FAQs

Do you have a question about the Digital R&D Fund for Arts and Culture? Please read our Frequently Asked Questions to see if they can help answer it.

Q: If I am an individual artist can I apply to the Fund?

A: No. Applications to the Fund cannot be made by sole traders and/or individuals working on their own. 

 

Q: If I am a technology company can I apply to the Fund?

A: The application form has to be submitted by an arts and cultural organisation.  A technology company is therefore eligible to submit an application if it is also an arts and cultural organisation. The normal route through which technology companies can participate in the Fund is through partnering with an arts and cultural organisation that is eligible to apply.

 

Q: If I am a creative business can I apply to the Fund?

A: Yes. Creative businesses can apply as an arts and cultural organisation if they satisfy the eligibility criteria and are able to demonstrate that the proposed activities are self contained and have clear public benefit.

 

Q: What does it mean when it says that "commercial arts and cultural organisations and creative industry businesses can apply to the programme as long as the funded activity is self-contained and has a clear benefit to the public"?

A: The project needs to demonstrate public value in addition to commercial value for the creative business. An essential element of this is that the digital proposition being tested, and the research and data thereby generated, is of value to the arts and cultural sector,

  

Q: What does the Call mean by 'arts and cultural archives?'

A: By 'arts and cultural archives' we mean any archives held by arts or cultural organisations, or archives related to the work of arts and cultural organisations.

 

Q: Can I apply for funding for projects that are already underway?

A: Yes. The funded activity may form part of a project that has already started, however the funding will only support R&D activities that commence on or after the 15^th October 2011.

 

Q: If I am an arts and cultural organisation and I have all the in-house technical expertise I need for my project do I need to partner with a technology company?

A: No. But if you are using your own in-house resource, you will need to be working in collaboration with another arts and cultural organisation.

  

Q: Can I apply if I am an arts or cultural institution that is part of a university? 

A: Yes. Arts and cultural organisations that function as separate organisations but are part of a university can apply as long as they meet the other eligibility criteria.

Q: Can I apply if I am an arts or cultural institution that is part of a local authority?

A: Yes. Arts and cultural organisations that function as separate organisations but are part of a local authority can apply as long as they meet the other eligibility criteria. Local authorities that do not meet this requirement are not allowed to apply.

Q: Do I need to identify a research partner to work with on the project?

A: No. Arts Council England, AHRC and NESTA will, through a separate process, identify researchers to participate in a two day collaborative workshop now to be held on 26^th and 27^th of September with the successful arts and cultural organisations and technology partners.

 

Q: If I am a researcher how do I get involved in the Fund?

A: There is a separate Call for Expressions of Interest (EoI) from academic and private sector researchers who are interested in working with arts and cultural organisations to test their propositions. 

 

Q: Can a practice-based researcher as part of a university faculty apply to the Fund as an 'arts and cultural organisation'?

A: No. The Fund is intended for arts and cultural organisations working in partnership with technology companies. But practice-based researchers may be interested in participating in the Fund in their capacity as researchers. Arts Council England, AHRC and NESTA have issued a Call for Expressions of Interest to researchers who want to get involved.

 

Q: Can technology researchers working in universities partner with arts and cultural organisations as technology companies?

A: Yes, if the technology researchers are acting as technology providers and can provide the technology services that the arts and cultural organisation applying for the Fund needs to test their proposition.

 

Q: Is it possible for an organisation to submit more than one application?

A: Yes.

 

Q: If I am an arts or cultural organisation submitting an application to the Fund can I also be a technology partner or a collaborating arts and cultural organisation in another separate application(s)?

A: Yes.

 

Q: Can I still apply if I am an arts or cultural organisation registered outside of England?

A: No.  NESTA is exploring whether similar Fund(s) can be run in the Devolved National Administrations.  

 

Q: If I am an arts or cultural organisation based in England can I partner with technology organisations outside of England?

A: Yes. The arts or cultural organisation making the application must be registered in England. But you are able to partner with technology providers from outside of England.

 

Q: If I am an arts or cultural organisation based in England can I collaborate with arts and cultural organisations outside of England?
A: The arts or cultural organisation making the application can collaborate with arts and cultural organisations based outside England, but activities involving the latter cannot be funded through this Fund.

 

Q: A project can be up to £100,000 but can smaller projects apply?

A: Yes. The Fund is looking to support a range of projects of different scale.

 

Q: Do I need to have any matched or third party funding to submit an application for the Fund?

A: No.

 

Q: Can I apply to the Fund if the budget for my project is more than £100,000 but I have secured funding from other sources for the rest?

A: Yes. The application will need to provide details of any additional project funding.

 

Q: Can I apply if my project is budgeted at more than £100,000 but I have not yet secured the remaining funding?

A: No. Only applications which have demonstrably secured all the funding for the project (including any that is conditional on securing money from the Digital R&D Fund) are eligible.

 

Q: When do the projects have to start by?

A: The earliest the R&D activities supported by the Fund can begin is October 15, 2011.

 

Q: When do the projects have to finish by?

A: All of the R&D activities supported by the Fund must be completed by October 1, 2012.  That said, we will be looking to select a spread of projects, some with finish dates well before this date. 

 

Q: How many projects will get funding?

A: The minimum number of projects we'll be supporting through the Fund is 5; we do not envisage supporting more than 10, although this will depend on the nature of the applications we receive. As we are expecting successful projects to include collaborations between multiple arts and cultural organisations, the total number of organisations participating in the Fund is expected to be greater than these numbers.

  

Q: What is the relationship between the Digital Research and Development Fund for Arts and Culture and the proposed Arts Council England £20 million Innovation Fund? 

A: This Fund is a key development strand for the Arts Council's £20 million digital innovation programme (which will be announced later this year), and sits alongside other work around digital technology, such as the Arts Council/BBC Building digital capacity for the arts programme.

 

Q: Will there be any feedback on individual projects before the project deadline so that we can re-submit our application?

A: No. Each submitted application will be assessed against the criteria and some applicants will be shortlisted for interview. We will always make best efforts to give constructive feedback if requested after the selection process is over. There is only one deadline for this Fund, so it will not be possible to re-apply.

 

Q: What are the Digital Days all about?

A: The Digital Days will be a series of events in different regions across England where arts and cultural organisations can network with technology providers and learn more about the Fund.  These will be open to all interested organisations and will be on a first come first served basis.  If you cannot attend, do not worry. We will be filming the events and all content will be posted online. You don't need to attend an event to begin talking to technology providers or to send us an application.