Cultural Development Fund: Round Four

The aim of the Cultural Development Fund is to level up through investment in culture. The fund will unlock local growth and productivity, increase access to excellent creativity and culture, and regenerate communities. It will achieve this through capital investment in transformative place-based creative and cultural initiatives. 

It will capitalise on the untapped potential for investment in creativity and culture, while addressing the regional undersupply and demand for capital funding in creative and cultural infrastructure. 

Through implementing creative and cultural initiatives, the Cultural Development Fund will support places to achieve the following outcomes: 

• Unlock local economic growth and productivity 

• Become more attractive places in which to live, work, visit and invest 

• Strengthen local leadership, partnerships and capability 

First things first: never applied to us before? 

Find out about how we work > 

Step 1: Read the guidance 

Read the guidance in full, to make sure you are eligible before you start your application. 

Step 2: Register on Grantium and familiarise yourself with it 

Before you start an application you need to create a user account and applicant profile. 

Please make sure that all the information in your Grantium profile is up to date before you apply. 

Our Grantium Guidance can help you get to grips with using the system, particularly Cultural Development Fund: Grantium Guidance – How to Apply PDF 

Step 3: Any Questions? Check our FAQs 

Read the FAQs for the programme on the next section of this page before you get in touch. 

These pages are updated regularly, with all our latest information and FAQs. 

Step 4: Expression of Interest 

The Expression of Interest form will open on Grantium at 9am on Monday 5 February 2024. The deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest is 12pm (midday) on Friday 15 March 2024. 

We are expecting high demand for this fund. Consider carefully how well your project meets the aims of the fund before submitting an Expression of Interest. 

Step 5: Making an application 

If you are invited to submit a full application, the full online application form will open on Grantium at 12pm (midday) on Monday 8 April 2024.   

The deadline for submitting full applications is 12pm (midday) Friday 17 May 2024.  

Applicants will be notified of the decision outcome in Late Summer 2024.

If my location is not in the list of 109 Levelling Up for Culture Places, can I still apply? 

Yes – you can still apply. Your activity does not need to take place in an area of low cultural investment to be eligible for CDF funding. 

When we make our decisions on applications, we look at a range of factors, alongside our assessment of your application. These factors are called ‘balancing criteria’ and help us to decide what to fund. For example, if we have two applications that are asking for a similar amount of money and the applications are of similar quality, we might look at whether either of the projects would take place in an area of low cultural investment, to see where our funding might have the most impact. It is information that helps us make a well-rounded decision. 

In this round of CDF we are particularly keen to fund activity in areas of low cultural investment. These are identified as the 109 Levelling Up for Culture Places and in London, Arts Council England Priority Places. But that does not necessarily mean that we would not fund a strong application that takes place in an area that is not in that list, if we felt it would make an excellent contribution to the aims and outcomes of the programme. 

If your activity would take place in an area of low cultural investment, you still need to have a strong, well-prepared application. 

What are the differences between this and the previous round of the Cultural Development Fund? 

There are some key differences between the third and fourth round of the Cultural Development Fund:  

• The balancing criteria for the fund include areas of low cultural investment (109 Levelling Up for Culture Places and in London, Arts Council England Priority Places in London), and priority will be given to supporting applications from these places. 
• Encouraging excellence is also a priority for this round of the fund. The balancing criteria for the fund now also includes excellence. We are particularly keen to support projects that demonstrate that the activity they produce as a result of CDF funding will be of an excellent standard. 

Who is on the Expert Advisory Panel? 

The Expert Advisory Panel will consider the Expressions of Interest and consider the assessments of applications, using a set of balancing criteria to make final recommendations to DCMS Minsters who will make the final decision on which applications to fund. 


 

The Panel is chaired by Laura Dyer, our Deputy Chief Executive, Places & Engagement. It will include representatives of DCMS, DCMS Arm’s Length Bodies, other government departments and various independent members.  

I have previously applied to the Cultural Development Fund; can I apply again? 

