FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about the Cultural Investment Fund

The deadline for submission is 12noon on Monday, 6 September. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.

Do I have to be registered as a company or sole trader to apply?

No as long as you have a bank account in your name or the name of your organisation you can apply.

My company is based in Plymouth but I live in the South West, can I apply?

Yes you can, as long as your proposal aims to benefit Plymouth’s Cultural Sector and/or community.

I run a social enterprise/ charity/ CIC/ not for profit company, can I apply?

Yes you can, as long as you are not an Arts Council England’s National Portifolio Organisation (NPO) and you are based in the South West.

I am an individual artist/manager/producer, can I apply?

Yes, but you must be a cultural or creative individual based in the South West.  If based outside of Plymouth you must demonstrate that you will partner with at least one  individual or organisation based within Plymouth (this must be a live, real partnership that you have already secured and not speculative)

Can I send the video via e-mail?

No, that is not possible. You should upload a file of your video or provide the link where it is hosted on the requested area in the application form.

How do I upload my video file to the application?

Simply drag your video file into the upload area on the application form, ensuring that it is under 200MB. If it is over, please upload your video to a platform such as YouTube or Vimeo and send us a link.

How do I create a link for my video?

Once you have uploaded your video to a platform such as YouTube, copy and paste the link to it into the box shown on the application form. You can usually access the correct link by clicking ‘Share’ underneath the video on YouTube and copying the link shown.

You can find more information on uploading and sharing videos on YouTube here

Can the fund be used to deliver an existing project / event?

The intention of this fund is to seed fund cultural initiatives. This means it can support existing projects but the funding must be used to test, pilot or develop new elements by way of a research and development phase. This means that you may have an existing project that you want to scale up, roll out, bring to new audiences or channel through new platforms. Importantly, all initiatives must address the challenges we are facing in the city and the sector.   

What should I include in my budget?

Please use the budget template provided as part of your submission.

When will I hear if my application has been successful?

We intend to announce the successful initiatives on 4 October. If for any reason we are unable to meet this timeline we will notify you.

If the project/creative plans to work with a researcher/partner from outside Plymouth, would it be preferable for the application to come from the researcher/ partner stating they would work in partnership with a local organisation/creative, or from the local organisation/creative?

The proposal should be submitted by the lead organisation/individual. If this organisation/individual is based in Plymouth that would be eligible. If this individual/organisations is based in the South West but is partnering with a Plymouth based organisation that would also be eligible.

Could the R&D phase include a prototype or would that be part of the second phase?

Yes we anticipate that this phase will include tests, experiments, prototypes and beta versions. This is not about funding academic research this is about practical research where the project goes through an iterative process of testing and refining.

Can the project/creative partner with National Portfolio Organisations who are partners of this fund?

Yes the NPO organisations in Plymouth can be involved in the projects but they are not allowed to receive any of the funding. The NPO mentor each project is connected with will also help to broker introductions to a wide network of contacts within the creative sector and outside of the creative sector as appropriate.

If an NPO organisation is involved with a project they will have to declare a conflict of interest and will not participate in the selection panel associated with that project.

How long can the duration of my project be?

You should plan the duration of your project to happen from October 2021 until end of March 2022.

Is this fund intended to be spent between granting of funds date and March 2022? Or earlier part of 2022 until March?

The funding can be spent from the point of contracting, October 2021 until end of February 2021. Some projects will be able to start immediately whilst others will take time to develop. All start dates are acceptable and will be agreed at the point of contracting.

If I apply for a £10,000 fund, would the proposal be offered less according to panel decision?

No, it is our intention to fund projects at the level they have requested or not at all. Your project funding can come from a range of sources, with the Cultural Investment Fund forming a contribution to overall costs but all other funding must be secured before applying

If you have any further questions, please contact sabrina@plymouthculture.com

This fund was made possible with the support of