Supporting Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations applying for 2027 investment period funding to help them save time, maximise application quality and do more for their beneficiaries.
Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) Investment Programme channels almost half a billion pounds annually to 985 organisations, many of which operate as not-for-profit community organisations in the charity or third sector. For these organisations – which range in size from single-person businesses to some of the largest cultural organisations in the country – NPO funding is critical to their success.
For the average NPO, Arts Council England’s 2023-24 NPO Annual Data Survey shows that 19.7% of income came from Arts Council England subsidies – more than all other forms of subsidy combined. The median Arts Council England funding was £200,000, with most grants ranging between £125,000 and £350,000, although the total NPO funding and average funding per NPO did vary significantly by region. Therefore, the importance of maintaining NPO status for many organisations in the charity and third sector cannot be understated.
In December 2024, Arts Council England announced its schedule for the next round of NPO funding applications, covering the period from 2027 onwards. The programme window will launch in March 2025, with applications opening on 2nd June 2025 and due for submission by 31st July 2025. Decisions will be made in April 2026, one year before the portfolio commences.
As anyone who has been through the process before will know, applying for NPO funding is a major undertaking.
Even some of the largest and best-supported organisations face challenges setting aside enough time to focus on their NPO application. Small and medium-sized organisations can also find that NPO applications take up a significant amount of time, meaning they have less time to spend delivering for their beneficiaries.
Often, it is not the content of an NPO application that creates challenges. Rather, it is structuring the NPO application for maximum effectiveness while managing the time of key people in the organisation between running programmes for beneficiaries, managing teams, and addressing the organisation's day-to-day operations. It is a difficult balance to strike, especially when so much funding is at stake.
And this is how Souter Point first got involved in supporting NPO applications.
When the current NPO funding programme was extended after the COVID-19 pandemic, Souter Point supported an NPO in structuring and drafting its funding renewal application. The challenge this organisation faced had nothing to do with its proposed programme of activities – the programme was excellently designed – but the two areas where it needed an external perspective were structuring the NPO application to demonstrate how its programme of activities satisfied Arts Council England’s Investment Principles and to show how its own values and mission dovetailed with what Arts Council England wanted to achieve. The NPO application was successful and has generated £150,000 in annual subsidies since renewal.
And this organisation was not alone.
In discussions with dozens of other NPOs and charity organisations, we discovered that they face similar challenges when applying for funding. Typically, such organisations have a strong mission and solid record of delivering for their beneficiaries, but preparing funding applications tends to pull key people away from their core activities for prolonged periods, sometimes impacting delivery.
We see the same with many private sector businesses when bidding for new contracts, usually with the same root causes. Having helped our clients win more than £1bn in new contracts since inception, including more than £1.5m in funding from Arts Council England and local authority funding applications, at Souter Point we are launching ACE Your NPO Application, an NPO funding application support programme in the lead-up to the 2027 funding application window.
If you are an NPO or prospective NPO and will apply for funding for the 2027 programme, through ACE Your NPO Application we can help you:
Structure your NPO application to ensure your programme of activities clearly aligns with Arts Council England’s Investment Principles
Ensure your organisation’s values and mission dovetail with what Arts Council England wants to achieve without compromising what makes you unique
Draft a compelling NPO application that illustrates your organisation in the most compelling light
Review your NPO application and provide recommendations for further improvement
Advise on match funding strategies to make the most out of your programme of activities
Support you in identifying potential delivery partners to leverage specialised expertise in areas that complement your organisation’s programme of activities
With ACE Your NPO Application, you can select which services best suit your needs and your preferred delivery method. Most organisations find that an outputs-based approach works best, where we agree on what will be delivered using a mix of workshops, remote work, and regular coordination calls. However, we can tailor this to your specific ways of working.
The earlier you engage with us, the more we can help you craft a compelling NPO application.
If you would like to learn more about how we can help you with your NPO application, just click the button below to arrange a 20-minute exploration call. We will discuss your proposed programme of activities and NPO application approach, and at the end of the call, we will provide you with three key actions to take to get your 2027 NPO application off to the best possible start. There is no commitment, and you will leave the call with three things you can do immediately to streamline your NPO application.
And if you do decide you want to work with Souter Point in preparing your NPO application, we can provide you with a customised support programme to fit your needs and budget.
So, take the first step and book a 20-minute exploration call today. It will be the best 20 minutes you can spend at this stage of preparing your 2027 funding period NPO application.
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