Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Annual Funding Programme 2024/25 Open for applications

The Annual Funding Programme (AFP) supports Northern Ireland’s arts infrastructure through grants for core and programming costs to organisations in all artforms. Public funding for AFP comes from government and the National Lottery. AFP organisations are key in helping the Arts Council achieve the wider Programme for Government outcomes for Northern Ireland.

Liam Hannaway, Chair at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, “I am pleased to announce that The Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Annual Funding Programme is open. This is the biggest funding programme we offer and is key to supporting the vital arts infrastructure across Northern Ireland. The programme itself has come under significant pressure in recent years, making it increasingly difficult to meet the growing costs of production across an already lean arts sector.

The Arts Council will continue to call for a reinstatement in 2024/25 of the recent cut to its baseline funding allocation from government, and also a significant reinvestment in the sector, so that our artists and arts organisations can carry on making the essential and positive contribution to our economy and society that they do.”

Those arts organisations eligible to apply include the following:

• Non-profit distributing organisations which can demonstrate they require a year-round resource to deliver arts programming.
• Commercial organisations can only apply for support if the proposed programme is primarily for the benefit of the public and where there are plans to re-invest any surplus into a similar programme.
• New applicants to the Annual Funding Programme must have been in receipt of a single award of at least £10,001 from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland since 1 April 2021 in order to be eligible for the scheme and must contact the appropriate ACNI arts officer to discuss their application prior to submission and by 5pm on 27 November 2023 at the latest. Failure to make prior contact with the Arts Council before submitting an application will render your application ineligible.

Online applications are now open and will close at 12noon on Friday 15 December 2023. To read the guidance notes and make an online application, please visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding

Applications may also be requested in large print or other accessible formats if required. Please contact artgrants@artscouncil-ni.org if you need further assistance in this regard, including alternative language versions. You can also contact that address if you have any queries about any aspect of the programme or its application requirements.