National Lottery Project Grants: FAQs
Got a question about National Lottery Project Grants? Our FAQs may have the answer.
These questions relate to the updated National Lottery Project Grants, which opens midday 1 November 2023.
Introduction
Application form and Grantium
-
I’ve started a Project Grants application, when do I have to submit this by?
If you’ve started an application form, you have until midday on Monday 30th October 2023 to submit it in its current form.
The changes to Project Grants will be live from midday on Wednesday 1st November 2023. At this point you’ll need to begin a new eligibility questionnaire on Grantium which will take you to the new application form.
-
If I’ve started an eligibility questionnaire, will I still be able to submit this from 1 November?
No, you won’t be able to submit this from 1 November onwards.
We’ve changed some of the questions in the eligibility questionnaire, which means you’ll need to begin a new one.
-
If I’ve started an old application form, will the information automatically transfer to the new application form?
No, any information you entered into the old application form on Grantium won’t automatically transfer to the new form.
However, you’ll still be able to access your old application form by searching under Submissions on Grantium. If it’s helpful, you can download a copy of your old application form to refer to when completing the new form. You can do this by selecting ‘Export to PDF’ in the menu on the left side of the application screen.
Please be aware that we do ask different questions in the new form, so you won’t necessarily be able to copy information directly over.
We recommend you read our Guidance for applicants carefully before beginning an application.
-
Will I need to complete a new applicant profile?
No. If you have an existing applicant profile, you can use this to apply.
-
I submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a Strategic strand of Project Grants before 1 November. If I’m invited to apply, which application form will I complete?
If you submitted an EOI before 1 November and we invite you to apply, you’ll be directed to the old application form on Grantium. We’ll use our programme criteria associated with the old application form to make a decision on your full application.
If you submit your EOI from 1 November onwards and we invite you to apply, you’ll be directed to the new version of the application form. We’ll use our new programme criteria to make a decision on your full application.
-
Will the pause on Expression of Interests between Nationally Significant projects and Major projects apply to any other of the strands of Project Grants?
No, it won’t. We’ll stop accepting Expressions of Interest for Nationally Significant Projects on midday, Monday 30 October 2023. We’ll start accepting Expressions of Interest for Major Projects at midday, Friday 1 December 2023.
We won’t be pausing any other strands of Project Grants.
Overview of Project Grants changes
-
What changes have you made to National Lottery Project Grants?
These are some of main changes we’ve made to Project Grants.
Different applications for different funding amounts
You said: The application form included too many questions with options that were confusing and took too long to complete for small amounts of funding.
We did: From the autumn, the amount you’re applying for will determine which application form you complete. There’ll be a different application form for:
- £30,000 or under
- £30,001 to £100,000
- £100,001 or over
You’ll only see questions that you’re required to answer and what we ask you will depend on the amount of money you’re requesting from us.
More space to describe your project
You said: You wanted more space to describe your project in the way you would like to.
We did: In the new application form, we’re giving you more space to describe your project in your own words. We want to hear what your project means to you and those who will be experiencing it.
Less reading if you’re applying for less funding
You said: There was too much to read when making an application of less than £30,000.
We did: If you’re applying for £30,000 or less, you’ll no longer be required to read our strategy, Let’s Create, to make an application and you won’t be asked to write about how your project contributes to the outcomes of our strategy.
We’re replacing questions that asked how your project responds to Let’s Create with more practical questions that use clearer language. We’ll use your answers to understand how your project will make a difference.
Website updates
We’ve made some changes to our website to make sure finding relevant information and guidance is more straightforward.
We’ll continue to listen to users and make sure the programme meets the need of all applicants and plan to implement further improvements over time.
-
Are the Strategic strands of Project Grants changing?
We’re refocusing two strands within Project Grants – Nationally Significant Projects and Touring Projects.
At £100,001 and over, Nationally Significant Projects will become Major Projects. It will be refocused on supporting cultural projects of scale and ambition that will help us to deliver the Let’s Create Outcome, A Creative and Cultural Country. It will support projects that help build a cultural sector that is innovative, collaborative and international.
Touring Projects (Regional, National and International) will be refocused on the Outcome, Cultural Communities, and international aspects of A Creative and Cultural Country. It will support projects that help to re-establish and evolve touring ecologies at all scales and disciplines so that organisations and individuals are better able to manage post pandemic and other ongoing economic challenges.
We haven’t made changes to the focus of Place Partnerships.
You can find information sheets for all three strands in the Project Grants Guidance Library under the amount you’re applying for.
-
Are the eligibility criteria changing for Project Grants?
No. If your project was eligible for Project Grants before the changes, you’ll still be eligible to apply for the refreshed version.
If you’re unsure if you’re eligible to apply, we have a Is my project eligible information sheet which outlines the common reasons that applications are not eligible. Or get in touch with our Customer Services team, we’re here to help.
-
Why have you made changes to Project Grants?
National Lottery Project Grants has been around for some time, and every few years we update it to make sure it’s the best it can be for applicants and for the communities the investment serves. We last relaunched Project Grants in November 2021 to align with our strategy for 2020-2030, Let’s Create and to make sure we’re investing in communities that have been underrepresented in terms of public funding from us.
Since then, we’ve been listening to you about how we can make Project Grants more accessible to everyone who wants to apply for our funding. We asked for feedback from a wide range of applicants and you told us that the application form could be clearer and easier to complete. We’ve been working on some improvements and testing them with the people who gave us feedback.
From midday on 1 November 2023, if you make an application to National Lottery Project Grants, you’ll use an updated application form.
From Thursday 28th September we’re publishing the updated Guidance for applicants and some supporting resources so that you can get familiar with the changes before we introduce the updated application form.
Let’s Create and Project Grants
-
If I apply for £30,000 or less, does this mean you no longer think about Let’s Create when making a decision on my application?
Let’s Create is about making a difference to the creative and cultural lives of people and communities in England. Project Grants is also about this. The questions we ask in the application form for £30,000 or less allow us to understand the difference that you want your project to make.
When we make a decision on your application we look at how likely your project is to achieve its aims and how your project will help to make a difference.
We want Project Grants to continue to be a place for people’s good ideas and for the application experience to be proportional to the amount of money you’re asking for.
You can find out more about how we make decisions in our Guidance for applicants.
-
If you can get the information you need without requiring applicants to read Let’s Create, why not remove this requirement for applications of all sizes?
Let’s Create Outcomes and Elements explain the specific differences that we want higher value (£30,001 and over) Project Grants applications to make. Reading Let’s Create will help you to understand these specific differences.
We also want to know how applicants applying for higher amounts (£30,001 and over) are using the Investment Principles to create and deliver a successful project. The Investment Principles are useful tools to support all types of creative and cultural projects. Reading Let’s Create will provide information on what our Investment Principles are, why they’re important and signposts to some useful resources.