In addition to the grant funding schemes announced by the Chancellor to support business through the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Retail & Hospitality Grant Scheme, and the Small Business Grant Fund we have collated some other avenues of grant funding that we have become aware of, covering a range of sectors and business sizes which may be of interest to you or others.
For the Creative Sector within the Liverpool Combined Authority:
Culture Liverpool have launched a new ‘Music Fund’, offering grants up to £10,000 in grant format (of the first £5,000 of funds) or loan funding (0% interest on funds between £5,000 and £10,000) to support micro businesses and SMEs in the sector.
Further information is available here: https://www.cultureliverpool.co.uk/music-fund/
The Liverpool Film Office have launched a new ‘Film and TV Development Fund’, providing investments (in the form of a recoupable advance to be repaid from production budgets if and when a project proceeds to production plus a max 3% net profit share) of between £2,5000 to £25,000 per project to support development in the sector.
Further information is available here: https://www.liverpoolfilmoffice.tv/development-fund/
For freelancers working in film and television production:
The Film and TV Charity have created a “Covid-19 Film and TV Emergency Relief Fund”, with one-off grants of between £500 and £2,500 available to primarily UK freelancers within the film, TV and cinema industries and other contract workers who will not benefit from CJRS or SEIS.
https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/covid-19-help-advice/covid-19-relief-fund/
Please note that applications for funding from the Film & TV Charity close at 6pm on Wednesday 22nd April.
Organisations innovating specifically to support society during COVID-19:
Innovate UK have released grant funding of up to £50,000 to support businesses to develop innovative projects specifically to support society throughout the COVID 19 pandemic, whose projects have eligible costs of between £25k – £50k
Further information is available here: https://www.apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/covid19/overview.html
Please note that applications for funding from Innovate UK close on Friday 17th April at 12 noon.
Support for 18-30 year olds, either self employed or running their own business:
The Princes Trust and Natwest have developed an ‘Enterprise Relief Fund’, offering cash grants for self employed 18-30 year olds who are either self employed or running their own business, in order to maintain their core business operations and/or meet existing financial commitments.
More information here: https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about-the-trust/coronavirus-response/enterprise-relief-fund?utm_source=twitter_mar&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=natwest_relief_fund
The Cultural Sector:
Arts Council England are offering grants up to £35,000 for organisations in the cultural sector who have a track record in publicly funded culture. The grants are not available to National Portfolio Organisations or Music Education Hubs.
More information here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/financial-support-organisations-outside-national-portfolio
Additionally, Arts Council England are offering grants of up to £2,500 to support individuals in the cultural sector including artists, creative practitioners and freelancers:
More information here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/financial-support-artists-creative-practitioners-and-freelancers
Construction Sector to support apprenticeships and training:
As well as the Construction Industry Training Board having suspended its apprenticeship levy for a period of 3 months and paying apprentice grants in advance earlier this month, the CITB are now extended their funding to include those companies with between 100 and 250 employees who can now apply for funding from a pot of £4 million to support apprenticeships and training in the construction sector.
Further information is available here: https://www.citb.co.uk/levy-grants-and-funding/grants-funding/
The Heritage Sector:
The National Lottery Heritage Emergency Fund is available to support the NFP heritage sector organisations across the full breadth of heritage, including historic sites, industrial and maritime heritage, museums, libraries and archives, parks and gardens, landscapes and nature. Please note that this fund does not cover salary costs for those who are eligible for furlough.
https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/heritage-emergency-fund-launches-help-sector-updated
We would also remind businesses about the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme that is available.
