The budget in the Arts Council under £15K project grants application form is broken down into headings which help you to consider your project costs as follows:
✔ Artistic and creative costs.
✔ Making your work accessible.
✔Assets – buildings, equipment, instruments and vehicles.
✔ Marketing and overheads.
✔ Developing your organisation and people.
✔ Personal access costs.
✔ Other.
Artistic and creative costs
Artists’ time:
Calculate costs at weekly or daily rates for Director; Writer/Dramaturg; Designer; Set, prop costume making; Composer; Performers; Support Workers.
Note you need to demonstrate fair rates of pay or explain on what system you have based your rates of pay (eg ITC Equity rates) Remember to include time to devise, make and share/preview.
Travel costs on tour:
Calculate the costs of vehicle hire and fuel per day and/or public transport and carbon offset costs.
Accommodation costs on tour:
Include accommodation costs and meal allowances for artists on tour (see ITC Equity rates for recommended allowances).
Materials:
Calculate the costs of materials for set, props, costumes and the maintenance/cleaning costs of touring items.
Rehearsal Space:
Include costs of room hire and refreshments needed for rehearsals.
Equipment:
Equipment that costs over £100 and is likely to be used it in a number of future shows should go in the Assets section.
Making your work accessible
In this section calculate the costs of enabling a wider range of people to access your work such as paying for a sign language interpreter or audio describer for your performances, translation promotional materials or sharing the work to specific groups of people who are least engaged.
Assets - buildings, equipment, instruments and vehicles
The cost of buying technical or artistic equipment which will have both a cash value and use after the project ends. See ACE guidance.
Marketing
Include costs of producing marketing materials. Note: producer/marketing/web designer staff time can be included in Artistic Creative and Specialist costs section above or you could include it here instead.
Overheads
Calculate the contribution of project to overheads at % of total project costs OR use full cost recovery calculations, see The National Lottery Community Fund Guidance.
Developing your organisation and people
This section is normally for organisational development applications but you could include project specific training costs such as first aid at work training or social media and GDPR training.
Personal access costs
Include costs for access help to apply for Project Grants (for example, people with disabilities or living a with a physical or mental health condition). ACE guidance.
Personal access costs can be added on top of the maximum grant request.
Other funders such as National Lottery Community Fund and National Lottery Grants for Heritage , local authorities or trusts and foundations will have their own budget criteria.
Other
Include a contingency. This could be a percentage of your total project costs.
Note if you don’t spend your contingency you could be asked to pay it back.
