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Key information

Update - 1 March 2023

We’ve now published guidance for the Feasibility Programme.

Feasibility funding is available to support Transfer recipients in assessing their options and planning for relocation outside of London by 31 October 2024.

The application portal opens at 12pm (midday) on 3 April 2023 and will close at 12pm (midday) on 2 February 2024.

Read the guidance >

About the programme

The Transfer Programme is a parallel programme to the 2023-26 Investment Programme for National Portfolio Organisations and Investment Principles Support Organisations. It shares the same aims but will provide two-year business funding to organisations that are willing to relocate outside of London by 31 October 2024

Transfer Programme recipients will use the funded period to deliver activity and to consider their options for relocation and, if they chose to, implement their relocation plans. 
 

Transfer organisations who have established a main (and registered) office in an Arts Council area in England (outside of London), no later than 31 October 2024, will have the opportunity to apply for ring-fenced Investment Programme funding for 2025-26 through a separate programme launching in Autumn 2024. 

The overall budget for the Transfer Programme is £8 million per annum – a total of £16 million over the period 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2025.  

Download the flowchart below to see the process of choosing to ‘opt in’ or ‘opt out’ of applying to the Transfer Programme as part of the 2023-26 Investment Programme. 

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Guidance for applicants to the Feasibility Programme

Feasibility funding is available to support Transfer recipients in assessing their options and planning for relocation outside of London by 31 October 2024.

Applications open

12pm (midday) on 3 April 2023

Applications close

12pm (midday) on 2 February 2024

Who can apply

Organisations in receipt of funding through the 2023-25 Transfer Programme are eligible to apply for Feasibility. Eligible organisations can make one application to this fund.

How much can be applied for

The amount of Feasibility funding available is scalable, based on the annual amount of Transfer funding awarded.

Organisations receiving Transfer funding up to £250,000 per annum can apply for up to £25,000

Organisations receiving Transfer funding up to £1,000,000 per annum can apply for up to £35,000

Organisations receiving Transfer funding over £1,000,000 per annum can apply for up to £50,000

What can be applied for
  • Professional and/or consultancy fees
  • Staffing costs (new posts or backfill) to consider options and implement plans for relocation
  • Travel and accommodation costs for meetings/viewings related to the relocation project
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Guidance for applicants to the Transfer Programme

Please note: applications to the Transfer Programme are now closed. The information below is for reference only.

This information is for London based organisations that applied for the 2023-26 Investment Programme and considered applying to be a National Portfolio Organisation - Transfer (NPO-T) or Investment Principles Support Organisation – Transfer (IPSO-T) and relocating to an Arts Council area in England (outside of London) by 31 October 2024.

Organisations that applied for the 2023-26 Investment Programme from an address within the Arts Council’s London area, were asked to confirm which programme they wish their application to be considered for by 18 July 2022. Organisations were asked to confirm whether they wished to ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme via a link issued to relevant organisations in June 2022.

Guidance for Applicants 

The Guidance for Applicants is designed to support you in deciding whether the Transfer Programme is right for your organisation. Please read the guidance in full.

National portfolio Organisations:

Investment Principles Support Organisations:

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How we work with funded organisations

Relationship Frameworks

The Relationship Frameworks set out how we’ll work with National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) and Investment Principles Support Organisations (IPSOs) for the Transfer Programme. There is one framework for each programme, which you should read before considering ‘opting in’ to the Transfer Programme so you know what to expect if you’re offered conditional funding.

The frameworks explain: 

  • what happens if we offer you conditional funding in October 2022 
  • who your point of contact at the Arts Council will be
  • the role and responsibilities of your board
  • how you’ll report on, and how we’ll monitor, your organisation and activity
  • when, and how, we might make any interventions in the event that you’re not delivering on your funding agreement

National Portfolio Organisations

Investment Principle Support Organisations

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Frequently asked questions

For note: On 4 January 2023, a new Subsidy Control Act came into force and the below FAQs on Subsidy Control are now out of date. Find more information about Subsidy Control >

What is the Transfer Programme?

The Transfer Programme is a parallel programme to the 2023-26 Investment Programme for National Portfolio Organisations and Investment Principles Support Organisations (‘the 2023-26 Investment Programme’). It shares the same aims but will provide two-year business funding (2023-25) to organisations that are willing to relocate outside of London by 31 October 2024. Transfer Programme recipients will use the funded period to deliver activity and to consider their options for relocation and, if they choose to, implement their relocation plans.

