As arts organisations across Wales continue to navigate funding challenges, there remains a surprisingly broad range of grants available from public bodies, foundations, charitable trusts and National Lottery distributors. From small awards of £1,000 to major grants worth up to £300,000, these funds support everything from community arts projects and music programmes to heritage conservation, theatre improvements and organisational development.
Below is a comprehensive guide to the opportunities identified through the funding search, including both currently open and recently closed schemes that may reopen in future funding rounds.
Arts Council of Wales Programmes
Create and Engage
Status: Open
Organisation: Arts Council of Wales
Funding Available: Up to £50,000
What it's for: Developing and creating high-quality arts experiences that help artists and organisations connect with audiences.
Contact: www.arts.wales
Creative Steps
Status: Open
Organisation: Arts Council of Wales
Funding Available: Up to £7,500
What it's for: Supporting artists and organisations that have experienced barriers to accessing funding, helping with professional and organisational development.
Contact: www.arts.wales
Creative Communities
Status: Open
Organisation: Arts Council of Wales
Funding Available: Up to £1,500
What it's for: One-off participatory arts projects delivered by community and voluntary groups.
Contact: www.arts.wales
International Opportunities Fund
Status: Open
Organisation: Arts Council of Wales
Funding Available: Up to £7,500
What it's for: Development and delivery of international arts activity.
Contact: www.arts.wales
Arts, Health and Wellbeing Lottery Funding
Status: Closed
Organisation: Arts Council of Wales
Funding Available: Up to £50,000
What it's for: Creative projects delivered through partnerships across the arts, health, social care and third sectors.
Contact: www.arts.wales
National Lottery Funding
National Lottery Awards for All Wales
Status: Open
Organisation: The National Lottery Community Fund
Funding Available: £300 to £20,000
What it's for: Projects that bring people together and strengthen communities across Wales.
Contact: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk
Arian i Bawb y Loteri Genedlaethol
Status: Open
Organisation: The National Lottery Community Fund
Funding Available: £300 to £20,000
What it's for: Community-focused projects across Wales.
Contact: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk
National Lottery Grants for Heritage
Status: Open
Organisation: National Lottery Heritage Fund
Funding Available: Up to £250,000
What it's for: Heritage projects connecting people and communities with local, regional and national heritage.
Contact: www.heritagefund.org.uk
Music and Performing Arts Funds
Atsain
Status: Open
Organisation: Anthem
Funding Available: Up to £10,000
What it's for: Reducing barriers to music participation for young people in Wales and supporting sector collaboration.
Contact: www.anthem.wales
BRIT Trust Grants
Status: Closed
Organisation: The BRIT Trust
Funding Available: Up to £10,000
What it's for: Projects using music and creativity to improve lives and create social impact.
Contact: www.brittrust.co.uk
Fidelio Charitable Trust
Status: Open
Organisation: Fidelio Charitable Trust
Funding Available: Up to £5,000
What it's for: Music, opera, composition, dance and related artistic activity.
Contact: www.fideliocharitabletrust.org.uk
Music Scheme
Status: Open
Organisation: The Radcliffe Trust
Funding Available: Up to £5,000
What it's for: Classical music performance, training, composition and music education.
Contact: www.theradcliffetrust.org
Scops Arts Trust
Status: Closed
Organisation: Scops Arts Trust
Funding Available: Up to £15,000
What it's for: Expanding participation in the performing arts.
Contact: www.scopsartstrust.org.uk
Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation
Status: Closed
Organisation: Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation
Funding Available: Up to £10,000
What it's for: Music, performing arts, travel grants and other charitable purposes.
Contact: www.wingatefoundation.org.uk
Theatre and Venue Funding
Theatres Trust Small Grants Programme
Status: Open
Organisation: Theatres Trust
Funding Available: Up to £7,500
What it's for: Improving theatre resilience, sustainability, accessibility and audience diversity.
Contact: www.theatrestrust.org.uk
Visual Arts and Artist Development
The Elephant Trust
Status: Open
Organisation: The Elephant Trust
Funding Available: Up to £5,000
What it's for: Supporting artists and organisations presenting artistic work.
Contact: elephanttrust.org.uk
Learning Through Making
Status: Closed
Organisation: Freelands Foundation
Funding Available: Up to £25,000
What it's for: Visual arts and art education projects.
Contact: freelandsfoundation.co.uk
Arts-based Learning Fund
Status: Open
Organisation: Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Funding Available: Up to £300,000
What it's for: Partnerships between cultural organisations and schools to embed arts-based learning.
Contact: www.phf.org.uk
Paul Hamlyn Foundation Arts Fund
Status: Closed
Organisation: Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Funding Available: Up to £300,000
What it's for: Projects supporting artists and strengthening the arts sector.
Contact: www.phf.org.uk
Museum, Heritage and Collections Funding
Capital Small Grants Scheme
Status: Open
Organisation: Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
Funding Available: Up to £25,000
What it's for: Museum infrastructure, resilience, collections care and access improvements.
Contact: www.welshmuseumsfederation.org
Small Grants Scheme Including Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Projects
Status: Open
Organisation: Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
Funding Available: Up to £10,000
What it's for: Equality, diversity, inclusion and governance improvements within museums.
