ArtsFunded guide
Awards for All Application Support for Community Arts Projects
How to prepare your own Awards for All application so it is clearer, more local and easier to assess.
Published · By Matthew Simmonds
The National Lottery Community Fund says applicants should write their own application and does not accept applications written on their behalf by private businesses, consultants or bid writers. The guidance below is therefore for preparing and checking your own application, not outsourcing the form.
Awards for All can look friendly, which is lovely until you realise the short form still needs a strong project case.
The funder wants to understand the people, the need, the activity, and the difference the grant will make.
Keep it local
Community funding works best when the application feels rooted. Name the place, the group, the barrier, and the practical reason the project is needed.
Avoid broad claims like "the arts bring people together" unless you also explain which people, where, how, and why this matters now.
Make the activity obvious
A reviewer should be able to picture the project.
Say:
- What sessions or events happen
- How many people take part
- Who delivers the work
- Where it happens
- How people hear about it
- What support or access is included
Connect the budget to people
If the budget includes artist fees, room hire, access, materials, travel, refreshments, or marketing, explain how those costs support participation.
The budget is not just numbers. It is part of the story of care and delivery.
Do not overcomplicate the language
Awards for All applications do not need to sound grand. They need to sound useful, clear, and believable.
Plain English is not less professional. It is often easier for an assessor to understand.
Want help without handing over authorship?
ArtsFunded can help you organise your own information into applicant-led working material. Matt can help with project planning, route questions and feedback on a draft you wrote, subject to the current guidance.