Free Arts Grant Application Templates & Funding Guides
Community Resources
Grant applications take time you don't always have. These free, downloadable templates mirror every question in the real application forms for Arts Council England, the National Lottery Community Fund, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund with expert tips built in at every stage.
Created by an experienced arts fundraising consultant with a track record across theatre, dance, visual arts, health, and grassroots community organisations. Completely free to download, use, and adapt.
We would love it if you'd support our work with a small contribution on Buy Me a Coffee. It helps us keep building more resources like these, and keep them free.
Arts Council England Project Grant Templates (Grantium 7)
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ACE Project Grants Under £30,000 Application Guide
A free, fillable Word document for Arts Council England Project Grant applications up to £30,000 on Grantium 7. Mirrors the real portal form question by question, with character counts, conditional question flags, and expert tips throughout. The fastest way to write a strong ACE application.
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ACE Project Grants Over £30,000 Application Guide
Free fillable application guide for Arts Council England Project Grants between £30,001 and £100,000. Includes all additional sections on ambition and quality, environmental responsibility, and cashflow with expert fundraising tips at every stage.
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ACE Project Grants Budget Template
A free Excel budget template designed to match Arts Council England's headings and reporting requirements. Includes income and expenditure tables, automatic percentage calculations, a match funding tracker with RAG indicator, and a separate personal access costs section. Saves hours on every application.
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ACE Project Grants Cashflow Template
Free Excel cashflow template for ACE Project Grant applications over £30,000. Covers 12 months of income and expenditure with a running balance, opening balance input, and conditional formatting to flag negative cash positions. Required by ACE for all applications over the £30k threshold.
National Lottery Community Fund Application Guides
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Heritage Fund templates coming soon. We're currently developing a free Expression of Interest guide and a full application template for National Lottery Heritage Fund applicants. Sign up below and we'll notify you as soon as they're ready.
Expert review of your ACE grant application before you submit?
Our ACE Application Review Service gives you detailed written feedback on your draft covering narrative structure, budget alignment, strength of your case for support, and how well your application addresses ACE's investment principles.
Every review is carried out by an experienced arts fundraising consultant who has written and assessed Arts Council applications across theatre, dance, visual arts, health, and community programmes.
£80 for individual artists | £150 for organisations | Monday–Friday turnaround
Frequently Asked Questions About Arts Funding Applications
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Arts Council England Project Grants are applied for through the Grantium 7 online portal. Applications under £30,000 and over £30,000 have different requirements. You'll need to outline your project, demonstrate public benefit, provide a detailed budget, and show how your project meets ACE's investment principles. Our free application guide walks you through every question in the portal.
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Applications for over £30,000 include additional sections on ambition and quality, environmental responsibility, and a cashflow statement. You'll also need to provide more detailed financial information. Our free guide for each threshold covers exactly what's required.
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Awards for All is a National Lottery Community Fund grant programme for smaller projects, offering between £300 and £10,000. It is open to voluntary and community organisations, schools, statutory bodies, and social enterprises in England. Our free Awards for All application guide covers every section of the application.
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Yes, all templates and application guides on this page are completely free to download, use, and adapt. If they help you land a grant, we'd love it if you'd support us on Buy Me a Coffee, but there's no obligation.
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Yes. We offer a professional ACE Application Review Service for £80 (individuals) and £150 (organisations), with a Monday–Friday turnaround. You'll receive detailed written feedback covering narrative, budget alignment, and how well your application addresses ACE's investment principles.
All Alira Arts grant templates and application guides are free and always will be. They're built for artists, arts organisations, charities, and community groups who need to write stronger funding applications without the budget for a consultant.
If they've saved you time, helped you feel more confident, or played any part in a successful application, please consider supporting us on Buy Me a Coffee. It genuinely helps us keep building new resources and keep them free for everyone.