Contact: www.welshmuseumsfederation.org
Acquisition Grant Fund
Status: Open
Organisation: Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
Funding Available: Up to £20,000
What it's for: Developing museum collections through new acquisitions.
Contact: www.welshmuseumsfederation.org
AIM Collections Care Audit
Status: Closed
Organisation: Association of Independent Museums
Funding Available: Up to £2,000
What it's for: Professional collections care audits.
Contact: www.aim-museums.co.uk
AIM Contactless Donations Grants
Status: Closed
Organisation: Association of Independent Museums
Funding Available: Up to £4,000
What it's for: Contactless donation infrastructure.
Contact: www.aim-museums.co.uk
Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund
Status: Open
Organisation: Museums Association
Funding Available: Up to £110,000
What it's for: Community engagement through museum collections.
Contact: www.museumsassociation.org
Project Grants (The National Archives)
Status: Open
Organisation: The National Archives
Funding Available: Up to £30,000
What it's for: Community heritage projects exploring local histories and cultures.
Contact: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Weston Loan Programme
Status: Closed
Organisation: Art Fund
Funding Available: Up to £35,000
What it's for: Loans of significant artworks and artefacts.
Contact: www.artfund.org
Reimagine Grants
Status: Closed
Organisation: Art Fund
Funding Available: Up to £50,000
What it's for: Innovative museum and gallery projects.
Contact: www.artfund.org
Listed Building Regeneration Grant Scheme
Status: Closed
Organisation: Cadw
Funding Available: Up to £250,000
What it's for: Repair, conservation and sustainable reuse of listed buildings.
Contact: cadw.gov.wales
Heritage & Crafts
Status: Open
Organisation: Radcliffe Trust
Funding Available: Up to £7,500
What it's for: Heritage skills, crafts and cultural preservation.
Contact: www.theradcliffetrust.org
Historic Houses Foundation Grants
Status: Open
Organisation: Historic Houses Foundation
Funding Available: Up to £250,000
What it's for: Conservation and public access projects at historic properties.
Contact: www.historichousesfoundation.org.uk
Pilgrim Trust Preservation and Conservation
Status: Open
Organisation: The Pilgrim Trust
Funding Available: Up to £30,000
What it's for: Conserving historic buildings, artworks, archives and collections.
Contact: www.thepilgrimtrust.org.uk
Literary and Creative Industries Funding
Amazon Literary Partnership
Status: Closed
Organisation: Amazon
Funding Available: Up to £30,000
What it's for: Literary organisations supporting writers.
Contact: www.amazon.co.uk
Regional Creatives Fund
Status: Closed
Organisation: Amazon
Funding Available: Up to £30,000
What it's for: Supporting diverse talent entering creative industries including publishing, music, film, TV and gaming.
Contact: www.amazon.co.uk
Community, Trust and Foundation Grants Relevant to Arts Organisations
The following funds are broader charitable programmes but have either an arts strand, heritage strand, cultural focus, or could potentially support creative organisations operating as charities:
Garfield Weston Foundation Regular Grants (up to £100,000)
Gwendoline and Margaret Davies Charity (up to £10,000)
Headley Trust (up to £99,999)
Chapman Charitable Trust (up to £3,000)
Ashley Family Foundation (up to £10,000)
Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust (up to £5,000)
Golsoncott Foundation (up to £3,000 for arts and music education)
Network for Social Change Charitable Trust (up to £20,000)
Scott (Eredine) Charitable Trust (up to £30,000)
Lennox Hannay Charitable Trust (up to £50,000)
Peter and Teresa Harris Charitable Trust (up to £10,000)
Anchor Foundation (up to £12,000)
Morrisons Foundation (up to £10,000)
Mary Homfray Charitable Trust (up to £5,000)
Revere Charitable Trust (up to £50,000)
Fund for Wales (up to £2,500, currently closed)
Postcode Community Trust (up to £50,000, currently closed)
Other Opportunities
Community Radio Fund
Status: Closed
Organisation: Ofcom
Funding Available: Up to £100,000
What it's for: Supporting the growth and sustainability of licensed community radio stations.
Contact: communityradiofund@ofcom.org.uk | www.ofcom.org.uk
MSCT Regional Grant Scheme
Status: Open
Organisation: Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust
Funding Available: Up to £10,000
What it's for: Arts, community, environment and sports projects across Wales.
Contact: www.millenniumstadiumtrust.org.uk
Funding the Future of Health
Status: Open
Organisation: Peter Sowerby Foundation
Funding Available: Up to £100,000
What it's for: Charitable and community projects aligned with trustee priorities.
Contact: www.petersowerbyfoundation.com
Information Sourced with - https://thirdsectorsupport.wales/ and Correct at time of Print.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this guide, funding programmes, eligibility criteria, deadlines, award amounts and application processes can change without notice. The Edit accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or changes that may occur after publication. Applicants are strongly advised to verify all details directly with the funding organisation before making an application. Inclusion in this guide does not constitute an endorsement by The Edit Wales, nor does it guarantee eligibility for, or success in securing, funding. Readers should undertake their own due diligence and seek professional advice where appropriate.