Funding

Supporting the work of professional composers

Applications open: 1 February 2025

The Foundation offers funding towards:

The performance, commissioning or recording of music by professional composers active in the last 100 years who have not yet achieved a broad national or international reputation, or by composers entering the profession.  

  • – Grants will generally only be awarded for notated music, scored for live performers. (Repertoire which combines electronics with live performers will be considered.)
  • – Ensembles, organisations, individual musicians, or composers may apply.
  • – Supported repertoire must be by named composers of British or Irish nationality, or who have been resident in the UK for a minimum of five* years.
  • – We do not generally support the performances of composers currently in higher education, or performances by student ensembles.  

(*Three years in the case of those applying for the Vaughan Williams Bursaries.)  

Projects or organisations in the UK which create developmental opportunities for composers or which promote public knowledge and appreciation of British or Irish music of the last 100 years.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for work taking place after August 2025 open on 1 February.

Download

1. Download the guidelines for applicants which which detail how to register, and what you will need to include in support of your application.

Read

2. Read the funding conditions which you will need to agree.

Register

3. Start your application on this page by completing a brief online registration form which will be available from 1 February. On registering you will receive an email confirmation containing a personal link so that you can:

Upload

4. Upload your supporting information via the link you have received.

To be considered all information must be uploaded by the given deadline. We do not accept applications via post or email. We aim to get back to you with a decision no more than 12 weeks after the deadline.