Please read these guidelines carefully

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

AIMS:  What does the Trust seek to achieve?

  • Through its grant making, the Trust seeks to sustain and support high quality artistic activities that add to the cultural life and experiences available in the UK. We especially encourage applications from Arts organisations working for the benefit of people in Wales.
  • The funding focus is particularly, but not exclusively, directed to the support of the live performing arts, the visual arts, the written word, library and archive projects in Wales.
  • Other areas may also be supported on occasion, at the discretion of the trustees.
  • The majority of grants will be in the range of £5,000 to £20,000.
  • Larger grants are generally only awarded to organisations where a funding relationship with the Trust has been developed over several years.
  • Larger grants are more likely to be offered to fund activities that deliver strategic initiatives, and that would be unlikely to occur without the assistance of the Trust.

ELIGIBILITY: What does the Trust expect from applicant organisations?

  • Applicants must be UK Registered Charities and activity to be funded must be in the UK.
  • Quality and excellence in the relevant field
  • A good track record in financial and project management with sensible business plans, and realistic budgets with reasonable costs.
  • At least one full year of independently assessed accounts.
  • Organisations should demonstrate a commitment to effective fundraising, and optimising income from all available sources.

EXCLUSIONS: What is specifically excluded, or is unlikely to be funded?

  • An organisation may only apply for one grant, in any one financial year.
  • The Trust will only consider applications from fully UK Registered Charities.
  • It will not consider applications from “Friends of…… charities.
  • Retrospective funding will not be considered.
  • The Trust is unable to accept applications from individuals or for individual research or study.
  • It will not consider funding for conferences and seminars, or general appeals.
  • The Trust will not fund activity that takes place outside the UK, even if the organisation is UK registered.
  • Social and community welfare organisations, where the dominant purpose is not arts, will not normally be supported.
  • Community arts projects and performances by amateur groups will not generally be considered.
  • Capital or refurbishment projects will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.
  • Commercial recordings other than those benefiting the careers of emerging or mid-career Welsh composers.

PRIORITIES:  What type of activity is the Trust most likely to fund?

  • Projects that demonstrate excellence in terms of the creative ambition – through the quality of the artistic product, the calibre of the participating artists, and the value of the artistic experience for audiences and participants.
  • Collaborative projects that assist organisations to share skills and expertise and extend the range and reach of the funded activity.
  • Projects designed to develop new audiences, make the art form more widely accessible, and help embed the art form in the community.
  • Projects that specifically target families and younger people, and which help them to better understand and engage with the arts.
  • Arts educational and outreach projects associated with high quality work.
  • Distinctive, high-quality festivals and events, that impact beyond a purely local level.
  • Projects that help to fill an existing gap in artistic provision in Wales.
  • The commissioning of new work, particularly to develop the careers of emerging and mid-career Welsh artists, when professional presentations of the work form part of the project.
  • Projects that may assist organisations to increase their financial sustainability.
PROCEDURE Stage 1
  • Organisations interested in making an application to the Trust should download and complete an expression of interest form and send to the Trust by email; colwinstontrust@colwinston.org.uk.  Eligible applicants will then be invited to submit a formal application in either March or September.
  • You should allow a minimum of 4 months between an application deadline, and the onset of any activity for which funding is requested.
PROCEDURE Stage 2
  • If you are invited to submit a formal application this will need to be supported by a covering letter on the headed notepaper of the organisation and a one page project budget
  • Only one other item of supporting information may be included with the application.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • Please note that the Trust office operates on a part- time basis.
  • Applications will only be considered if the documents are presented in English.
  • Please submit any Application documents to the Trust by email; colwinstontrust@colwinston.org.uk 
  • Applicants may be contacted to discuss applications or to request additional information before presenting to the trustees.
  • Applications deadlines;  31 March (Trustee Meeting in May) and 30 September (Trustee meeting in November).
  • Grants are subject to agreement to the Trust’s standard Terms and Conditions.

Guidelines Updated 13/06/2026