News article
Essex County Council Arts & Cultural Fund
01/10/2025
Fund supports organisations and creative practitioners to deliver a broad and exciting range of work and activity to engage with communities in Essex and to support the development of creative and cultural talent in our region.
The Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund supports organisations and creative practitioners to deliver a broad and exciting range of work and activity to engage with communities in Essex and to support the development of creative and cultural talent in our region.
Since launching the fund in 2022, the Arts and Cultural Fund awards have supported 86 projects across the county which have helped residents in Essex to access arts and culture and to participate in creative activities. You can find out more about projects we’ve supported in this series of commissioned videos.
In addition to delivering social and wellbeing benefits, the creative and cultural sector is widely recognised as being at the forefront of economic and social regeneration.
Apply for Funding
The Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund provides grants from between £2,500 to £30,000 to support projects in our communities.
Apply to the fund via the online application portal.
Deadline for applications: 11.59pm on Friday 31 October 2025.
Applicants will be notified of an outcome in January 2026. Successful projects must be delivered over the following year from April 2026, completed and evaluation in full by April 2027.
How to apply
- Submissions to the Arts and Cultural Fund can only be made via an online portal,
- Copy of application form can be found in the documents section which includes details of questions and character limits.
- The online application portal will be open for submissions from 10.00am on Monday 15 September 2025.
- Before starting your application, you may find it useful to refer to the guidance notes.
- For an opportunity to learn more about the fund, you can also watch a recording of one of our previous Q&A sessions.
Who can apply?
This grant offers awards to cultural organisations or arts and cultural practitioners of all types based in, or working in, the administrative boundaries of ECC to undertake outcome-focused commissions meeting ECC priorities.
If you have any additional questions, we are here to help! Please contact us via culture@essex.gov.uk. Please reach out well before the deadline to ensure we can assist you in time.