Applications for Round Three are now open
Deadline to submit applications: Monday 8 December 2025, 23:59 UTC
The Essentials Fund supports composers, music creators or artists working creatively with music and sound, to purchase essentials for their practice. We support a minimum of 20 composers each year through several open calls each year.
- We received over 230 applications in Round One and we awarded 11 funds
- We received over 280 applications in Round Two and we awarded 13 funds
The Essentials Fund is made possible thanks to the generous support from Arts Council England and the Francis Chagrin Award. Francis Chagrin was the founder of the Society for the Promotion of New Music (SPNM), one of the new music organisations that merged to form Sound and Music in 2008.
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 Essential 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.
Who can apply?
The Essentials Fund is open to any composer, music creator or artist working creatively with music and sound.
Please note that if you have previously been awarded an Essentials Fund, you won't be eligible to apply again.
Eligibility criteria
You must:
- Be a composer or music creator and be applying for expenses relating to your practice around making mew 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 2026
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.
Our commitment to equity
We strongly encourage applicants from under-represented backgrounds to apply to the Essentials Fund, whether because of a protected or other characteristic. We want to ensure our funding supports artists where it will have the most impact.
Despite many positive changes in recent years, barriers in the sector still limit access to opportunities. We actively want to address these imbalances.
You can read more about our Fair Access Principles and our commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.
How we select applicants?
For Round Three onwards, we're piloting a randomisation approach to make our selection process fairer and more transparent.
Learn about our randomisation approach - why we're using it and how it works.
How do I apply?
Applications are now open.
Deadline to submit applications: Monday 08 December 2025 at 23:59 UTC.
The application form is on Airtable and we also accept video or audio applications (via the Airtable form or via email).
You'll need to:
- Submit a short biography (up to 750 characters)
- Specify the total amount you are applying for and what type of expense it is
- Write an application statement (up to 2,500 characters) or submit an audio or video application (up to 3 minutes) explaining your intention for applying for the Essentials Fund, what the fund will support, and what difference it will make
- If the cost you are applying for is part of a bigger budget, you will also be able to submit a budge
Please note that, if you have an open application for In Motion 2026 you won’t be eligible to apply to the Essentials Fund.
If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact us to help you select the right opportunity for you.
Access support
We offer access support to and will always work to ensure as many people as possible are able to apply to and participate in our programme activities.
If you would like to request the application materials in a different format or would like to ask us to make any reasonable adjustments to the application process, please contact Grace Bailey (Grace.Bailey@SoundandMusic.org).
Key dates
Applications are now open
You can apply from Thursday 13 November 2025 onwards
Application deadline
Monday 08 December 2025, 23:59 UTC
Notification of outcomes
We will let you know the outcome of your application by Friday 12 December 2025
Please note that if you are awarded an Essentials Fund grant, you will need to send us an invoice for the total amount by Tuesday 16 December 2025, noon using the invoice details provided when you are notified of your award.
We aim to process all invoices within 30 days of receipt. Please note we cannot expedite payments on an individual basis. If you're applying for expenses that will be incurred shortly after outcomes are announced, please ensure you allow sufficient time for payment processing.
Questions?
If you have any additional questions or would like to get in touch about In Motion, you can contact Grace Bailey (Grace.Bailey@SoundandMusic.org).
If you would like to know more about how we are using randomisation as part of our selection process for Round Three, you can read more about our randomisation approach.
“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
See also
In Motion is our annual artist development programme for anyone aged 18 and over working with music and sound in the UK. It is artist-led and celebrates the curious and intrepid.
In the Making is our annual trailblazing artist development programme for young people aged 14-18, including a one-week residential in Huddersfield followed by a 12-month programme of online tutor groups, workshops, and composition tasks, and a final showcase. Applications now open.
New Voices was an 18-month programme that ran from 2018 to 2023 and supported composers at pivotal stages of their careers to explore new ideas, new sounds and new music.
Find out more about New Voices and the composers we supported