The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, on behalf of the Department for Communities (DfC), will open online applications to a Covid Recovery Programme for Arts Organisations (CRPAO), from 2pm on Friday 7th January 2022.
The CRPAO programme is open to arts and cultural organisations across Northern Ireland and applications will close at 12noon on Friday 28th January 2022, with decisions expected by the end of March 2022.
The new programme aims to reduce or remove operating deficits in eligible arts and cultural organisations. These are deficits which have arisen in the 2021/22 financial year because of the long period of lockdown experienced by the sector during the pandemic. It is hoped this support may alleviate the significant financial pressures they face, helping them to continue to contribute to the NI economy.
The Arts Council is asking organisations to get ready for the application process, gathering the following information that is required to be eligible for assessment:
- Constitution and/or Memorandum and Articles of Association (if not uploaded to the Government Funders Database)
- Financial accounts for the years ended 31 March 2020 (if not uploaded to the Government Funders Database)
- Financial accounts for the years ended 31 March 2021 (if not uploaded to the Government Funders Database)
- Management accounts 1st April to 30 November 21 (or most recent if available)
Projected management accounts 1st December 2021 to 31st March 2022. - Reserves Policy Statement
- Bank statements
- Details of actual and projected deficits: details of your operating deficit from 1 April 2021 to 30 November 2021 and projected operating deficit from 1 December 2021 to 31 March 2022 because of Covid.
- Any other evidence deemed appropriate to make a reasoned assessment of entitlement.
Please note this list is not exhaustive, other information may be required which will be detailed in the Guidance Notes and application form when the fund opens on 7th Jan 2022.
The Council’s offices will be closed for Christmas and New Year from Dec 24th and the Arts Council requests that individuals only make contact with staff from Jan 7th when the programme opens. At that point in January, please use the contact enquiries@artscouncil-ni.org. Details of funding webinars for CRPAO will be announced in the New Year and will be hosted by NICVA on behalf of the Department for Communities.
Further funding details, including guidance notes, eligibility information and FAQs, will be available when the CRPAO programme opens on Jan 7th 2022 at 2pm. Click here for more information on the CRPAO fund on that date.