ACE Creative Foundations Fund

This article was first published by Arts Council England.

Arts and culture are integral to this government’s vision for the future and play an important part in the stories we tell about who we are as a nation. Theatres, grassroots music venues, galleries and arts organisations across the country take great care to house these stories and share them with audiences on both a local and international scale. They do all this whilst supporting local growth and regeneration, fostering vibrant communities, and providing a training ground for future creatives. 

However, rising costs and failing infrastructure have for too long meant that many organisations are struggling to make the necessary investment in their buildings so they can continue to thrive for future generations. We know this is one of the biggest challenges facing the sector today and that is why this government has taken action by launching this major new fund. The CFF will support arts and cultural organisations across England to make these investments, chart sustainable futures for their estates, and act as a catalyst for unlocking further funding. All this will support organisations so they can continue doing what they do best: produce high-quality creative work, accelerate growth in the creative and cultural sectors, and make places more attractive to live, work, visit, and invest in. 

The Creative Foundations Fund is an open-access capital fund that supports creative and cultural organisations in England in revitalising, restoring, retrofitting, or renewing cultural assets, including urgent work to address issues which prevent organisations from effectively delivering work for the public. 

Applicants must demonstrate that the investment in buildings and equipment is business-critical to delivering creative or cultural activity, minimising the risk of asset failure and increasing the economic sustainability of the creative and cultural sectors. 

The fund is split into two strands with separate ‘How to apply’ guides.