APPLYING TO THE
Clarsach National
Fund for Culture and
Society
GUIDELINES FOR
APPLICANTS
(What is this document?)
For your assignment you are asked to prepare an application pack
for a project of your own choice and your own devising. Please see
the Module Assignment Specification for full details of what is
expected of this submission.
As this is for a hypothetical funder you will need some guidelines
on what the fund is for, what information they require from you,
and in what format. This document provides guidelines for you to
work with.
Welcome to the Clarsach National Fund
for Culture and Society
We are now inviting applications to this year’s fund.
Please refer to the applicant guidelines in this document.
Clarsach National Fund
for Culture and Society
Introducing Clarsach
The Clarsach National Fund was set up in 2022 by the Scottish
Government together with a substantial donation from an
anonymous supporter of arts and culture in Scotland following the
disruption of sector funding by the Covid Pandemic and economic
recession.
Since then Clarsach has been pleased to be able to disburse £2.5
million in grants each year across the socially-engaged and creative
sectors in Scotland.
Clarsach’s Purpose Some of the main beneficiaries we want to see
from this funding include:
The purpose of this Fund is to: Communities of interest or specific
beneficiary groups, covering all areas of
social impact or social justice, health and
Provide inspirational ways for people in wellbeing, employability, etc. in relation to
Scotland to engage in society, culture and the Scottish National Outcomes.
the arts, addressing inequalities and
barriers affecting people’s access to
positive experiences and opportunities Creative practitioners – at all career stages.
We want to know how project proposals
will benefit your professional development
As a public fund our awards are required or organisation in addition to supporting
to contribute towards the national social or cultural outcomes.
outcomes in Scotland’s National
Performance Framework
If you have a project that creates other kinds of
benefit in relation to the Scottish National
Outcomes, we are very happy to consider it.
What we will fund
Grants are available to support activities in
We will make project grants to support positive any field of social or creative endeavor.
cultural and societal outcomes for people in or
from Scotland.
The work must help deliver one or more of Grants can be of any size up to £250,000.
Scotlands National Performance Outcomes (as
defined on the Scottish Government’s website)
This can take any form of intervention and
We will support relevant costs for devising
applications are welcomed from charities in all and delivering projects including building
relevant sectors. necessary partnerships. For creative works
costs for rehearsal, touring, production or
This can include new creative and cultural staging / screening will be covered.
work by artists or organisations based in
Scotland.
The work can take place in Scotland, the UK or We can fund up to 90% of the costs of a
overseas but it must involve practitioners, proposed project.
audiences or participants resident in Scotland.
What we won’t fund
We are not able to support:
While we are keen to support early-
Work that has already started
career professionals, regrettably we
Non-specific funding requests can’t support student projects for the
Work that breaks any UK laws purpose of academic development.
However final year or post-graduate
Religious or party-political students may apply for professional
activities or themes projects taking place after their
Profit-generating activities that graduation.
benefit a private individual or
entity *
*A budget surplus or extra income may be made
by your project, but such monies must be
reserved by your organisation for its next
creative production, projects or outreach work.
Things we care about at Clarsach
Fair Work Duty of Care towards your
Participants
We want projects to be costed for We expect all work involving people,
Fair Wages and Fair Working animals and the environment to
Practices. adhere to legal safeguarding
This means industry rates of pay standards and for applicants to have
for those delivering the work, and appropriate safeguarding measures in
attention to the safety and place for projects.
wellbeing of those employed.
The assessment panel’s decision will be based
Our application process on the following evaluation criteria:
We take our responsibility very seriously 1. Does the application describe the project
to be responsible stewards of the monies effectively?
entrusted to this Fund. 2. Does the application provide a complete a
funding picture? Is the budget information
We accept applications twice a year. clear and logical?
These are evaluated by a small panel 3. Does the application convey the nature of
of our assessors who will review your the project’s quality?
application and determine whether to 4. Has the application advocated the public
award funding. The panel will include benefit of the project and is this backed up
peers from your sector. by any evidence?
Whether successful or not you’ll 5. Are project management and evaluation
receive a brief feedback report from processes clearly outlined in the
the Panel. application?
As a national fund there is a high level of
competition so persuasion and supporting
evidence will be important.
Your Application
Please create a project proposal pack for us of around 3000 words
(+/- 10%)
In addition to this 3000 word limit:
Please provide us with additional budgetary and financing
information, using accompanying templates if you wish (see page
16 ‘Financial Viability’)
Accompanying brochures or information may be submitted as
appendices to support your main proposal.
What we want to know
Specific things we will be looking to understand about your proposed
project are listed in the following pages.
It is up to you how you structure the material and present it in your
application to us.
Key Project Parameters
Remember to tell us the key parameters of your proposed work,
including its scale and timeframe.
Please also provide a summary of the project or activities you are
asking us to fund (in no more than 200 words). If you receive funding
we may reproduce your summary in our publicity materials.
Project Benefits and Outcomes
WHY
is your
We want to know: project
The purpose of the project and who it is intended to benefit
needed?
How benefits will happen
How your proposal helps contributes to the delivery of one or more of the
Scottish National Outcomes?
HOW
What kind of impacts you expect to happen as a result of the project
will
How you will document these impacts: we would like to hear any
people
evaluation plans you have. benefit?
We need to know about WHO you’re planning to reach, WHERE and HOW MANY
people. WHY will you do this and WHAT will the longer term benefits be? Tell HOW
us if your project addresses a specific public need and if so, HOW. Provide will you
supporting evidence where possible.
make a
difference?
Quality Assurance
Tell us about what you want to achieve artistically or creatively
WHY
and how it represents high quality in your context fund
you?
Please provide us with details of yourself/your organisation and
any collaborators or supportive partners in the project
Tell us what measures you will have in place to fulfil appropriate
Duty of Care for the people involved in your project.
Effective Management
Please tell us about how your project will be successfully delivered,
including any planning work you’ve undertaken and your analysis of
any risks to the project or its participants.
Use summary charts and tools if appropriate.
Financial Viability
We will attempt to assess the Financial Viability of your proposal based
on the information you provide.
We require you to supply us with a basic budget that clarifies how the
money will be used, with an indication of how the figures have been
calculated. You may construct this how you wish, or make use of the
accompanying downloadable * budget summary template, supplemented with
any explanatory budgeting notes you wish to submit.
Please also use the accompanying downloadable * Project Budget Income
table to show us how our grant would fit in the overall funding arrangements
for your proposed project.
* Downloadable documents may be accessed separately in Canvas
What you are asking from us
Finally, please clearly summarise the following in relation to your funding request
from us:
1. What is the total expenditure of your proposed £
project? (=100%)
2. What amount are you seeking from us? £
3. What percentage is our contribution to your total income? %
4. How much committed/pending co-funding do you have in £
place (cash and in-kind)?
5. What percentage of your total income is this co-funding? %
Clarsach National Fund
for Culture and Society
We wish you the best of luck
in your application
Further enquiries may be addressed
by direct email to our guidance
support manager Rachel Blanche
Devised by Rachel
Blanche, October 2024
