Untold Stories Round Two Grant Prospectus

1. Introduction

How do you feel when you’re in London’s streets, parks, waterways and squares?

Are you, your community, your faith or culture represented?

What would you like to be represented in London’s public spaces?

What would you change if you could?

What extra stories could you share?

These are just some of the questions we have been asking Londoners over the last two years.

London’s diversity and rich heritage are one of its most valuable assets. Londoners from all nationalities, faiths and backgrounds call this city ‘home’ and have contributed to making it the greatest city in the world.

However, many of the histories, stories and experiences of Londoners from diverse backgrounds have gone untold and are not represented within our public realm.

The Mayor of London is offering funding and support for communities to make a change in our public spaces. Whether this is creating something new, highlighting something missing or hidden, or presenting a different story to what already exists – the Mayor wants to hear from you.

Untold Stories is part of the Mayor’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm programme, which will celebrate and improve diversity across London’s public realm to ensure the capital reflects London’s achievements and diversity. Read more about the Commission.

2. What types of projects will you support?

All projects must be community-led and have involved your community in planning, shaping and deciding on the ideas presented.

All projects must be inclusive and offer opportunities for Londoners from all backgrounds to take part.

All projects should take place in or focus on London’s public spaces – e.g. streets, parks, markets, waterways and squares. Space must be freely accessible and welcoming to all Londoners.

We expect projects will mainly fall into two categories:

creating new objects (murals, artworks, plaques, benches, memorials, gardens, play areas, etc.) that increase diversity and representation in London’s public spaces
projects that provide context, insight or draw attention to invisible, contested or missing diverse heritage in London’s public spaces.

This could be achieved by:

holding community consultations or workshops to jointly decide what your public spaces should look like
working with an artist, archivist, local historian or heritage group to increase understanding of diverse heritage or history
developing trails, audio/British Sign Language tours or tour guides that highlight missing, contested or hidden heritage
making and installing new objects that celebrate your community, culture, important events, everyday Londoners or historical figures
place based virtual or augmented reality projects
oral histories
commissioning an artist to run workshops to develop a project or idea together.

You should consider how you are making your project accessible for people with a range of abilities. This includes consulting with and involving people as participants and audiences. Shape has some helpful resources here and there's more information about what to consider in our Frequently Asked Questions document.

If you’re offering paid work as part of your project, we will prioritise applications that work with artists, freelancers and contractors who are Black, Asian or minority ethnic, women, LGBTQ+, Deaf or disabled, or from lower social and economic background.

3. How much funding is available?

We have a grant pot of £1m to support community grants. We awarded just over £500k in Round One, so have a budget of £490k for Round Two.

4. When can we apply?

Round Two Opens: 13 June 2022

Round Two Deadline: 4pm on Wednesday, 5 October 2022

5. How much can we apply for?

Two strands of funding are available for community groups.

5.1 Test and Nurture

Up to £5,000 is available for projects to develop a concept, run small-scale projects or test a new idea.

These small grants are aimed at groups who have an idea for an activity that will improve diverse representation for their community in public spaces but need a small amount of funding to develop it into full project. Alternatively, groups could use funding to run a complete small-scale project.

For example, is there a local figure, group or event that you would like to be celebrated or commemorated on the streets where you live? Do you need to speak to local people about how they feel about it? Would you like to work with an artist/historian to run workshops and develop your idea? Then this fund could be for you.

Often applying for project funds means that you must have done a lot of work before you apply. The Test and Nurture grants are there to support you to get to that stage. All you need is an idea, some good will behind it and a sense of what you need to do to get where you’re going.

5.2 Grow and Make Happen

£5,000-£25,000 is available for projects that have been developed or tested on the small-scale and now need some funds to make them happen.

These larger grants are aimed at groups who have a clear idea of how they want to improve representation and the steps to get it done. It could be a completely new project or something that’s working well, which needs funding to continue or grow .

For example, have you been working with your community and local artists to develop a piece of public art? Do you have a clear idea of what the costs are to complete the project? Do you know what activities will happen? Then this fund could be for you.

The application process for Grow and Make Happen grants is a bit more complex than Test and Nurture as we need to know that you’ve considered any planning, legal or maintenance issues. We also need to know what work you’ve already done, how you’ve involved your community and experts (artists, historians, local authority staff, etc.) in planning and shaping this project and how it will be inclusive to all Londoners.

5.3 Personal Access Costs

If you or your participants require additional support to run or be part of the project, you can apply for an additional £1,000 (for Test and Nurture) or £2,000 (for Grow and Make Happen) over the fund thresholds to cover personal access costs. You will be asked about these costs separately in the application form. These are costs that enable individuals to run or be part of the project and can include:

BSL Interpreters
Personal assistants or additional support workers for Deaf and disabled participants
Additional travel costs for those with limited mobility

These costs are treated separately to the main grant and will require financial documentation (invoices or quotes) to release this part of your funding.

