THE SCOPS ARTS TRUST: ROUND 3, 2024
Grants of up to £30,000 (although awards are usually for less than £10,000) are available to small to medium sized UK charitable organisations, including social enterprises, for Children’s Music Education projects and instrumental and choral music groups across the UK.
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o Application deadline: Round 3 deadline (instrumental and choral music groups plus children’s music education) for Stage 1 applications – TUESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER 2024 at 5pm.
o Funder: The Scops Arts Trust (founded 2019. Charity number 1186893. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 31 December 2023: £477,055 (2022: £676,000; 2021: £607,574)).
o Who can apply: smaller and medium sized UK registered charities. Applications from other forms of not-for profit organisations, such as community groups and social enterprises, such as Community Interest Companies (CICs), will also be considered if they are formally constituted and have clear charitable purposes.
o Key words: Children’s Music Education, Instrumental Music Groups, Choral Music Groups, United Kingdom.
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Opening to applications on Tuesday 27th August with a deadline of Tuesday 10th September 2024, Edinburgh-based, the Scops Arts Trust aims to widen access to The Arts across the UK, particularly in the area of performing arts projects which will benefit all ages and sectors of the community. Project proposals should have a lasting cultural impact on the community.
During 2023, the Trust reviewed its grant-making and has posted the following message on its website:
“Now that Scops Arts Trust has been established for several years and we have experience of a wide variety of organisations and projects applying for funding, we are finding that a significant number of Stage 1 applications are not what we are seeking to support. This is not the best use of time for applicants or the Trust. Having undertaken a review of our grant-making policy and in an effort to ensure that we only receive applications which fit closely with our grant-making priorities, we have decided to focus each of the three grant rounds per year on a different area within the performing arts.
“In 2024, these will be as follows:
o Round 1: Opened on 9th January (application deadline: 23rd January 2024) for decisions by 30th April 2024 – focus on music performances at local arts festivals plus children’s music education.
o Round 2: Opens 14th May (application deadline: Tuesday 28th May 2024 at 5pm) for decisions by 7th August 2024 – focus on adult music education projects plus children’s music education.
o Round 3: Opens 27th August (application deadline: Tuesday 10th September 2024 at 5pm) for decisions by 30th November 2024 – focus on instrumental and choral music groups plus children’s music education.
“Applications for children’s music education projects will be considered at every round.
“If your project does not fall within our focus, it will not be considered. If your answers to the eligibility questions are not accurate, your application will be rejected.
“Please note we do not support projects or organisations where the main focus is health, therapy or social welfare; nor do we contribute towards the costs of construction, fit-out or repairs of arts venues.
“We are particularly keen to help small-to-medium-sized organisations, although large charities are not excluded from applying. Most of our current grants support projects run by registered charities, but in exceptional circumstances, we will consider applications from established community groups as long as they have clear charitable aims. We award one-off grants and also consider multi-year funding. The majority of grants we award are in support of projects, but contributions towards specific and restricted core costs of smaller organisations where a grant from Scops Arts Trust could make an impact, will be considered”.
Grants can be for up to £30,000. However, most grant awards are for much lower amounts and usually for less than £10,000.
Funding is not available for:
o Contributions to general appeals.
o Grant-making by other organisations.
o Individuals.
o Privately owned and profit-distributing companies.
o Projects with the primary purpose of health, therapy or social welfare.
o Public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations.
o Religious activity which is not for wider public benefit, or
o Retrospective costs for programmes that have already begun.
The application process is as follows:
1. Potential applicants should complete the Eligibility Quiz on the Scops Arts Trust website.
2. Eligible organisations that meet the criteria can then make a Stage 1 application.
3. A selected number of Stage 1 applicants will be invited to complete a Stage 2 Full Application online.
Further information and guidance is available on the Trust’s website.
The application deadline for Round 3, 2024 (instrumental and choral music groups plus children’s music education) is 5pm on Tuesday 10th September 2024.