Yes, applicants to previous rounds of the Cultural Development Fund are eligible to apply again to this round. However, you must ensure that your planned activity reflects the most recent aims and outcomes of the fund and that any feedback you have been given on previous applications has been fully addressed. Successful applicants to previous rounds may also reapply but should bear in mind that geography is a balancing criterion for this fund and the panel may wish to ensure a good geographical spread of supported projects across all rounds of the Cultural Development Fund.  

High demand for this fund is anticipated and applicants are advised to consider carefully how well their project meets the aims of the fund before submitting an Expression of Interest. 

Please note information previously submitted to a previous round will not be used in assessment.  

Can other government funds e.g. the Levelling Up Fund be used as match funding for the Cultural Development Fund? 

The Cultural Development Fund is designed to help unlock local growth and productivity, promote economic and social recovery, and regenerate communities through capital investment in transformative place-based creative and cultural initiatives. It is intended to contribute to the Government’s priority of levelling up through investing in the cultural potential of communities across England. It therefore complements other Government programmes that will help level up the country; match-funding and wider join-up of funding, strategies and initiatives at a local or regional level is strongly encouraged. 

Where a place is in receipt of funding from or is applying to these programmes, then applicants should demonstrate – either in EOI or in full applications – how their Cultural Development Fund proposal aligns with or complements these other opportunities. 

If an application to the Cultural Development Fund is dependent upon the successful application to one of these funds – either to cover overall proposal costs, or where it might provide funding for infrastructure (e.g. transport) central to the success the Cultural Development Fund proposal – then this should be acknowledged, outlining what would happen should this other funding not be secured.   

The match-funding required for this round is a minimum of 15%. Applicants are encouraged to include some non-public funding (for example corporate sponsorship, individual giving, crowdfunding, social investment) within their match. It can be made up of a combination of public, private, social and/or in-kind funding. It would generally be expected that no less than 50% of match-funding would be cash. 

Will priority places for the government’s Levelling Up Fund have an influence on recommendations at Expression of Interest or full application stage? 

The criteria for this fund are set out in the guidance for applicants, which details the way the Cultural Development Fund will assess the level of need in applicant places and the proposed projects. When reviewing applications, the Expert Advisory Panel will consider the range of areas by using the balancing criteria detailed in the guidance.  

Further contextual information could be used, but there is no formal role for the Levelling Up Fund priority places.  

Can I apply for both construction costs and other assets as part of the capital request? 

You can apply for both construction costs and other assets. Proposals that involve a combination of construction projects and other capital asset purchases should provide options appraisals and feasibility studies for both. 

I’m based in a predominately rural area, can I apply?  

All places in England are eligible to apply to the Cultural Development Fund. There is no predetermined minimum size of population or geographical area or areas that can apply. Places must have a strategic vision for their development and can demonstrate both cultural maturity and commitment to culture-led growth, but also that they need investment in physical and/or digital infrastructure or other assets to accelerate and maximise their impact.   

Additionally, places will be assessed on their capacity to deliver on the stated objectives and to generate relative economic growth through predominantly capital investment, and you should consider this in determining whether or not you want to apply to this fund. 

Organisations and partnerships based in all areas (including rural areas) are eligible to apply, and all need to take these considerations into account. 

Applicants based in urban areas should consider how they engage or include communities and people living in rural areas, the direct or indirect impacts of programmes on rural areas, and the scale of these impacts, especially in rural locations where the town or city acts as a hub for a wider geography. 

Who makes the decisions on the Expression of Interest? 

The Expressions of Interest process is not a grant decision-making process.  

Expressions of Interest will be reviewed by the Expert Advisory Panel. If the panel considers that your proposal could make a significant contribution to the aims and outcomes of the fund, you will be invited to submit a full application.  

If the panel decides that your proposal does not have the potential to meet the aims and outcomes of the fund you will not be invited to submit a full application.  

We are unable to give detailed feedback on behalf of the panel or engage in a discussion about why your proposal is not being taken forward.  

