Purpose

Approve the spend of £165k to work in partnership with Quartet foundation to deliver a grants fund this year 26/27, utilising their skills and resourcing, to deliver a cultural grant programme, that opens for application from July 26, with awards made in September 26, for a 6–8-month funding term.
Quartet Foundation’s fee to deliver is 10% of the grant total (Grant total £150k, Quartet Fee £15k).
Bristol City Council has worked with Quartet Foundation as a key partner to deliver many funds, working directly with the community development team. Other partners have also done the same, such as Temple Quarter LLP, which runs a localised community fund with Quartet as the leading delivery partner.
The cultural grant will be modelled on the existing ‘Originators Fund’, with awards ranging from £500-£5000, based on the Cultural Investment programme’s ethos of ‘Making arts and culture accessible for all’.
The process will incorporate learnings and priorities from the Citizens of Culture Regional Cultural Plan.

Decision

Decision taken to contract Quartet Foundation to deliver the arts grants programme 2026-27.

Alternative options considered

Delivering the grants programme through the Arts Development team, rejected due to the timescales and capacity within current resources.
Not running any grants. This was rejected as there is a corporate commitment to invest in arts and culture in the city and failure to award grants would result in fewer artists and organisations receiving funds and thereby reducing the economic and social impact of the city’s cultural investment programme.