Why are you asking organisations to consider relocating outside of London? 

As set out in the 2023-26 Investment Programme – Addendum to the Guidance for Applicants, the Arts Council has been instructed to reduce its overall current investment in the National Portfolio in London by £24 million per year by the end of the 2024/25 Financial Year and reinvest that money outside of London, so that it can be spread more equitably across the country. £24 million represents approximately 15% of the current London portfolio budget. We are required to reallocate that investment in two stages:  

  • a minimum of £16 million per year from 1 April 2023  
  • a further £8 million by 1 April 2025 
     

The Transfer Programme has been designed to help achieve the second part of this allocation.

Who is the Transfer Programme for?

Organisations that applied for the 2023-26 Investment Programme from an address within the Arts Council’s London area, and who would be willing to relocate to an Arts Council area in England (outside of London) by 31 October 2024.

What is the deadline to ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme? 

Organisations that applied for the 2023-26 Investment Programme from an address within the Arts Council’s London area will be asked to confirm which programme they wish their application to be considered for by 18 July 2022. 

All London based applicants will be issued a link to complete their confirmation in June. 

What is the Arts Council’s budget for this funding?

The overall budget for the Transfer Programme is £8 million per annum – a total of £16 million over the period 01 April 2023 – 31 March 2025.

What will be the duration of the funding?

The funding period for this programme is 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2025. 

Transfer organisations who have established a main (and registered) office in an Arts Council area in England (outside of London), not later than 31 October 2024, will have the opportunity to apply for ring-fenced Investment Programme funding for 2025-26 through a separate programme launching in autumn 2024.

When will decisions be made?

Applicants will be informed whether we are making a conditional offer of funding by the end of October 2022. 

What does a ‘move’ look like? 

By ‘move’ we mean establishing a main office (and your registered office) outside of London, as well as demonstrating a tangible commitment to adding value to the local cultural sector and the communities it serves.  

By ‘establishing a main office’ we mean the organisation (if it has a physical office) should establish an office outside London and the majority of staff should be working from a non-London location, although you can continue to deliver activity in London as part of your funded programme. That office should be the principal contact point for your organisation ie the address for postal correspondence and the address registered with your bank. 

If you work within a hybrid or distributed model where you do not need a physical presence in a ‘main office’, the principal contact point for your organisation should be outside London ie the address for postal correspondence and the address registered with your bank. 

By ‘demonstrating a tangible commitment to adding value’ we mean we anticipate that organisations will add value in different ways and we will be flexible in the way we assess this. It could include renting or buying an office or creation space, employing or contracting local people, delivering creative or cultural activity locally, and/or participating in local cultural networks such as Local Cultural Education Partnerships. 

Will you consider partial relocations?

We cannot consider partial relocations as part of this programme.

Any proposed relocation must meet the required criteria of establishing a main (and registered) office outside of London and demonstrating a tangible commitment to adding value to the local cultural sector and the communities the organisation serves.

What happens if you do not achieve the £8 million per annum year shift outside of London?

We are aiming to achieve the £8 million per year reduction in our London portfolio budget by 1 April 2025 through organisations opting into the Transfer Programme and relocating out of London. If this cannot be achieved, we will have to make further budget reductions when making decisions on the London portfolio.

Will organisations in receipt of funding through the Transfer Programme be considered part of the National Portfolio? 

Yes, organisations in receipt of Transfer funding will be known as National Portfolio Organisations – Transfer (NPO-T) and Investment Principles Support Organisations – Transfer (IPSO-T). 

Through the current investment process the Arts Council will invest the majority of its resources into National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs and NPO-Ts), Investment Principles Support Organisations (IPSOs and IPSO-Ts) and Creative People and Places Programmes (CPPs). These organisations will therefore be expected to work closely together and do the majority of the work in helping us achieve the vision and Outcomes set out in our Strategy for 2020-30, Let’s Create.  

Will additional investment requests from current NPOs be considered in the Transfer Programme and can the Arts Council provide additional investment at a lower figure than that requested? 

Yes, we will consider uplift requests from existing NPOs within the Transfer Programme. When making decisions on additional investment requests, we may decide to offer less than you have applied for.

Does an organisation have to show a specific level of financial viability in order to apply to the Transfer Programme?  For example, do they need a certain amount of unrestricted reserves?

