Grants of £5,000 to £30,000 are available to businesses, collectives, and not-for-profits working in the music industries.
The fund is designed to create sustainable, meaningful career opportunities for young people aged 18-25, particularly those who are currently unrepresented in the sector and to support creative employers to innovate and incubate new and diverse talent. The fund is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Incubator Fund Round 6
Deadline: 24 March 2023
Notification: 23 June 2023
For projects starting between: July and September 2023
Incubator Round 6 will be the last round of the Incubator Fund, we will then be taking some time to reflect and develop a new offer for supporting young people into the music industries.
Access Fund
If you identify as Disabled and need further support to make an application to Youth Music, you can apply to our Access Fund. This provides funding to cover any additional access costs required for you to make an application to Youth Music's Incubator Fund.
Incubator Fund FAQs
Youth Music's new Incubator Fund offers grants to music businesses who want to support the career development of 18-25s. Find answers to the frequently asked questions here.
How we made our Incubator Fund decisions
Thinking of making an application in the next round? If so, then this blog will help you work out whether to apply and how to increase your chance of success.
Kaleidoscope on creating roles that benefit young people and your music business
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne based artist management company and record label Kaleidoscope told us how they used Youth Music's Incubator Fund to invest in two interns to run a record label, and how bringing in new diverse talent benefitted the business.
5 ways to make your music project more appealing to young people
Carli, a freelance assessor on Youth Music's Incubator Fund, shares her personal experiences breaking into the music industry, and her tips for making a music project appealing to young people.
3 examples of how to use a grant from the Incubator Fund
Reform Radio, Palm Bay Music and Young Guns Network have all previously been awarded a grant from the Incubator Fund. Find out how they used the funding to open up access to the music industries for all young people.
Incubator Fund toolkit
By accepting an Incubator Fund grant, you have committed to acknowledging our support. Find information and top tips on how to meet your grant requirements here.
Breaking Barriers: The Grassroots Record Label Championing Young Female Scottish Talent
Female artists remain disproportionately underrepresented throughout the music industries. Enough Records, a project supported through the Youth Music Incubator Fund, is actively breaking down these barriers so that young creatives can thrive.
Previously funded projects
Incubator Fund Round One grant recipients
Learn more about the first round of organisations receiving grants from our Incubator Fund, designed to help open up access to sustainable careers in music for people aged 18-25, particularly those who are underrepresented; and to support creative employers to innovate and incubate new and diverse talent.
Incubator Fund Round Two grant recipients
Learn more about the second round of organisations receiving grants from our Incubator Fund, designed to help open up access to sustainable careers in music for people aged 18-25, particularly those who are underrepresented in the music industries.
Incubator Fund Round Three Grant Recipients
We're backing 27 more organisations through the Youth Music #IncubatorFund - opening up sustainable careers in music for people aged 18-25. Explore the creative employers incubating new and diverse talent with grants of up to £30k.
Resources for music businesses
Action around diversity and widening access has to be matched with real commitment to make workplaces more inclusive. Here are some resources to get you started.
Any questions about the Incubator Fund? Get in touch at grants@youthmusic.org.uk
Thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for making this fund possible and enabling us to expand our work into Scotland and Wales. Thanks to YouTube for supporting the second round of the Incubator Fund, which provided digital innovation and investment to successful applicants. We are also grateful for our vital support from the National Lottery via Arts Council England.