Access costs do not include:

Purchasing equipment
Costs that make your organisation more accessible
Access audits or consultancy
Costs of making your final artwork, event, trail, etc. accessible

These costs must be included in the main application budget.

6. Do we need to raise any other funds before we apply?

We recognise that raising funds is challenging, particularly for new ideas or for groups who face barriers to funding.

Match funding is not a requirement of these grants, but we’d like to know what other support you have for your project – particularly for Grow and Make Happen grants. This could be donations, sponsorship or other grants. It could also be support-in-kind. These are things you need for your project, but you don’t have to pay for, such as: volunteer time or an organisation providing a service or space for free or a heavily reduced rate.

We are working closely with Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and may suggest that your project could be eligible for their funding and encourage you apply to them as well.

You will need to provide evidence of any match funding, including the amount and whether you have secured this funding (either evidence of an offer of funding or received into your bank account).

7. Who can apply?

We want to encourage local communities to make, plan and deliver their ideas and projects for more diverse public spaces in London. So, this funding is targeted at community groups and grassroots organisations who are active within their community. To be eligible to apply, you must:

be a constituted community group or not-for-profit organisation
be based anywhere in Greater London
have a turnover of less than £500k per year.

Eligible organisations include;

Registered Charity
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Community Interest Company (CIC) that is a company limited by guarantee and not shares
Company Limited by Guarantee
Constituted Group/Organisation
Excepted or exempted charity
Community Amateur Sports Club
Community Benefit Society

Unconstituted community or mutual aid groups can apply, but you must jointly apply with a constituted sponsor organisation when you submit your application.
Sponsor applications should only be used for unconstituted groups. They should not be used by ineligible organisations or individuals to apply.

If you have changed your legal status in the last 18 months, please contact [email protected] to discuss your eligibility and what documents you will need to provide.

Priority will go to:

organisations or groups that are majority led by Black, Asian and minority ethnic Londoners, Deaf and disabled Londoners, LGBTQ+ Londoners, women or people from a lower social economic background (majority led means at least 50% of your management and staff)
typically, we would expect that recipients of Test and Nurture grants will have a turnover of less than £100k per year.

Smaller organisations are welcome to seek support and expertise from larger organisations, if they need it, but we want to see communities leading projects and telling us what change they want to see.

A sponsor organisation should be a constituted organisation with a UK bank account that knows your group and your work. They must be prepared to:

submit their bank account details and governance document
provide a letter of support stating how they know your group and how they will support you
accept the funds into their bank account and ring-fence for use on your project
sign the Funding Agreement for the grant

8. Who can’t apply?

individuals or organisations applying on behalf of an individual
businesses and ‘for profit’ organisations (including Company Limited by Shares)
local offices of larger regional or national organisations/charities
local authorities
individual schools or education providers (including ‘Friends of’ groups)
organisations with a turnover in excess of £500k in your last full financial year accounts
organisations not based in London

If you are an individual with an idea that you want to make happen, we would recommend partnering with a community group, local charity or historical society.

9. When can we start and complete our project?

We will let you know the outcome of your application by February 2023. You should plan to start your activity no sooner than March 2023.

All projects should be complete by end of March 2024.

10. What support is available before we apply?

We know that applying for funding can be a bit daunting if you haven’t done it before or if you weren’t successful when you have.

We have put in place the following support that is open to anyone who is considering applying for funding:

Funding workshops

We will be offering some sessions where you can hear more about the fund, what we’re hoping to fund and what we’d like you to tell us about your project. These will be a mixture of online and in person sessions. Find an up-to-date list here

Enquiry form

Before you go to the effort of filling out a full application form, we’d like you to give us a few key details about your organisation and your project. This is so we can let you know if your project is a good fit for our funding, offer advice on which type of application to complete, and find out what more support we might be able to offer you in developing your project or application.

We may also share your application with our colleagues at Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund, if we think your project is suitable for their programmes.

You don’t have to complete it, but it’s a great way of getting some advice before you complete the full application form and should save you time.

Click here to complete the Enquiry Form.

We cannot respond to Enquiry Forms received after Friday, 23 September 2022.

You can also contact us on:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 02032913026

Access support writing applications

If you would like to apply to Untold Stories but have additional access requirements, we can cover the costs of someone to support you to understand the guidance and complete the application.
This could be a BSL interpreter or a support worker to help to write the application.
To discuss how we can help please contact us on:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 020 3291 3026

We also have specialist support for applicants:

Applicants from LGBTIQA+ groups/organisation
Consortium – [email protected] /020 7064 6505

Applicants from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups/organisations
Ubele – [email protected]

Applicants from Women Centred groups/organisations
Women’s Resource Centre – [email protected]

11. How can we apply?

We expect most applications will be submitted using our online application form.

