Music Hub Investment Programme: making your application
This page contains all the information and resources you need throughout the application process for the Music Hub Investment Programme.
Download the Guidance for ApplicantsMusic Hub Investment Programme: making your application
What you need to do
If you are thinking about applying to be a new Music Hub Lead Organisation, there’s things you can do now to prepare to apply for the Music Hub Investment Programme.
Read the Guidance
Read the Guidance for Applicants and all the essential documents. You also might want to read the other helpful and suggested documents in the ‘What you need to know’ section. We’ve also published how-to guides to help you prepare your application.
Speak with your team
Be sure to speak to people on your organisational board, or its equivalent, about whether you should apply. They’ll have a big role in being accountable for your funding agreement with us, if we invite you to become a new Hub Lead Organisation. You can learn more about the role of your organisational board and our Hub governance requirements in the Guidance for Applicants and the ‘Governance and management arrangements for Music Hubs’ essential document.
View the new Music Hub areas and confirmed core revenue grant allocations
We’ve shared the new geographic areas for Music Hubs and their funding allocations. We’ve worked closely with the Department for Education to shape these areas, using your feedback from our conversation and consultation phase.
View a map of new Music Hubs >
Use the plus and minus button on the top left of the map to zoom in and out.
Download a spreadsheet of the new Music Hub areas and confirmed core revenue grant allocations >
On Tuesday 18 July, we updated this spreadsheet to include the confirmed core revenue grant allocations. The confirmed grant allocations are different to the indicative grant allocations that were previously published, so please read them carefully. You need to budget for the confirmed grant allocations in your application.
We believe that these new Music Hub areas will realise the ambition and vision of the government’s National Plan for Music Education, The power of music to change lives, to fund fewer, more strategic Music Hubs that cover larger geographic areas, and ensure the best music education for all children and young people in every local area.
Think about partnerships
New Hub Lead Organisations will work with a wide range of local, regional and national delivery partners, drawing on partner organisations’ knowledge and experience to ensure every child and young person in that area has access to high-quality music education. If you’re interested in being part of a new Music Hub, you should speak with other organisations in your area to consider how you could work together to deliver the best outcomes for children and young people.
It’s important to remember that any organisation can be a partner in more than one Music Hub area - collaboration and partnership within and between Hubs will always be welcome and is strongly encouraged.
Organisations interested in applying to become a new Hub Lead Organisation do not need to finalise their partnerships before making an application.
Guidance on preparing a partnership agreement
We’ve published guidance to help you develop your partnerships and prepare a partnership agreement. It includes information on what your partnership agreement must do, its level of detail and what it should include, and more.
Find potential partners in your area
We’ve created a digital resource to help you find other organisations interested in collaborative working.
Take a look at the data
Did you know that we survey Music Education Hubs every year? Take a look at our data dashboard to learn more about current Hub delivery, engagement with schools, funding arrangements, governance and workforce, and think about what a new Music Hub partnership could look like in your local area.
Rewatch our webinar
On 28 June, we held a webinar to guide you through the application process, answer your questions and support you as you prepare your application.
Watch the webinar and download the transcript >
We’ve updated our FAQs to answer your commonly asked questions in the webinar.
View all the questions asked in the webinar >
Have an introductory conversation
If you’re thinking of applying, have read the Guidance for Applicants, and have spoken with your team, you need to have an introductory conversation with us. You need to speak with us even if you have previously been involved with a Music Education Hub. You can learn more about introductory conversations in the Guidance for Applicants. You should read the Guidance for Applicants before requesting your introductory conversation.
Introductory conversations will take place between Monday 10 July to Friday 18 August 2023.
The deadline for requesting an introductory conversation was midday (12pm) on Monday 31 July 2023. You can request your introductory conversation online or by phone.
Register for Grantium
You’ll make your application through our online portal, Grantium. Before you start your application, you’ll need to create an account, if you haven’t got one already. Remember, it can take up to ten working days to approve your account.
Our Grantium support webpages guide you through how to create your user account and applicant profile.
Submit your application
You can now apply to become a new Hub Lead Organisation.
The deadline to submit your application is 12pm (midday) on Thursday 12 October 2023.
Use the How to Apply - Grantium Guidance and the Grantium video walkthrough below for step-by-step guidance on how to complete the application form.
10. Keep in touch
Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear updates about the Music Hub Investment Programme.
We understand that this webpage has lots of information about the Investment Programme, so we’ve created a checklist of everything you need to know and do. This checklist was updated on 18 July 2023 to include information about how to apply using our application portal. All the information in the checklist is also on this webpage.
Helpful resources
On this page, you can find the below helpful documents as PDFs and in accessible formats:
Access Support
Safeguarding and child protection
You can also find the Microsoft Word version of the application form on this page, a link to Arts Council England’s guidance on partnership agreements, and a link to the current Music Education Hub Lead Organisation guidance on transfer arrangements related to the Music Hub Investment Programme.
You don’t need to refer to the contents of these helpful documents in your application, but we recommend reading them as you prepare your application.
We’ve also shared three short videos to help explain key things you should consider when preparing your application.
Download the helpful documents and watch the videos below:
Access Support
Safeguarding and child protection
Partnership agreement guidance
You may also wish to read our guidance on preparing a partnership agreement.
Microsoft Word version of the application form
This is to help you prepare your application offline. You are not able to submit your application as a Word document.
Please note that this document was updated on 18 July 2023.
Download the document below:
Current Music Education Hub Lead Organisation transfer guidance
Section three of the Guidance for Applicants explains about the possible transfer of staff and/or capital assets from one organisation to another as part of the Music Hub Investment Programme.
The Guidance for Applicants recommends that you contact existing Hub Lead Organisations to discuss current workforce and/or partnership arrangements.
Download the contact details of current Music Education Hubs >
Prospective applicants may also wish to look at the Music Education Hub data dashboard to learn more about current Hub delivery, engagement with schools, funding arrangements, governance and workforce.
We’ve published guidance for current Hub Lead Organisations on possible transfer arrangements. Though this guidance is for current Hub Lead Organisations, you can take a look to learn what current Hub Lead Organisations have been advised to do.
Read the transfer guidance for current Hub Lead Organisations >
Helpful videos
These short videos help to explain key things you should consider when preparing your application.
Understanding the differences between Music Hub leadership, governance and partnership arrangements
Developing your Local Plan for Music Education, including the commissioning of Music Hub activity
Other key things to consider when preparing your Music Hub Investment Programme application
Need some help?
Get in touch with our Customer Service team >
You can learn more about how we can support you with your application in our ‘Access Support’ helpful document.
The deadline for requesting these documents in another format was Friday 4 August 2023.
Want to learn more?
Learn how we're ensuring all children and young people in England can thrive through music.
The refreshed Music Hub programme will be in place for children and young people in September 2024. Find out everything about the Music Hub Investment Programme timeline on this page.
Want to learn more about the Music Hub Investment Programme? Take a look at our FAQs.
