Grant funding / top tips for creative businesses Catherine Herbert Arts & Regeneration Officer Kent County Council

Do you need grant funding?  There are easier ways to make money  Grant funding = transparency and reporting  Is it commercially viable? Could you do this another way? Such as…  Private donors / sponsorship Virtual fundraising / Crowd funding Sharing resources and partnership

Grant Funding – overview Who holds the money?  Public funding – local government, ‘arms-length’ bodies e.g. Arts Council England, British Council, British Film Inst  National Lottery - BIG, Awards for All, Arts Council (Grants for the Arts)  Trusts and foundations - Elephant Trust, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, IdeasTap, Lloyds et al

Before you apply Economic downturn and cuts – it’s competitive (artists make one application every 20 years to Arts Council England, and have a 50% success rate) Outcomes – consider how do you meet the objectives of the funder. Don’t be a newbie – get evidence and test ideas Budget – match funding? Support in kind? Be ambitious, innovative but realistic Seek advice with the application – people who have been successful, Local authority arts officers, and the grant administrator…

Grant funding for arts Check ‘other sources of funding’ doc on Arts Council England website for others… e.g. Local Authority Arts Grant schemes – individuals, groups and orgs Arts Council England – cross artform, individuals and orgs IdeasTap – cross artform, individuals Creative England – film, individuals and orgs MeWe 360 – cross artform, individuals and orgs UnLTD – social entrepreneurs Elephant Trust – visual arts, orgs Esmee Fairbairne – cross artform, orgs Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation – cross artform, orgs, groups of individuals

Top tips for creative businesses 1.Business model development – what are the bits that pay? 2.Know the true costs of what you are offering, how much you can get for it, and profile your clients 3.Lean business principles – low cost ‘trial’ – test it and get feedback. 4.Commission co-workers to build credibility and get experience

Continued… 5. Have a voice and a strategic position – social networks, linkedin as well as w/site 6. Be visible - attend, and tap into local networks, likeminded people, coworking etc 7. Be GREAT to work with… Time management, honesty, communication