The online grant application form can be found on the Creative partner arts grant page.

Please note that you will only have 20 minutes per page to complete the online form. We recommend that you read these guidance notes in advance and prepare the necessary information and documents before you begin your online grant application. If you do not have this information to hand the form may time out and your progress will not have been saved.

The online application form has the following sections:

1. Eligibility criteria
2. Mandatory attachments
3. Your organisation
4. Proposed funded activity
5. Declaration

Section 1: Eligibility criteria

In order to proceed with your application, you must first confirm that your organisation is eligible to apply and meets all of the following criteria. 

• Your organisation has a UK bank account with at least two signatories at different addresses.(We cannot pay money into an individual's account)
• Your organisation is non-profit making (a registered charity, CIC, a voluntary or community group) and has a constitution and/or articles of association/terms of reference. (We cannot accept applications from individuals or profit-making businesses.)
• Your organisation is primarily based / works within Warwick District and has a trading track record of at least twelve months within the district. (To check if your organisation is located within the district’s boundaries, you can check the interactive map of Warwick District.)
• Arts, heritage, or culture is stated as a main objective within your organisation’s official governance documents or you are able to evidence substantial experience of delivering arts or cultural activity in the past 2 years.
• Your organisation has the following policies and procedures in place: safeguarding, health and safety, equality and diversity, data protection, environmental / sustainability, and public liability insurance. (You do not have to provide these as part of your application, but may have to supply copies if your application is successful)
• Your organisation has the capability, resources, and expertise to deliver the activity proposed by your grant application.
• You are able to evidence that your organisation is financially resilient and provide the Council with copies of your current business plan, cash flow and management accounts.
• Your grant application is not for capital costs such as care, repair or enhancement of a building or purchase of assets.

If you are able to comply with all of the eligibility criteria, then you may continue with your grant application.

Section 2: Mandatory attachments

You will now need to attach digital copies of your organisation’s key documents. Please have these ready to hand to upload, preferably in a PDF format. You can either ‘drag and drop’ the documents into that section of the form or click the button upload them direct.

• Governance documents (for example, mission statement, constitution, articles of association, terms of reference)
• Current Activity Plan (or equivalent planning documents)
• Latest Cash Flow (or equivalent budgeting document)
• Most recent Management Accounts and Financial Statement, (or equivalent)
• Latest Bank Statements for all accounts held (showing account details and balance)

Section 3: Your organisation

This section is where you tell us about your organisation:

• Please provide the legal name of your organisation, as it appears in your Constitution.
• Please provide the registered address of organisation.
• Please tell us what type of organisation you are.
• Please provide your registration number (for example. Charity Number / Company Number).
• Please provide you VAT Number if you are VAT registered.

Please provide lead contact details for the grant application. This person is responsible for completing the application, providing additional information if requested, receiving the grant, signing the Grant Funding Agreement, providing evaluation / feedback:

• Name
• Role
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Postal Address (if different to organisation address)

Please summarise the work of your organisation. (You have a maximum of 3,000 characters, including spaces, which is approximately 500 words.) In this section, please briefly describe:

• your organisation’s mission statement, aims and objectives
• an overview of your business plan / business model
• the length of time you have worked within Warwick District and examples of activity
• please tell us how many employees your organisation employees / how many volunteers you have

Please summarise why you believe that your organisation qualifies to become a Creative Partner of Warwick District Council. You have a maximum of 3,000 characters, including spaces, which is approximately 500 words. In this section, referring to the aims of the Creative Partner scheme summarised at the beginning of this guidance, please describe:

• how your organisation is a leader in your chosen field and has a regional / national profile
• how your organisation can provide the necessary expertise, innovation, and sector leadership to underpin our cultural infrastructure, drive progress and change, and work towards achieving the vision of the district’s Creative Framework

Section 4: Proposed funded activity

Your grant application must now evidence how your organisation and its work will meet any three of the Creative Framework’s five priorities. The five strategic themes outline the district’s priorities to ensure sector growth and provide the focus for Creative Framework activity.

You should select the three priorities which best reflect your organisation’s activities.

You should not necessarily need to develop new streams of work to meet these priorities. As a leader in your field, your organisation is likely to already be fulfilling many of them. Your application must demonstrate how your work results in tangible outcomes that meet these priorities. You should provide an outline proposal rather than a detailed programme of activity or activity plan.

Please include the artistic, economic, social, or cultural outcomes of your proposed activity, that will demonstrate the impact of your work upon the district, including what you plan to do and how you will do it over the next three years. Your proposed outcomes would form part of the basis for the reporting, monitoring, and assessment of your performance under the funding agreement if you are successful. The five priorities are:

ENGAGEMENT

It is a priority to improve the quality of life for all residents of Warwick district by diversifying the variety of cultural experiences and artistic programmes; to increase opportunities for people to participate in, and be inspired by, high quality creative activity.

For example, consider how your organisation will reach high priority communities; provide social, health and wellbeing outcomes; provide opportunities for residents to participate; create ambitious, high quality, inclusive events; deliver contemporary arts; or use innovative digital tools to reach new audiences.

VOICE

It is a priority to raise the district’s national and regional profile as a high quality ‘creative cluster’ and articulate the offer locally to residents, visitors, investors, and business - advocating how it contributes to health and wellbeing, society, and the economy.

For example, consider how your organisation will contribute to a fresh narrative that promotes the district’s creative industries; how you will champion the creative industries; how you will coordinate marketing resources; how you will promote the district as a cultural destination.

PATHFINDING

It is a priority to improve co-ordination and awareness of opportunities by fostering a culture of collaboration and communication - and to support creative organisations to be sustainable and financially resilient and increase levels of inward investment. It is also a priority to attract and nurture exceptional talent and to become a place where creative practitioners are welcomed and supported to build sustainable careers.

For example, consider how your organisation will support efforts to draw investment into the district for projects; support or host networking events; promote opportunities; work with universities; provide training or apprenticeships.

PLACE MAKING

It is a priority to incorporate culture and creativity into the way we design and use our public spaces and use the creative sector to revitalise and enhance our town centres; to protect, preserve and grow our historic architecture, heritage, and cultural venues.

For example, Consider how your organisation will use non-traditional settings and outdoor / public spaces; collaborate with creative-tech industries; use meanwhile spaces; take a role in Leamington’s Creative Quarter or town centres; deliver work in rural areas.

INNOVATION

It is a priority to attract innovative companies to the area and encourage existing innovators to use their skills and knowledge to introduce new ways of thinking and address challenges within the sector; to tangibly connect the ‘digital’ strength of the district with cultural organisations to create original ways of engaging with creativity.

For example, Consider how your organisation will increase the amount of cultural activity captured, created, produced, and shared through digital technology; commission new works; push artistic, creative boundaries.

For each of the three priorities you choose you have a maximum of 4,000 characters, including spaces, which is approximately 600 words.

Section 5: Declaration

Before submitting your application, you shall be asked to tick the boxes to confirm that:

• You have read and understood the Privacy Statement.
• You have been given the authority to sign this application and submit it on behalf of the organisation.
• The information provided in your application is true and correct

Enter your full name.

Review and submit your application

You now have the opportunity to read your completed application form in full and check it for errors or any missing information. If you need to make changes, please use the ‘Previous’ button to navigate to the relevant section.

Continue with your grant application and submit it, by clicking ‘SUBMIT FORM’. Once the application form has been submitted there will be no further opportunity to make amendments.