As part of the Expression of Interest (EOI) process, we will use any other information we hold about you or any of the partners or consortium members listed in the application if they are in receipt of our funding. We may share your EOI with expert stakeholders, including other relevant sector bodies, creative industries sector expert representatives and other government departments for their review and comment to help inform the panel’s discussions. Any formal assessments of organisational risk that have been undertaken by the bodies represented on the Expert Advisory Panel may be taken into consideration.  

What do you mean by ‘revenue activity’?  

We mean the type of work that forms part of your overall project, but which is not capital-based. For example, events and activities, community cohesion work, business support, skills development, or start-up costs for the capital assets.  
 
 

You can include a maximum request of £700,000 on revenue activity in your application. 

Can we apply to CDF Round Four to buy a building? 

In principle, yes. We would expect to see detailed options appraisals and feasibility studies for the purchase, however. The application would need to evidence how the purchase is part of a wider strategy to deliver outcomes that meet the CDF Round Four criteria. In addition, the application would need to demonstrate that the property purchase could be completed, refurbished (if required) and the benefits and outcomes delivered prior to the close of the funding period. 

If the project includes property purchase, you should provide: 

• Copy of title being purchased, with location plan 
• Costed condition survey to support the purchase of a leasehold or freehold interest 
• Independent property valuation to support the purchase of a leasehold or freehold interest 

Please note that when we make capital grants, we take security on assets, as outlined in the terms and conditions and guidance for applicants. Security on assets must be in place before capital grant funds can be drawn down.

Can a single organisation, such as a local authority, apply on its own without partners? 

No. To apply you must be a partnership for the area, led by a local authority or other appropriate body (see the guidance for applicants for more details). 

There are a lot of requirements that need to be completed before an expression of interest is submitted, and the timescale is tight. Why are these requirements in place? 

For you to be able to provide us with the level of detail we need in an application, and for your capital project to be at an appropriate stage to commence should funding be offered, we do need the requirements outlined in the applicant guidance to be met. 

This means that we have some assurance that your capital work will be able to  

progress in a timely fashion and that we have the information we need to assess risk and quality of work. It also means that by undertaking this work early on, you will know whether you are at the right point to submit an expression of interest, or whether your plans, etc, are not developed enough for an application or for a capital project to be right for you at this time.  

Can we use Capital Investment Programme funding as match funding for the Cultural Development Fund? 

The Capital Investment Programme is not able to be used as match funding for Cultural Development Fund projects.  

Check the terms and conditions for the other funding carefully. 

Can we apply for National Lottery Project Grants, or any other ACE programmes, at the same time as applying to the Cultural Development Fund? 

Applying to National Lottery Project Grants or any other ACE programmes does not stop you from being able to apply for the Cultural Development Fund, or vice versa. However, you should make sure that applications do not duplicate or are not reliant on each other as: 

• any unsuccessful applications could pose a major risk to the delivery of other projects and there is no guarantee of success. Be sure to have fully considered this, and if you choose to proceed at risk, detail those risks (including your plans to mitigate them) in the relevant applications 
• we are unable to consider two applications for the same activity, as this poses a risk of ‘double funding’ a project 

Are you expecting proposals to focus on one major capital project, or a package of smaller capital projects? 

We do not have any expectations regarding this – whether you focus on one larger project or several smaller capital projects should be driven by the needs and ambitions of your area, in relation to the criteria for this funding programme. You should also carefully consider what you will realistically have capacity to deliver within the funding period. 

Please note that applications that involve a combination of construction projects and other capital asset purchases should provide options appraisals and feasibility studies for both. 

Does ‘appropriate ownership’ exclude long term leases on property owned by a different organisation? 

Please note that for leasehold interests we would require a registered and assignable lease of at least 20 years, without a break clause, no forfeiture on insolvency clause and a permitted user clause that is compliant with the project. 

Is the value of land already secured considered cash match or in-kind? 

This would be considered as support-in-kind. 

If you are an organisation that operates nationally, can you be part of more than one partnership? 