No, but we would expect you to demonstrate viability and to show that you can achieve at least a break-even budget over the length of the funding period and, in general, that you would be able to maintain/contribute to reserves in line with your stated reserves policy.

If we are considering relocating, does it have to be a Levelling Up for Culture place or Priority Place or can we move anywhere outside of London?

It is up to the organisation if and where they move to. Relocation does not have to be to a Levelling Up for Culture Place or one of our Priority Places and can be to any location in England outside of London.

If I ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme, what support or guidance can the Arts Council offer in terms of relocation?

The Arts Council will not be able to play a central role in supporting organisations to relocate. Transfer Programme organisations will therefore need to ensure adequate organisational capacity to consider their options and implement their relocation plans.  

Our information sheet Considerations for Relocation sets out a series of questions and resources that you may wish to consider when thinking about relocation.

Feasibility funding will be available from April 2023 to support all Transfer organisations in assessing their options for relocation. This funding is separate to the Transfer Programme and will be subject to additional monitoring and reporting requirements.

No capital funding will be available to support organisations to relocate.

Will I be able to access Local Authority support in the area I choose to relocate to? 

Organisations should not presume local authority funding will be available in their new location, or retained from London, if moving.

If an organisation receives investment through the Transfer Programme but does not complete a relocation by 31 October 2024, what happens?

Relocation is not a condition of receiving Transfer Programme funding for the period 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2025. Organisations accepted onto the Transfer Programme may decide, following further consideration and/or carrying out feasibility projects, that relocation is not a viable option during the funded period; this remains a decision for the organisation. 

In this instance Transfer organisations would retain their funding for the two-year period but would not be eligible to apply for further funding through the 2025-26 Investment Programme. Organisations that remain in London after 31 October 2024 would be eligible to apply for funding through National Lottery Project Grants and/or through any future open application Investment Process, where funding would be subject to successful application/s.

What happens if I decide I do not want to ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme?

If you decide that relocating is not a viable option for your organisation at this time and do not decide to ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme your application will still be considered for the 2023-26 Investment Programme, and you will not be disadvantaged in that process in any way. We do however expect that competition for funding in London will be especially intense for the 2023-26 Investment Programme, and we expect to face challenging decisions about which organisations to support and at what level.

If I am successful, will I be expected to deliver all activity as set out in the Activity Plan in my original application?

We will negotiate the terms of the funding agreement, including an appropriate level of delivery, following conditional offers being made. 

If we are considering relocating, does that mean we will no longer be able to deliver activity in London? 

No, Transfer organisations who successfully relocate can continue to deliver activity in London as part of the funded programme.

What monitoring will be required from organisations? 

We will expect boards or oversight groups to monitor delivery against the funding agreement, as set out in the Relationship Framework – including the targets and success measures that we will negotiate with you based on your application. We will expect board papers to be submitted on a regular (quarterly) basis and that information on progress against the funding agreement will be included within the papers. We will also require an updated Activity Plan, Investment Principles Plan and financial template to be submitted on an annual basis. 

What reporting will be required from organisations?

Organisations will need, as a minimum, to submit an annual data survey on activity, audiences, workforces and governance, and finances.

If I ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme, can I change the amount I have applied for?

No, we will make decisions based on the amount requested in your 2023-26 Investment Programme application for the two-year period 1 March 2023 – 31 March 2025. This includes consideration of additional investment requests for current NPOs to cover the same two-year period. 

As part of our decision-making process the Arts Council will use the information in your 2023-26 Investment Programme application form and accompanying plans to help us to form a judgement on the appropriate level of funding, should we wish to support your request, and may offer reduced amounts of funding. 

For Transfer Programme recipients, an appropriate level of activity for the period 2023-25 will be negotiated as part of the funding agreement process.

Are there additional assessment or balancing criteria that will be considered when making decisions for the Transfer Programme?

No, Transfer Programme applications will be assessed against the same criteria as other 2023-26 Investment Programme applications. We will use the information provided in your original application to carry out our assessment and decision-making but will only consider requests for the first two years of the funding period 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2025. 

When considering balancing criteria, we will consider the spread of investment across both the Transfer Programme and the 2023-26 Investment Programme; however, we will not consider geographic location as part of balancing for the Transfer Programme.

What is classed as ‘outside of London’?

