IMPORTANT: Please read information below to assist you in completing your application online.
Welcome to the Fringe Society's online grant application service, powered by SmartyGrants.
You may begin anywhere in this application form. Please ensure you save as you go.
For queries about the guidelines, deadlines, or questions in the form, please contact us on 0131 226 0026 during business hours or email artists@edfringe.com and quote your submission number.
On every screen (page of the form) you will find a Form Navigation contents box, this links directly to every page of the application. Click the link to jump directly to the page you want.
You can also click 'next page' or 'previous page' on the top or bottom of each page to move forward or backward through the application.
If you wish to leave a partially completed application, press 'save and close' and log out. When you log back in and click on the 'My Submissions' link at the top of the screen, you will find a list of any applications you have started or submitted. You can reopen your draft application and start where you left off.
You can also download any application, whether draft or completed, as a PDF. Click on the 'Download PDF' button located at the bottom of the last page of the application form.
You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it.
Once you have reviewed your application you can submit it by clicking on 'Submit' at the top or bottom of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the compulsory questions are completed and there are no validation errors.
Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible.
When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email you used to register.
If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email then you should presume that your submission has NOT been submitted.
Hint: also check the email hasn't landed in your spam or junk email folder.
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Below you’ll find some frequently asked questions about the Keep it Fringe 2024 funding opportunity. A webinar covering much of these areas will also take place in the lead up to applications opening. If you have a question that isn’t answered below, please drop us a line on artists@edfringe.com and we’ll get back to you directly.
What is Keep it Fringe?
The total fund available for 2024 is £450,000, which will be made up of 180 awards of £2,500. The remaining funds will be used to deliver support services for the successful artists through our Artist Services team throughout the year and at festival-time, as well as fees for assessors and the administration.
Bursaries are designed to help artists on their Fringe 2024 journey and can be spent on any costs associated with their show. The Fringe Society will award £2,000 of the fund up front, with a further £500 to support admin and reporting, to be paid after the Fringe upon receipt of reporting.
Who is the fund for?
The fund is for individual artists and companies bringing work to the Fringe in 2024.
Eligibility criteria:
What’s the deadline to submit an application?
Applications must be submitted through the SmartyGrants website by 10:00 GMT on Monday 29 April. If you’d like to apply using an alternative method, please get in touch with artists@edfringe.com as soon as possible so we can explore which options would work best.
When would I receive the money if my application is successful?
Successful awards will be announced in week commencing 13 May 2024, after which the grant will be distributed to shows as they register in EdFringeware using the bank details provided in a form distributed to successful applicants (hosted on the SmartyGrants platform. Funding to shows that are already registered will be aimed to be distributed by the end of May.
Will I hear back if my application is unsuccessful?
Yes – we’ll inform all applicants of the outcome of their application though we’re unable to offer individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
What can I spend the money on?
The money needs to be used to support the production of your show but there’s no need to provide comprehensive budgeting information in your application – the specifics of how you spend the money are up to you. You may use the funding to offset the financial pressures of your existing budget, or to fund additional services/work relating to your show. However, good applications should set out clearly the specific ways the funding will help the show achieve its goals. An evaluation process will take place post-festival which may seek some detail of your spend, however full budget/receipts will not be requested. or a specific post-Fringe report of the spend – in other words, it’s up to you.
Do I have to submit receipts and / or a report?
Receipts will not be required however there will be a reporting/evaluation process which occurs post-festival and may seek some detail relating to how you used the fund. This process will also look to explore the impact of the fund on your and your show’s development. Funding of £500 is ringfenced to support admin and reporting requirements – this may be your own time or external support – and you should include how you will monitor and record your progress in your planning.
Do I need a business bank account? Do I need to be a registered company / charity?
No. We will need the details of a UK bank account but there is no requirement for this to be a business account. All recipients are expected to follow the correct processes in terms of VAT and any other taxable aspect of their Fringe finances but there is no requirement for any applicants to hold any specific company or charity status.
How is the fund being assessed?
The fund will be assessed by a number of external industry specialists incorporating a diverse mix of individuals and organisations from the UK’s arts sector. This includes artists, producers, venue managers, representatives from organisations with expertise in diversity and accessibility within the arts, and other Fringe stakeholders. The group of assessors will not include Fringe Society staff.
