ACE introduce simpler grant applications for longer funding cycle
Arts Council England are issuing new guidelines for National Portfolio applicants and introducing a five-year funding period instead of three to give organisations more stability.
"We want organisations to focus on the work, not the paperwork” said ACE CEO Darren Henley (pictured). "We’ve designed it with applicants, and they’ve told us it feels much more streamlined. We hope the improvements we’ve made will be welcome.
"Money is tight. This is going to be a really competitive investment round, and we’ll have to make tough decisions. We’re giving organisations an opportunity to tell us about their ambition in their terms, and we’ll support as much of that ambition as we can.”
The new guidelines are a response to Margaret Hodge’s review of ACE last year and decisions will now be made with input from communities and new regional boards. In the new process ACE will be looking for "a track record of delivering high-quality work", "strong leadership, governance and financial management" and "a clear organisational purpose and long-term ambition".
The next funding cycle will run from 1st April 2028 to 31st March 2033, with applicants able to apply for a minimum of £50,000 per year and with no upper limit.
For the first time, communities, local authorities and newly formed regional boards will have an input into which organisations make it into the portfolio.
There is to be a "representative community survey" targetting more than 20,000 people across England, and feedback from mayoral strategic authorities will also be considered.
ACE plans to focus on places with historically lower opportunity, and there will be help for applicants where needed. In line with its new Strategic Framework, replacing Let’s Create, "excellence" is flagged as a key factor in decision-making.
Elsewhere, the guidelines list priorities for the next NPO including increasing opportunity for investment in places "with historically lower opportunity" and "increasing investment in organisations whose governance and leadership are more representative of England’s population".
"Our new National Portfolio process delivers on our commitment to be easier to work with and even more connected to communities" said ACE’s new chair Dawn Airey. "It’s about opening up the conversation, so a broader range of voices can influence our investment decisions."