There are 33 local authority areas that make up the Arts Council’s London area. These are:

Barking and Dagenham

Hackney

Lewisham

Barnet

Hammersmith and Fulham

Merton

Bexley

Haringey

Newham

Brent

Harrow

Redbridge

Bromley

Havering

Richmond upon Thames

Camden

Hillingdon

Southwark

City of London

Hounslow

Sutton

Croydon

Islington

Tower Hamlets

Ealing

Kensington and Chelsea

Waltham Forest

Enfield

Kingston upon Thames

Wandsworth

Greenwich

Lambeth

Westminster

All other local authorities fall outside of the London area boundary. 

You can find more information about our area boundaries on our website here.

What are the Subsidy Control rules?

As of 1 January 2021, EU state aid rules no longer apply in the UK for new subsidies awarded after that date (except where the grant funding will affect trade between Northern Ireland and the EU as envisaged by Article 10 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland or where EU Structural and Investment Funds are present).

The Subsidy Control rules regulate the award of financial assistance from the public sector to organisations engaged in economic activity.

Where a “Subsidy” is present then it is necessary for the award to comply with requirements set out in the interim Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU.

As set out Section 2 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022, a “Subsidy” only exists when the following cumulative characteristics are present:

  • is given, directly or indirectly, from public resources by a public authority
  • confers an economic advantage on one or more enterprises
  • is specific, that is, is such that it benefits one or more enterprises over one or more other  enterprises with respect to the production of goods or the provision of services; and
  • has, or is capable of having, an effect on:

a) competition or investment within the United Kingdom,

b) trade between the United Kingdom and a country or territory outside the United Kingdom, or

c) investment as between the United Kingdom and a country or territory outside the United Kingdom

The above requirements are cumulative, ie. if any one of these requirements is not met then the measure in question cannot be a subsidy.

Many organisations in the arts sector are not set up on strictly commercial terms. This is important because where funding can be demonstrated not to contribute towards “economic activity” or is not to going to an “enterprise” then no subsidy is considered to arise.

Why do I need to consider Subsidy Control regulations and can you advise on whether any grant offered would be considered “Subsidy”?

The subsidy control rules regulate the award of financial assistance from public bodies to organisations engaged in economic activity. In some cases, and in particular depending on the nature of the recipient’s activity, money given under the Transfer Programme may constitute a subsidy and need to comply with the subsidy control requirements, including those set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

On 28 April 2022, Royal Assent was granted for the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Whilst Part 1 of the new regime came into effect immediately, most to the Act is expected to become operational in autumn 2022. Any awards made after this time will need to comply with the requirements as set out in the Act. 

You must provide any information we request that will allow us to ensure that the grant funding is compliant with the relevant subsidy control rules at the point of award. 

The Arts Council cannot advise on whether a grant would constitute “Subsidy” in your individual circumstances. If you are unsure about your obligations, you may wish to seek independent professional or legal advice.

Where can I find more information about Subsidy Control? 

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has published guidance on Subsidy Control which can be found here.

What happens when a “Subsidy” is present?

Where a subsidy is present, we will contact you for further information and you will be invited to either:

  • demonstrate that the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance provision is met; or
  • show the six Common Principles at 3.4 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU (TCA) are satisfied; and
  • meet any other requirement that is relevant. 

If a “Subsidy” is present, but a compliant route cannot be identified, then the award of public funding cannot be confirmed. 

Are we more likely to be successful if we ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme?  

We have received a record-breaking number of applications for the 2023-26 Investment Programme, making this our most over-subscribed investment round to date. We don’t yet know the demand for the Transfer Programme. 

There will be difficult decisions to make about which organisations to fund and at what level, within the available budget for both programmes. We will use the balancing criteria to help us achieve the strongest spread of investment against the applications we receive. 

Can the 18 July ‘opt in’ deadline be extended? 

We are unable to extend the deadline to ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme beyond 18 July 2022. This is because, at the point assessments are completed, we must ensure applications are routed to the correct balancing and decision-making panels. We are working to tight deadlines to ensure we can provide all organisations with decisions by the end of October.  

Will the £8 million Transfer Programme budget be increased if demand is high?  

We don’t yet know the demand for the Transfer Programme, however the budget for this fund is allocated from the overall 2023-26 Investment Programme budget and is not a separate pot of money. We know that overall demand for this 2023-26 Investment Programme is very high and will be particularly competitive - it is likely that we will be unable to fund many good applications.

How do I confirm whether I wish to be considered for the Transfer Programme? 

You can use this link to confirm whether or not you wish to ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme – this is the same link that was sent to your main contact on 16 June. 

