UK Arts Council R&D Funding: The Best Alternative to DYCP

If you are a creative practitioner in England, you have likely heard the news: the popular Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) fund has been paused until April 2026.

For many artists, writers, and performers, this felt like a door slamming shut. DYCP was the go-to source for “buying time” to experiment. But here is the good news: The door isn’t shut; it just moved.

The Arts Council has reallocated the DYCP budget into a specific strand of the National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG) focused on Research and Development (R&D).

This is now the primary funding route for individuals who need time and space to think, experiment, and grow. Whether you are a playwright wanting to draft a new script, a visual artist exploring a new medium, or a musician composing new material, this is the fund for you.

Key Details at a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers

This fund is designed to support the process of creation, not just the final product. This is a crucial distinction. Most grants want to see a finished show, a published book, or a gallery exhibition. This grant is different. It funds the “messy middle”—the period where you are trying things out and don’t know if they will work yet.

1. Time to Think You can use the grant to pay for your own time. This is often the biggest barrier for freelancers. You can budget a daily rate for yourself to sit in a studio and work, freeing you from the pressure of commercial commissions.

2. Mentorship and Training You can hire mentors—established artists in your field—to guide you. You can also pay for training courses, workshops, or travel to see relevant work (e.g., visiting a specific archive or festival).

3. Collaboration Costs If you want to work with a dancer, a coder, or a dramaturg for a week to see what happens, this grant pays their fees. It allows you to build your creative team without promising a final outcome.

Who Should Apply

This fund is for individual creative practitioners. You do not need to be a registered company or charity.

You are a good fit if:

• You have at least one year of professional creative practice (outside of education).
• You are based in England.
• You have a clear idea of what you want to investigate, even if you don’t know the result.
• You are working in: Music, Theatre, Dance, Visual Arts, Literature, Combined Arts, or Museums practice.

You are NOT a good fit if:

• You are a student (undergraduate or postgraduate).
• You are applying for a full production run or a national tour (apply to the main Project Grants strand for that).
• Your project is purely for commercial gain with no public benefit or artistic development.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

Applying for Project Grants is different from DYCP. Here is how to adapt your strategy:

1. The “Public Engagement” Trap DYCP didn’t require “public engagement” (audiences). Project Grants does. This scares many artists who just want to do R&D.

• The Fix: You don’t need a paying audience for R&D. Your “public engagement” can be:
  • A small sharing of work-in-progress for 10 invited peers.
  • A blog or video diary documenting your process.
  • A workshop with a community group to test ideas.
  • Tip: Frame this as “testing” your work with the public, not “performing” for them.

2. Define Your “Research Question” Don’t just say “I want to write a play.” Say “I want to explore how puppetry can be used to tell stories about climate change.” A clear inquiry makes your application stronger. It shows you are investigating something, which justifies the R&D funding.

3. Budget for People Properly The Arts Council is strict about fair pay. If you pay yourself or your collaborators below union rates (e.g., Equity, Musicians’ Union, ITC), you will be rejected.

• Tip: Explicitly state in your budget description: “Fees calculated based on ITC rates of £X per week.” This shows you are a professional.

4. The “So What?” Factor Why does this need to happen now? Explain why this is a pivotal moment in your career. “I have been a painter for 10 years, but I have hit a wall. This grant will allow me to learn digital sculpting, which will open up a new phase of my practice.”

Application Timeline

Unlike DYCP, which had specific windows, Project Grants is rolling. You can apply whenever you are ready.

• Submission: Submit via the Grantium portal (warning: it is clunky, give yourself time).
• Eligibility Check: Takes 1-2 weeks.
• Decision: You will hear back in 10-12 weeks.
• Start Date: Your project cannot start until after you get the decision. Plan your start date for at least 14 weeks after you submit to be safe.

Note: Avoid submitting between mid-December and early January, as the turnaround time increases to 14 weeks due to holidays.

Required Materials

You will need to register on Grantium (the Arts Council’s portal) first. This can take a few days to get approved, so do it now.

The Application Form asks for:

1. Project Description: What are you doing?
2. Feasibility: How will you manage the budget and timeline?
3. Your Team: Who are you working with?
4. Public Engagement: Who will see/experience it (even if it’s just a blog)?
5. Budget: A balanced income and expenditure table.

Tip: You don’t need “match funding” (cash from other sources) for amounts under £30,000, but having some “support in kind” (e.g., free rehearsal space from a theatre) strengthens your bid.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Being Too Vague “I want to explore my creativity” is too vague. “I want to spend 10 days in the studio recording with a modular synth to create a new sound palette” is specific.

2. Ignoring the “Let’s Create” Strategy The Arts Council judges applications against their “Let’s Create” strategy. Read it. Pick one or two “Investment Principles” (like Inclusivity or Ambition) and explain how your project hits them. Don’t copy-paste the strategy, but use its language.

3. Applying for “Business As Usual” If you are a gigging musician applying for money to do your normal gigs, you will be rejected. This fund is for development—doing something new, risky, or different.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I apply if I have been rejected for DYCP before? A: Yes! In fact, many people find Project Grants easier to get because the criteria are clearer. Just make sure you add the “public engagement” element.

Q: Do I need a producer? A: Not strictly, but it helps. If you are bad at budgets, put a line in the budget to pay a producer for 2 days to help you manage the admin. The Arts Council likes seeing this; it shows you are taking the management seriously.

Q: Is the money taxable? A: Generally, yes. It counts as income for your freelance business. Budget for tax accordingly.

How to Apply

1. Register: Create a user account and applicant profile on Grantium.
2. Read: Download the “National Lottery Project Grants: £30k and under” guidance.
3. Draft: Write your answers in a Word doc first (Grantium times out!).
4. Submit: Upload via the portal.

Start your application here: Arts Council England Project Grants