We’re delighted to announce that applications for Round Three of the Essentials Fund are now open, with grants of £300–£600 available to support composers and music creators across the UK.
The Essentials Fund provides small grants to help you develop your practice through purchasing equipment, accessing training or mentoring, recording your work, or covering other essential costs related to your composing practice.
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 the essential tools and resources 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.
Applications for Round Three 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 £300–£600 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 £400–500.
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 Three
For this round, we’re piloting a new randomisation approach to our selection process. This change will help us:
- Remove unconscious bias from selection
- Support more composers more equitably
- Make the application process simpler and more transparent
- Scale our support without increasing administrative burden
We’re committed to continuously improving how we support composers, and this pilot will help us learn what works best. We welcome your feedback on this new approach.
Learn more about our randomisation approach
Share your thoughts on randomisation
Who can apply
The Essentials Fund is open to any composers or music creators working with music and sound who are:
- Based in the UK and have lived in the UK for the past two years
- Aged 18 or over
- Not currently in education or on one of our programmes
- Applying for expenses that clearly relate to their composing practice
We strongly encourage applications from composers from under-represented backgrounds. We’re committed to ensuring our funding reaches artists where it will have the most impact.
How to apply
Applications for Round Three are open now and close on Monday 08 December 2025 at 23:59 UTC.
The application should take less than 30 minutes to complete. You can submit your application in writing, or as a short audio or video recording (maximum 3 minutes).
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
About us
We are the UK’s charity for new music and sound. Our mission is to be the base camp for anyone in the UK who wants to make, experience or support new music and sound to shape the modern world.
The Essentials Fund is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England and the Francis Chagrin Award.
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Learn more about the Essentials Fund
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