Funding
The Big Opportunity Direct is only aware of a few funding sources that are 2012-related. This means that you may have to use other sources of funding to get 2012-related projects funded, which is why we have included details of funding databases.
2012-related funding sources
2012 London Cultural Skills Fund
Your organisation must be fully registered on the CompeteFor website to apply for this. For more information about CompeteFor see our Contract Opportunities page.
The fund is aimed at developing and gaining skills in the arts and creative sectors, and grants of £25,000 - £50,000 are available.
The target group is "small organisations and community groups, who want to contribute to the range of cultural activities taking place during the Cultural Olympiad."
They also "want to support strong community-based skills, training and employment support projects" and they are also interested in hearing from "local third sector organisations particularly minority-led organisations. We are seeking projects that will work with groups who are not usually involved in arts or cultural projects to explore the different cultures that exist in London." This can include disabled people, lesbian and gay men, BAME people and faith groups, travellers and homeless people, old people, care leavers, ex-offenders and refugees.
They want to fund:
- Projects that provide specific skills training to enable beneficiaries to meet identified skills shortages in the creative and cultural industries; and/or
- Initiatives supporting beneficiaries transition to cultural and creative employment and career development for emerging cultural practitioners through showcasing and exhibition opportunities; and/or
- Activities which encourage active learning and participation in arts and cultural events, which are taking place across the capital in the run up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games; and/or
- Projects that increase the reach of services either geographically or in order to improve access in the target groups.
Follow this link to our Resource Library to find the prospectus and the information about the nine criteria that your organisation should meet and the five stages of the application process:
1. Register with CompeteFor – when you are registered, search for ‘2012 London Cultural Skills Fund’ or ‘Arts Council England’.
2. Pre-qualification Check questionnaire. CompeteFor will inform you if you have passed the pre-qualification check and Arts Council England will then send you the full application form for completion
3. Applications checked by Arts Council England
4. Scored assessment
5. Moderation
General information, and you can download the prospectus and the guidance from this page.
The first round has just closed and CompeteFor will open again for registration on 19th January and 8th June 2009.
Official Sports London
In the run-up to the Games, there is a drive to increase the number of people training to be sports officials – particularly those who may be under-represented in this field (e.g. women, people with disabilities, Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic people or refugees).
You may be able to get financial support towards training in a variety of sports, if you are over 16 and live in London.
There is support available towards the cost of
- the course, licence, registration and membership costs,
- equipment and clothing costs associated with the course as specified by the relevant Governing Body,
- travel costs to and from the course and 15 hours of officiating,
- costs of childcare or adult care costs incurred to attend course and 15 hours of officiating,
- and accommodation costs outside of London incurred to complete the course or your 15 hours of officiating (where specified as a requirement by the National Governing Body).
There are six steps to applying, which you can find out about here, or email bursary@continuumleisure.co.uk or phone 020 7554 8691.
Sports Coaching Bursary
One of the key legacy objectives of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is to increase participation in sports, which means that more coaches will be needed. If you’re interested in coaching athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, cycling, equestrian, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, judo, netball, rugby league, rugby union, rowing, swimming, squash, table tennis, tennis, triathlon or orienteering, and live in London you can apply for a bursary from Skills Active.
Website: http://www.skillsactive.com/coachingbursary/
Phone: 020 7632 2000
Funding Databases
London Funders
Organisations or individuals seeking funding are not eligible to join London Funders, but their free e-resource for London's voluntary and community sector, called ELF (the E-gateway to London Funders) may be useful.You can find useful funding links, searchable funding criteria, diagnostic tools and a notice board to inform funders of sector issues.
http://www.londonfunders.org.uk/ELF/tabid/109/Default.aspx
The Big Opportunity Co-ordinator has links with their 2012 funders group, and we will keep you updated.
LVSC
The London Voluntary Service Council has a section of its website devoted to funding advice.
http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=90161&i1PNID=90016
If you are a second tier organisation, umbrella group, operate across more than one borough or pan-London, or are a national or international organisations based in the capital, you can contact their Advice Line on tel: 020 7700 8225, open on Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 5.30pm (you can also leave a message at any time and they will call you back on an Advice Line day), or e-mail them on advice@lvsc.org.uk.
Search for funding via GRANTnet
The LDA has taken out a subscription to GRANTnet, so once your organisation has registered with them they can use this. Community and voluntary groups, sports and other clubs, schools, and social enterprises can search across a range of funding sources, which is updated twice monthly.
http://www.lda.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.2122
London Councils
They have a sub-section of their website with details of other funding sources.
http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/grants/otherfunders.htm
Other funders who may fund 2012-related activities, and Other sources of funding for the future
Several cultural funding agencies plan to make funds available for Games-related projects via their regular funding programmes.
For example:
- Arts Council England hopes to support projects that contribute to the Cultural Olympiad, via its Grants for the arts Lottery-funded programme (www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding);
- Heritage Lottery Fund, London Region, is interested in receiving proposals that meet its priorities and link to 2012 (www.hlf.org.uk/English/InYourArea/London/);
- Youth Music, the MLA Partnership (http://www.mla.gov.uk/programmes/settingthepace) and others are also committing resources to Games-related programmes.
Culture 2012 – the Opportunities Start Now
The London Cultural Consortium, the Mayor’s Office and the Arts Council have just announced plans and outlined funding for cultural activity in the run up to 2012.
Follow the link to a pdf document that you can download – pages 17-19 are especially relevant for funding or look in our Resource Library: http://www.london.gov.uk/lcsg/docs/london-culture-2012.pdf
Legacy Trust
The Legacy Trust has been established as a charitable trust to use the £40m funding endowed by The Big Lottery Fund, the Arts Council and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.This, and other funds that the Trust will raise from other sources, will be used to support cultural, artistic, educational and sporting activities that celebrate the 2012 Games. Its aims are to create and support projects within the
- Sport and Wellbeing
- Knowledge and Learning
- Arts and Culture
No applications are currently being accepted, but we will keep an eye on this, and for more information on their funding please click on the link below:
London Councils 2012 Grants programme
London Councils committed £1.8 million over four years for two funding streams to:
(Service 1a) Enhance Londoners' involvement in cultural activity linked to the themes of the Cultural Olympiad to ensure that communities across London benefit from the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
and
(Service 1b) Enhance Londoners ability to engage with volunteering opportunities in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
London Councils funded 19 organisations in the pilot phase. You may wish to find out about this, or The Big Opportunity Direct will keep you informed if we hear of any more news about funding for this in the future.
Summer / Winter of Sport
The deadline for the Winter of Sport funding just closed, but The Big Opportunity Direct will keep you informed if this fund is available in Summer/Winter '09.