Once confirmed as eligible, applications will be assessed based on responses to the following three questions as set out in the form:
How can I make sure to have the best chance of success in my application?
The assessors will be looking for applications that demonstrate the greatest need and boldest ideas, taking into consideration the following:
Before hearing about this fund I wasn’t planning on coming to the Fringe. Can I apply now I know this is available?
Bringing a show to the Fringe is a serious consideration and comes with many complexities. While each application will be judged on its own merits, assessors will be looking for applications that show an existing level of planning. If you haven’t considered bringing a show to the Fringe up until now, we’d suggest waiting for future opportunities that will provide you more time to think about all the different aspects of putting on a show.
Will the fund be repeated in future years?
The fund is confirmed for 2024, and for 2025, and our hope is to continue to offer opportunities such as Keep it Fringe in the future. However, this will depend on the financial support available for the project and is not currently confirmed. We’ll update on this as soon as we are aware. Find out more about the Fringe Society’s fundraising.
I was awarded KIF funding in 2023 – can I apply again?
Yes, you can apply again in 2024 or 2025 if the proposed production is new or you can evidence the professional development you will undertake as part of repeating the work in line with the application questions.
Can I provide supplementary info in my application?
We expect to receive a high volume of applications for this fund and as such are unable to factor in any additional supporting information by email or other channels, unless this has been arranged due to access requirements.
I’m bringing multiple shows; can I apply more than once?
If you are planning multiple shows at the Fringe you are able to submit an application for each show, but no individual applicant (person, show or company) will receive more than one award or cover multiple shows in one application. Each application should relate to one show that has been registered or will be registered by August. That said, information on connected work can still be provided as context, especially where a show is fundamentally linked to another.
What programme genres are eligible to apply?
There are no restrictions on which genres are eligible to apply; however, the fund will only support shows that are presenting live and in-person performance. This means that an exhibition of visual art, for example, would be ineligible for this opportunity.
Is there a minimum or maximum number of performances needed?
No. Priority will be given to applications that demonstrate the greatest need; this should be taken into consideration when framing how the funding would impact your staging of single performance events or similar, for example.
What is meant by ‘new work’?
New work is work that has not been seen by large audiences and is new to the Fringe landscape – this may not be its first outing but it should be showcasing new talent, ideas or stories. Artists who have performed at the Fringe previously are still eligible to apply and where your work is in iterative development you should be able to articulate this in the form.
What is meant by 'UK-based'?
For a show to be eligible, the performer on stage should currently live and, if in employment, work, in the UK. If there are multiple performers on stage, the majority of these performers should be UK-based in this way for the show to be eligible. We also require any applicant to provide the details of a UK bank account. The individual filling in the application does not need to be based in the UK. If you are still not sure whether you are eligible don't hesitate to get in touch.
Do I need to have a show registered or a venue confirmed to be eligible to apply?
We understand different people will be at different stages of planning and so there is no essential requirement for you to have confirmed a venue or to have registered a show at the point of application. However, we will not be able to distribute funding until a venue has been confirmed and the show registered. The deadline for this to happen is 01 August after which point we reserve the right to distribute funding to another applicant. It should also be noted that it is now a late stage to be starting the process of finding a venue and available slots are limited.
I won't be able to register until I receive the funding, what can I do?
Please get in touch with us on artists@edfringe.com. We have an instalment option that stagger the payment of the registration fee and are also happy to talk through other options if you have any concerns around this.
Where did they money come from?
Funding for 2024 and 2025 has been awarded from UK Government, as part of the wider programme of investment in the Fringe Society’s capital ambitions.
What branding do I need to include on my marketing materials if I am successful?
Funding from UK Government will be acknowledged by the Fringe Society through our marketing and recognition. Awardees will be required to include the Keep it Fringe branding on marketing and PR materials (excluding those already printed) to acknowledge the source of the funding.
Other than the application form, is there anything else I’ll need to do if I’m successful?
To support an effective reporting and evaluation process, two additional forms will be distributed to successful applicants following the confirmation of the fund recipients. These forms will be hosted on SmartyGrants and are detailed below.