Funding for Grassroots Music Venue Innovation

The Music Venue Trust’s 2024 Annual Report acknowledges a significant decline in the number of grass roots venues, with two closing every month in the UK. It also emphasizes the need for practical interventions and action to address the challenges facing the grass roots sector.

The UKRI-AHRC CoSTAR National Lab (CNSL) and the UKRI-AHRC MusicFutures Creative Cluster (Liverpool City Region) are now inviting UK-based companies to develop and pilot creative and technologically innovative ideas that will start to address some of these challenges. 

They are seeking ideas that can extend the reach of grass roots venues, that can connect artists and audiences in new ways inside grass roots venues, and that point toward new portable and scalable business models and solutions.

This is an opportunity for companies to develop, test and own IP that they can then go onto commercialise. In addition, applicants can apply for cash funding of up to £40,000 per project.

Applications are now open until Tuesday 26 August 2025. 

Read more about this funding, including how to apply here