Reflections on Round 3 of the Incubator Fund and what's next

Some of our Round One projects have come to an end, and we’ve seen brilliant results. Young people are starting their own businesses, entering further education or training whilst others have moved onto roles at Universal, PRSF, Clash Magazine and Supercat PR. Ongoing projects are recording radio shows, launching record labels and releasing debut EPs. We’re proud of what our projects and their young people have achieved, and want to ensure that the Incubator Fund is continuing to suit the needs of everyone involved.

As we’ve said in previous blog posts, one of the hardest jobs is saying no. In our most recent round of funding, we were able to support just over a third of applicants to bring their programmes to life. Broadly speaking, our decision-making process remains the same; you can read reflections from round two here, and tips on creating a strong proposal here, but three rounds in, it feels like a good time to take stock.

Over the next few months, we will revisit our guidance to ensure we’re fully communicating the intentions of the fund to applicants, and we’ll consider where we can fine tune the application process to be as accessible as possible, too. We’ll be taking on feedback about resources and looking at what additional support we can offer you through the process. We offered greater 1:1 guidance to applicants in our most recent round and will look to build capacity to continue this going forwards.

We want to broaden our reach regionally too. We tend to receive fewer applications from Scotland, the North East, and the East of England, so will be working to build our networks in these areas. If you’re a music industry business in these areas, or know anyone that is – let us know!

We’re excited to come back in Spring 2022 for Round Four and welcome any questions, advice or reflections in the meantime at grants@youthmusic.org.uk