Help with your application

Applying for funding isn’t easy. 

It takes time, and a little luck, to find an opportunity that you’re eligible for and that can provide the support you need. And many programs are difficult to navigate, creating barriers to access that are prohibitive to people who need support the most.

We want to change how funding works. As our motto is ‘trusting artists to deliver change’, we’ve developed our lightweight application process to be as accessible as possible.

In this article, we’re going to share resources to help you apply and also explain the thinking behind our approach.

‘I’m nervous about applying’

Firstly, we’re so glad you’ve found The Supporting Act Foundation and we want to do everything we can to help you apply.

It’s important to first check your eligibility. You can find the details in our guidelines for the Creative Bursary and Impact Grant programs – here, we also share advice and show you the questions we’re asking.

You’ll notice we mostly ask questions about who you are, as we want to prioritize our funding to those who need it the most.

But also remember – we’re here to help people from marginalized backgrounds and organizations with a social impact. Past applications have said they found the process easy to grasp and less daunting than they expected.

Do’s and don’ts

Do 

… check eligibility.

… look at those who have previously been supported by the program

… read through all the questions before completing your application.

… ask a friend or colleague to read over your answers. Would everything make sense to a stranger?

… Take care of yourself. Deadlines are stressful, so make sure to eat well and get some sleep.

Don’t 

… overly stress that you’re not the ‘perfect’ fit. As long as you meet the eligibility criteria, your application will be considered.

… leave it until the last minute. You want to prepare your application and take a break before reviewing them again.

… use academic jargon or technical language that the jury may not be familiar with. 

… underestimate yourself. Be confident in yourself and your ideas.

… take an unsuccessful application personally.

Respecting your time

We’ve intentionally kept our application process as short as possible – we want to respect your time.

By listening to artists and organizations, we’ve made lots of choices that reduce the admin required – such as not asking for proof of eligibility until you’re shortlisted.

Not justifying expenditure

One of the biggest differences between The Supporting Act’s programs and most other funding bodies is that we don’t ask you to justify your expenditure.

If you’re successful in your application, we won’t ask for receipts at the end.

To others in the funding world, this can seem risky. However, unrestricted funding helps to avoid situations when the grant becomes a burden. Listening to our grantees and following our research on the topic, we don’t want to assume that we know best.

I live outside the areas mentioned in your eligibility criteria. Can I still apply? And other FAQs…

Although all grantees will be selected based on their positive impact and potential to benefit a wider community, the foundation is starting off with a focus in Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK for practical reasons.

We’re a small team with limited funding, so we want to take advantage of our existing relationships and connections before expanding.

However, as the foundation scales and grows, we strive to have a global impact, ensuring no region or community is excluded from our program.

And finally…

We address many other common questions – from the definition of ‘emerging’ to questions about taxes – in our FAQs.