Please note you can only submit a response via this link once. If you need to change a response you have already submitted via the link, please email funded.organisations@artscouncil.org.uk

My organisation is not currently an NPO and is applying to join the portfolio, can I be part of the Transfer Programme?

Yes, the Transfer Programme is open to both current NPOs and those applying to join the portfolio for the first time. The Transfer Programme is open to all London based applicants to the 2023-26 Investment Programme applying to be National Portfolio Organisations or Investment Principles Support Organisations. 

Do I need to know where we would move to at the point we ‘opt in’, and will you prioritise organisations who are moving further away from London when making decisions? 

The ‘opt in’ form will ask if your organisation has considered options on where you may relocate to, but it is not essential that you provide a response to this question if you don’t yet know, and you may change your mind later. 

This is for information gathering only and will not be used for the purposes of assessment and decision-making for the Transfer Programme. We will not consider geographic location as part of balancing for the Transfer Programme and will not prioritise organisations who indicate they are considering moving to certain areas. 

Who will make the final decision on my application?

Final decisions on Transfer Programme applications will be made by our National Council.

If we are successful in obtaining funding through the Transfer Programme, are we guaranteed funding for 2025-26? Why do we have to apply again for the third year of funding? 

We intend to run a simplified application process to enable Transfer recipients to apply for funding for 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026, providing they have established a main (and registered) office located in an Arts Council area in England (outside of London) no later than 31 October 2024 and have met the terms of the 2023-25 Transfer funding agreement to date. 

To receive funding through the 2025-26 Investment Programme, you will need to make an application based on your outline Activity and Investment Principles plans and budget for 2025-26.

The 2025-26 programme will be ringfenced for Transfer organisations based outside of London and will be non-competitive in the sense that there will be enough budget to fund all Transfer organisations that evidence they meet the criteria for the fund. Please note that Arts Council England can only guarantee future funding as long as sufficient funds from the Government are available to it – this is the case for both Transfer and 2023-26 Programme recipients. 

We have had to structure the programme in this way to meet government grant making standards and to comply with new legislation around Subsidy Control. 

Why is location based on organisation postcode and not location of activity delivered? 

As set out in the 2023-26 Investment Programme – Addendum to the Guidance for Applicants, the Arts Council has been instructed to reduce its overall current investment in the National Portfolio in London by £24 million per year by the end of the 2024/25 Financial Year and reinvest that money outside of London, so that it can be spread more equitably across the country. We are required to reallocate that investment in two stages:

  • a minimum of £16 million per year from 1 April 2023
  • a further £8 million by 1 April 2025

The Transfer Programme has been designed to help achieve the second part of this allocation, so where the organisation is based is a key criterion. 

We do consider where you’re proposing to deliver activity as part of our assessment, balancing and decision-making process. 

Relocation is cost-prohibitive for my organisation; can the Arts Council help cover these costs?

Feasibility funding will be available for successful Transfer organisations but we are unable to provide additional funding to cover capital or direct relocation costs including eg redundancies. 

If your organisation considers that relocation is not a viable or preferable option at this time, for whatever reason, then you can choose to remain in London and your application will continue to be considered for the 2023-26 Investment Programme. 

When should my organisation begin the process of relocating?

Relocations can take place anytime between 01 April 2023 and 31 October 2024 however you may wish to start thinking about your prospective plans sooner; key milestones would be receiving a conditional offer for Transfer by end-October 2022, receiving a final funding agreement in February 2023, and Feasibility funding being available from April 2023. 

Some organisations may have been considering relocation for some time and may have developed plans which allow them to move much earlier in the funded period and others may just be starting to think about it now – either is fine. 

What costs can be covered by Feasibility funding and can this be backdated to cover costs already incurred?

Feasibility funding will be available to support Transfer recipients in assessing their options for relocation. This funding is separate to the Transfer Programme and will be subject to additional monitoring and reporting requirements.

We will publish full supporting guidance on Feasibility funds by March 2023 and organisations will be able to access funds from April 2023. Eligible costs will include eg consultancy fees, travel and accommodation but will exclude capital or direct relocation costs including eg redundancies.

We will not be able to provide retrospective funding for any costs already incurred by your organisation before Feasibility funding is awarded.

How will a Transfer organisation’s relationship with the Arts Council differ to those in the main 2023-26 portfolio?

