Funding Round 1 (2025) offers instrument awards in two areas for individuals:

1) Learning and cognitive challenges

This award is for individuals with learning and cognitive challenges. These include but are not limited to autism, aphasia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, attention deficit and memory loss. A grant of up to £800 is available for this award. We welcome applications from groups operating in caring and educational settings. Applicants should be mindful that our assessors will be looking for applications which demonstrate ways in which the individuals you are working with will be engaging with music-making, as opposed to experiencing others' performances.  

2) David Hughes Award

Kindly donated by the Hughes family in memory of their much-loved father and husband, this award is open to applications from disadvantaged keyboard and piano players. Applicants must be able to evidence their financial limitations and ways in which the award will support and advance their progress. A grant of up to £2000 is available for this award. 

Please read the eligibility criteria and instructions carefully before applying. Applications should be received by no later than 11.59pm on Thursday 27 March 2025, (with witness statement forms received by 8am on Monday 31 March 2025).

For further information and FAQs see here.

Funding Round 1 (2025) offers instrument awards in four areas for community groups/projects:

1) Working with primary-school aged children

This award is for community-based groups providing opportunities to make music to children and young-people aged between 4-11. We welcome applications from groups operating in caring as well as more formal educational settings. Choirs are welcome to apply. A grant of up to £2000 is available for this award. Applicants should be able to demonstrate ways in which they nurture underprivileged young talent through their work.  

2) Working with diverse communities from the Global Majority, in collaboration with Black Lives in Music

This award is for community-based groups providing music-making opportunities working with diverse communities from the global majority. A grant of up to £2000 is available for this award. Applicants should be able to demonstrate ways in which they nurture disadvantaged individuals in music-making opportunities.  

3) Learning and cognitive challenges

This award is for community-based groups providing opportunities to make music to those with learning and cognitive challenges. These include but are not limited to autism, aphasia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, attention deficit and memory loss. A grant of up to £2000 is available for this award. We welcome applications from groups operating in caring and educational settings. Applicants should be mindful that our assessors will be looking for applications which demonstrate ways in which the individuals you are working with will be engaging with music-making, as opposed to experiencing others' performances.

4) Guitars (electric) + amplifier + cable

This award is open to community-based groups using electric guitars and amplifiers to support disadvantaged music makers; they must illustrate the impact this award will have on advancing the music making of their group. Please note that the electric guitars are supplied with amplifiers but not cases. Please note some left handed guitars are also available

Please read the eligibility criteria and instructions carefully before applying. Applications should be received by no later than 11.59pm on Thursday 27 March 2025, (with witness statement forms received by 8am on Monday 31 March 2025).

For further information and FAQs see here.