Art Fund recognise that there are distinct opportunities and fundraising challenges in realising a commission, and that the acquisition of a commission can be conceptualised and carried out in many different ways.

Grants are available to all public museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries and archives in the UK or Channel Islands to support the commissioning process.

For an application to be successful applicants will need to make a strong case in the following three areas:

• Benefit to the Artist
• Benefit to the Organisation
• Benefit to Audiences

Applications towards support for commissions need to demonstrate the impact of the work of art within the context of all three areas above.

Eligible applicants must be open for at least half the week for at least six months of the year, and be fully or provisionally accredited through the Arts Council Accreditation scheme or other national equivalents.

This programme has two levels of funding available:

• Main grants: grant requests of above £7,500 and/or where the total cost of the work is more than £15,000
• Small grants: grant requests of £7,500 or less where the total cost of the work is £15,000 or less.

There are several deadlines per year for applications for main grants. These deadlines correspond to Art Fund Trustee meetings. Please contact the Programme’s office at the Art Fund for these deadlines.

Applications for small grants can be submitted at any time.

Please follow this link for more information.