The relationship of organisations on the Transfer programme with the Arts Council will be the same as that of organisations in the 2023-26 Investment Programme – you will have a similar funding agreement and operate within a similar relationship framework. 

You will be invited to any events that we schedule with NPOs, IPSOs and Creative People and Places Programmes. You will have a Relationship Manager and you will be expected to provide, via board papers, a regular update on progress towards performance indicators and success measures agreed as part of your funding agreement.

What support can Arts Council offer with brokering relationships in a new area? 

The Arts Council will not be able to play a central role in supporting organisations to relocate but we will aim to provide limited advice and/or support depending on the number of Transfer organisations and our capacity. Transfer Programme organisations will therefore need to ensure adequate organisational capacity to consider their options and implement their relocation plans.

What happens if multiple Transfer organisations choose to move to the same area location? 

That would be fine - it is up to your organisation to decide if it wants to move and where to move to. 

There are no restrictions on which Arts Council area (outside of London) you should consider moving to, and there is no requirement to move to a Levelling Up for Culture Place or Priority Place.

Will we be able to apply to join the 2026+ portfolio from our new home area? 

Yes. We anticipate running a subsequent portfolio process for 2026 onward however the programme structure and criteria for this programme have not yet been developed. 

Further information will be published in due course and any award would be subject to a successful application. 

How will you decide which Transfer applications to fund? Will you look to fund a mix of large and small organisations? 

We will assess the quality of individual applications and consider the overall balance of the portfolio by taking account of our balancing criteria, which provide a framework which we will use to judge how organisations individually and collectively might contribute to the delivery of Let’s Create. 

We may decide to invest in organisations depending on contributions they are making across the range of our balancing criteria. When considering balancing criteria, we will consider the spread of investment across both the Transfer Programme and the 2023-26 Investment Programme; however, we will not consider geographic location as part of the balancing for the Transfer Programme.

What does ‘demonstrating a tangible commitment to adding value to the local cultural sector and the communities it serves’ mean for an organisation that has a national remit? 

We anticipate that organisations will add value in different ways and we will be flexible in the way we assess this. It could include renting or buying an office or creation space, employing or contracting local people, delivering creative or cultural activity locally, and/or participating in local cultural networks such as Local Cultural Education Partnerships.

We recognise that a number of London based organisations who ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme will have a national remit (eg as a touring organisation) and may currently have limited impact in London, other than being based there. We are not expecting these organisations to make major changes to the way they work when relocating to their new home area.

How will the budgets be split across London and the Transfer programme? Is one likely to be more competitive than the other? 

We don’t yet know how many organisations will ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme so we can’t provide a definitive answer on this. 

We do know that the overall budget for the 2023-26 Investment Programme, from which the Transfer budget is being drawn, is significantly over-subscribed and will necessitate difficult decisions and a high bar for both programmes.

What role should our board or oversight group play in helping us make a decision on whether to ‘opt in’ to the Transfer Programme?

You should give serious consideration as to whether opting into the Transfer Programme is right for your organisation. We expect organisations to be having active discussions with their board or oversight group to help them arrive at the right decision.

Our information sheet The Importance of Good Governance (PDF, 827.77 KB) sets out what we expect of boards/oversight groups for successful applicants. Our website also has additional resources on Leadership and governance and Governance: Working with the Investment Principles

What does a move look like for a small, primarily remote or hybrid working company? 

If you work within a hybrid or distributed model where you do not need a physical presence in a ‘main office’, the principal contact point for your organisation should be outside London ie the address for postal correspondence and the address registered with your bank. 

The majority of staff should be working from a non-London location, although you can continue to deliver activity in London as part of your funded programme.

Why are you asking organisations to make a decision on relocation so quickly? It isn’t enough time for us to plan effectively.  

After receiving the instruction to move £24 million from our London portfolio investment, we set out our intention to run a parallel programme to support organisations to relocate outside of London when we published the 2023-26 Investment Programme – Addendum to the Guidance for Applicants in February 2020 and published full Transfer Programme guidance on 16 June 2022. 

Successful Transfer organisations will have two years, from the point of conditional offer in October 2022 to the relocation deadline of 31 October 2024, to consider their options and, should they choose to, implement their plans for relocation. 

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Watch the briefing

We held an online briefing session on our 2023-26 Investment Programme: Transfer Programme. You can watch a recording of the webinar by following the link below.

We recommend watching the recording in ‘Gallery view’ to ensure the presentation, speakers, and BSL interpreters are visible.

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