The Youth Music Catalyser Fund offers grants between £30,001 and £300,000 to organisations in England who want to sustain work, scale-up delivery, or create change in sector practice.

Catalyser programmes must support children and young people who face barriers to make, learn or earn in music, and aim to make music activity more inclusive so everyone can access it.

Your work must meet one of our themes: 

  • Early years
  • Disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent young people
  • Youth justice system
  • Young people facing barriers
  • Young adults
  • Organisations and the workforce.

A Catalyser programme will be sustaining work, scaling up-work or creating change in sector practice (or all three!). A Catalyser programme could be:

  • An experienced youth charity sustaining its successful youth-led music provision over four years. 
  • A CIC who, following the successful delivery of a pilot project, wants to scale-up their programme to reach more young people and work across a wider geographic area.
  • An established music charity wanting to develop an Early Years network. They will up-skill practitioners, and influence sector practice so that more people are delivering child-centred music practice.

Check out our Catalyser programme examples for more examples. 

Catalyser Fund dates

There is one Catalyser Fund application round a year. 

The Catalyser Fund consists of two stages. If your Expression of Interest is successful you will be invited to complete a full application

Catalyser Fund Round 6
Round Opens for Expression of Interests: 20 February 2026
Expression of Interest Deadline: 20 March 2026, 5pm
Notification: 8 May 2026
Full Application Deadline: 29 May 2026, 5pm
Notification: 21 August 2026
For programmes starting between: 01 October 2026 and 28 February 2027

 

All deadlines are 5pm.

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Resources to support your application

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Catalyser Fund Programme examples

Explore inspiring projects funded by Youth Music's Catalyser Fund, driving change in music education and empowering young people across the UK.

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Trailblazer Fund and Catalyser Fund Questions and Answers

These are questions we have received about our Trailblazer and Catalyser funds.

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Access Support

Youth Music is committed to accessibility. Learn how our Access Support, Application Access Fund, and personal access costs help break down barriers to funding and participation.

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Resource Hub

Explore our Resource Hub for essential guidance, expert tools and insights to support and strengthen your music project.

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Youth Music Exchange

Discover Exchanging Notes, our learning programme sharing expert insights and tools to inspire inclusive, sustainable, and impactful change in music education.

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Current Priorities

Discover Youth Music's funding priorities, key regions, and themes for our Funds. Learn about success rates and recent grant awards.

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