In theory, yes, however you would need to consider your organisation’s capacity to work across multiple partnerships and projects carefully. 

Can my organisation submit an application/lead a partnership if it is: 

• a registered charity? 
• a Local Cultural Education Partnership? 
• a Music Education Hub? 
• a Community Interest Company? 

Yes, provided the organisation meets the eligibility criteria and is capable of delivering the project successfully.  

The lead applicant must be a formally constituted organisation; this could include but is not limited to any of the above examples, local authorities, combined authorities, mayoral authorities, cultural consortia, universities and other appropriate bodies. The lead applicant will be responsible for the delivery of the project and, if successful, will act as the accountable body for the grant.  

We welcome questions about the types of organisations that can lead a partnership and encourage you to refer to the applicant guidance or contact our customer services team at enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk with any further questions.  

What was the success rate for the previous round of CDF? 

For CDF Round 3, 78 Expression of Interest were submitted. Of those, 16 submitted full applications and 8 awards were made, with an overall success rate of 50%. Please note that round three of CDF had a double budget (ie. the budget of two rounds combined).

For capital projects, do we need to be at a specific RIBA stage when submitting an Expression of Interest? 

At Expression of Interest stage, applicants are not required to have completed any RIBA work stages. However, capital projects that are following the RIBA work stages must have completed work stage 1 before submitting a full application.  

What is a certified income and expenditure statement?  

This is a condition on all final payments. Income and Expenditure statements must be certified by an independent, qualified accountant. This will likely be a chartered accountant. If not certified by a chartered accountant, Income and Expenditure statements can be certified by those qualified through the Association of Accounting Technicians, so long as the AAT member is fully qualified (either MAAT or FMAAT) and is an AAT Tier 1 Licensed Accountant.  
Further information on the AAT website here. 

Why has London been included as an eligible place in this round? 

In previous rounds of CDF, the focus has been on funding places in England outside of London, with a particular focus on the 109 Levelling Up for Culture Places. In round 4 of the programme, DCMS seek to expand the range of places that can benefit from CDF investment. 

Will there be another round of CDF? 

At the moment, it is not anticipated that there will be another round of CDF. 

The cost of my project has increased since I submitted my expression of interest. Can I increase the amount I request from CDF in my application? 

We understand that costs may have risen, either due to inflation or because of increased cost certainty as your project plans have developed. As such, you can apply for up to 10% more in your application than in your expression of interest, if necessary, to a maximum of £5 million. 

What RIBA stage do design drawings and updated costs have to be at by April 2026?

Completed RIBA Stage 3. Updated designs and cost plan should represent the Stage 3 information that has been ‘signed off’ by your organisation for the purposes of obtaining statutory consents.

By “obtained all necessary statutory approvals and consents required to start the project”, do you mean they have to have secured planning / listed building consent? 

Yes 

What happens if costs rise after this date e.g. if 100% of partnership funding were secured in April 2026 thereby meeting the start date requirement but then after that costs rise creating a funding gap thereby no longer meeting the start date requirement?

Increased costs post-RIBA Stage 3 is a common risk on capital projects and if this risk were to become an issue, the lead organisation would need to inform Arts Council of the change in line with the standard terms and conditions of the grant. We request that you first seek to find additional funding from elsewhere to cover the increased costs, as we cannot increase your grant if your project costs increase. Arts Council / DCMS would need to agree any change proposed to project funding, scope or total costs arising thereafter.

If access audits were provided with application, do they need updating to fulfil start date requirements?

Only if access audits have changed or further comments from the Access consultant have been added in response to developed designs (which we expect would usually be the case). Details of how access audit recommendations will be incorporated into designs (supported by costings) will be required.

The Standard Terms and Conditions for the Cultural Development Fund Round 4 are subject to change before detailed funding agreements are finalised. 

You can also read the Terms and Conditions on this page. 

We hosted a webinar about the Cultural Development Fund on Thursday 18 April. Watch the recording below.