manchester’s leaders. The fund supports delivery of the city-region’s culture strategy ‘Grown in Greater Manchester. Known Around the World’.

Cultural organisations are being invited to bid for three years of funding to help them provide excellent cultural experiences and opportunities in Greater Manchester.

Applications are now open for the “Spirit” and “Sustain” strands of the Greater Manchester Culture Fund.

Spirit: Supporting locally loved and important organisations, this grant programme will award between £20,000 and £200,000 per year. Spirit does not require organisations to deliver across all of Greater Manchester, but they will be of strategic importance to the “cultural ecosystem” of the city region. The “cultural ecosystem” is the whole of Greater Manchester’s cultural offer, all the people who work in it and all the people who take part in it in some way.
Sustain: This strand will provide support for organisations who require £200,000 or more per year to deliver Greater Manchester-wide activity and support for artists and grassroots organisations in every one of the 10 districts.

For this three year funding cycle bidding organisations are also asked to ensure they also meet the goals of the new Greater Manchester Strategy. They are requested to:

Contribute to the recognition of Greater Manchester locally, nationally and internationally to attract new investment, new visitors and new talent
Make a positive contribution to improving skills and employability of residents, including support for the creative education, expression and ambition of young people
Play a strong role in developing strong and inclusive communities and an improved quality of life for residents, particularly those residents at risk of disengagement or social isolation
Be able to evidence how the project will make a positive contribution to improving residents’ health and well-being

Who can apply? The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Culture Fund will provide funding to properly constituted, not for profit, voluntary organisations cultural activity of more than local significance across Greater Manchester.

Grant amount: Applicangts can apply for:;