We realise that some people may find that there are barriers to applying for a grant.

If you, or the key people working on your organisation’s application:

  • are D/deaf 
  • are disabled 
  • are neurodivergent 
  • experience learning difficulties 
  • have a mental health condition, or have a long-term health condition

there may be extra costs relating to your own access needs, or those of the people you are working with, that you will need to pay to help you deliver your project or manage your grant. Some examples are: a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, a notetaker or support worker for admin support, or any other access costs during your project.

We can help at the different stages of applying for a grant:

Before you apply
We can help you to find and use our information and services before you apply.

To make an application
We can support you in making your application, whether this is through an access support worker or allowing alternative formats.

During your Project (we call these Personal access costs)
If your application is successful, we can help to cover access support costs for you, or anyone directly involved in delivering your project.

Making your work accessible to others
We can help with the costs of making your work accessible to audiences and participants as part of your project budget. Please see the following guides for some further information on making your work accessible:

Before you apply

When you contact us, the support our Grants Team can give includes:

  • advice on eligibility and our application processes 
  • how to navigate our systems such as our online funding portal
  • how to set up a profile on our funding portal 
  • introducing you to one of our Development Officers if you would like further advice

If you find our Funding Portal difficult to navigate, where possible we can arrange a zoom call to guide you through.

If you experience any barriers to the above, we can pay for someone to provide access support. For example, this could include supporting you with:

  • reading and understanding our guidance 
  • notes taking if you need this help in one-to-one meetings with us
  • a BSL interpreter to support you in one-to-one meetings with us

We will consider cost and practicality, as well as your preference when finding the best way to help.

If we do pay for any access support, you do not have to make an application if you feel your project is not yet ready, or if our funding is not right for you.

Once we know that you and your project are eligible, we can support you to make your application.

To make an application

If you are the lead applicant and require one-to-one access support, we can pay for an access support worker to assist you to make your application. This may be:

  • a specialist support worker, for example a BSL interpreter or an interpreter for a language apart from Welsh and English
  • someone to support you with additional needs when making your application 
  • someone to support you get your application onto the Funding portal 

We cannot pay for the following:

  • support for developing your application, such as the cost of an arts worker, bid writer or development consultant
  • costs already covered by the Access to Work scheme or any other sources
    - For more information about the Access to Work scheme please visit the government website: www.gov.uk/access-to-work

Our Grants team and Development Officers can help you to arrange your access support worker if you don’t have someone your already use.

They will ask:

  • what type of support you need. 
  • your art form, discipline, or project type. 
  • your name, address, contact details
  • how and when you would prefer us to contact you

You can contact the Grants & Information team on 03301 242733 or email grants@arts.wales. 

Alternative Formats:

We are also committed to facilitating alternative ways of applying if written proposals are a barrier. If you would like to make an application via Video/Audio please find further guidance here.

Arranging an access support worker

You are ultimately responsible for deciding who your access support worker will be. You may have a note taker, interpreter ore support worker that you regularly use. If you do not have an existing support worker, please let us know and we can put you in touch with people who can help you with this. Please note we can't always guarantee support due to demand.

Each request is considered based on your individual needs and the level of support you need. We can pay a reasonable rate of up to a maximum amount of £300 per day (maximum of 3 days) for specialist support. If the daily rate a support worker asks for is higher than average, we may ask for:

  • other quotes, or 
  • a detailed breakdown of costs

Once your support worker has completed the work they have agreed with us, they should send their invoices to grants@arts.wales. We will pay them when we know you are satisfied with the work they have done.

Please note that we cannot pay for Family or Friends. Access support workers should be experienced within the field and best placed to support you.

During your project:

We can help to cover access support costs for you, or anyone directly involved in developing and the delivery of your project creatively. These might include interpreter costs, support workers, specialist equipment or software.

In your budget, on the separate Personal Access Costs tab, please give a breakdown of the access costs, for example: Support worker: £ per day, X days

This total is separate from the amount you are applying for to deliver the project. This total will be added to the total grant request.

Please note that if you will require access support with the administration of your project completion report that these costs should be included here.