We’re delighted to announce that applications for Round Four of the Essentials Fund are now open, with grants of £250–£450 available to support composers and music creators across the UK.
Our Essentials Fund provides small grants to enable creators to access otherwise unaffordable tools, resources and support they have identified as being key to developing their practice and career.
Created to address the ever-increasing financial challenges of emerging and original music creators in the UK, this fund was established to provide vital financial support—helping artists overcome barriers and secure essentials they need.
It stands as a testament to our enduring commitment to empowering artists, having awarded over £250,000 in grants over the past five years.
Registrations for Round Four close on Monday 08 December 2025, at 23:59 UTC.
“Receiving the Sound and Music funding was a transformative experience that significantly shaped and redefined my creative journey. It provided essential financial support and instilled a deep sense of validation, affirming that my music and artistic voice truly matter.”
— Essentials Fund Awardee
How does it work?
The Essentials Fund is a small grant of £250–£450 to support your composing practice. You can use it for self-learning projects, equipment, mentoring or other expenses directly related to your composing practice
We recommend applying for a specific amount relevant to your needs rather than automatically requesting the maximum. Most successful applications are typically between £300–400.
For example, you can use the Essentials Fund to pay for:
- An online course
- Coaching or mentoring sessions
- Purchasing and learning new software or hardware
- Buying technical equipment integral to the creation of a specified new work
- Costs associated with recording your works
- Developing a self-directed composition project that would benefit from a period of rehearsal, workshopping or collaboration with a musician(s), ensemble or other artistic collaborator (e.g., visual artist, other performing artist)
- Venue hire to bring together composers in your community to share learning or new works
Costs must relate to composing or music-making practice. We’re looking for applicants with a clear idea of what they want to access and what difference it will make. There’s no requirement to complete a new work or have a performance date secured.
What’s new in Round Four
For Round Four, we are trialling a new two-phase selection process, developed in response to feedback and evaluations from Round Three.
Applicants will first complete a short Registration form. We will then form a shortlist of 50 registered applicants and invite them to submit a full application, which will be reviewed and scored internally.
Read more about the Round Four selection process
Who can apply
The Essentials Fund is open to any music creator in the UK who has not previously received a grant from the fund.
You must:
- Be a creator and be applying for expenses relating to your practice around making original music (not tribute bands, performance-only costs, or other generic expenses)
- Be based in the UK and have lived in the UK for the last two years
- Be aged 18 or over at the point of applying
- Not be in full or part-time education (in any subject) at the point of applying
- Not currently be on one of our artist-development programmes (Seed Award, In Motion, In the Making, or an active commission)
- Not have previously been awarded an Essentials Fund
- Not have received one of our funds, grants, commissions, awards or participated on an artist development programme by Sound and Music or our Composer Advisory Group in the last six months
- Not have an open application for In Motion
Your costs must be realistic, reasonable and clearly connected to your composing practice. Applications may be marked as ineligible if costs are unrelated to your practice or lack clear justification.
You can apply for the Essentials Fund as part-funding for larger projects where you’ve secured other funding sources, as long as the expenses you are applying to the Essentials Fund for are not already covered by another funder or organisation.
How to apply
Registrations are now for Round Four and close Monday 9 March 2026 at 23:59 UTC.
The application process has two stages:
- Complete a short Registration form with your personal and eligibility information and intention for the grant
- If you are shortlisted via our random draw, you will be invited to submit a full application.
If shortlisted you will be invited to submit a full application covering the following:
- a short biography (up to 800 characters)
- the total amount you are applying for and the type of expense
- a budget if your costs are part of a larger project
Answer our application questions outlining in detail what activity or expense you want to apply funding for, the impact it will have on your practice, and financial need for the support (up to 800 characters per question).
The application form is on Airtable however we are also happy to accept video or audio applications (up to three minutes) via the Airtable form or email.
Please note that, if you have an open application for In Motion 2026 or if you have previously received an Essentials Fund, you won’t be eligible to apply to the Essentials Fund Round Four.
If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact us to help you select the right opportunity for you.
Questions?
If you have questions about the Essentials Fund or our application process, contact:
Grace Bailey (For access support and general queries): Grace.Bailey@SoundAndMusic.org
Laonikos Psimikakis-Chalkokondylis (For criteria, randomisation and selection): Laonikos.PC@SoundAndMusic.org