However, we know that sometimes a written application form is a real barrier to applying for funds or explaining what you want to do.

You can also use our easy read version of the application form to apply, which is here:

Test and Nurture Easy Read Application

Grow and Make Happen Easy Read Application

The application questions are also available BSL and you can submit a BSL video application or we can cover the costs of working with a BSL Interpreter

If you need further support, please contact:
020 3291 3026
[email protected]

Or complete this short form to tell us more about the support you need.

11.1 Application

we will ask you some questions about your organisation, project and the people involved
use your own words and style to clearly describe what you want to do or achieve
sometimes it can be difficult to describe your idea in words, so you can upload three additional pieces of information with your application. These could be images, plans, videos or letters of support – anything that you think will bring your story to life for us

If you do not have all the required documents but are otherwise eligible, you could apply with a sponsor organisation. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss.

You will be responsible for all financial and legal aspects of your project.

By time you start your project, you must have relevant insurance, DBS checks, risk assessments, public liability insurance, employer’s liability, health and safety policy, data protection policy and an up-to-date safeguarding policy in place. We expect that all insurance policies provided to be in date at the point of submission and all governance policies to have been reviewed and dated no earlier than 2020.

Applicants will need to provide evidence that the organisation is financially sound, is not in deficit or has an agreed overdraft or reserves in place that covers the life of the grant.

If you are applying with a sponsor, you should create a memorandum of understanding or service level agreement once a provisional offer has been made.

If successful, you will be asked for copies of these documents before we can make any payments to you. We can let you know which documents you’ll need and signpost you to some helpful resources.

As the grants come from public money, we’ll need to carry out a few ‘due diligence’ checks. These are tests to check that you are who you say you are and that you’ve got all the relevant policies and insurance in place when you start your project. To help us do this, you should:

provide a statement dated within the last three-months from your organisation’s or your sponsor organisation’s UK bank account. You will not be eligible to apply if you can’t submit a bank statement with your application
provide your or your sponsor organisation’s full governance documents that include a suitable charitable ‘dissolution’ or ‘winding up’ clause. We will asl you to confirm where in your governance document your charitable ‘dissolution’ or ‘winding up’ clause is. If you have both articles of association and a constitution, please use the articles or association. These documents should be complete (not in draft or template) and signed by your Trustees or Directors. If you are unclear about this requirement, please call the support line on 020 3291 3026
provide a copy of your or your sponsor organisation’s most recent audited accounts or accounts signed by an independent and qualified accountant that cover a full 12-month financial year. If you are a new organisation or do not produce accounts, please submit your financial management documents including an income and expenditure sheet.

12. How many applications can we submit?

We will only assess one application at a time from any organisation or project. Using your initial enquiry form, we will advise you on the best fund for you. You may be both a sponsor and a main applicant.

13. What costs will the grant cover?

We will fund a broad range of activities and the costs associated with running them.

If you are working with any artists or freelancers, you must ensure that you are paying them fairly. There is guidance on paying artists here.

It is best practice to offer expenses for people volunteering on your project.

Your grant can cover the costs of project management, including contributing to core staff costs for their time spent working on the project.

Costs could include (but are not limited to):

professional fees: the cost of hiring in people to help with your project – artists, consultants, professional advice
venue hire costs: for example, what it costs you to rent a hall or other type of space for your project
equipment and resources: the hire or purchase of any items of equipment you may need to run your project and other resources costs such as arts equipment, printing costs
staff costs: and other costs directly related to the running of your project. This could include sessional coaches or instructors which have been created specifically for your project
volunteer costs: expenses to support volunteer’s participation in the project including refreshments
digital costs: such as digital subscriptions, platforms and hosting. It may include software and hardware directly related to the delivery of the project
transport: to help you, your staff and volunteers or participants get to your project and back
overheads: such as administrative and office costs up to 10% of your total grant amount.

Personal access costs

If you or your participants require support to run or be part of the project (BSL interpreters, translators, personal assistants, etc.), you can apply for an additional £1,000 (for Test and Nurture) or £2,000 (for Grow and Make Happen) over the fund thresholds to cover these costs. You will be asked about these costs separately in the application form.

14. What costs will the grant not cover?

activities that have already happened or take place before we have reached a decision on your application
general overheads not related to the delivery of your project
activities outside London
profit-making activities or projects
overseas travel (in or out bound).

15. How will you decide what to fund?

We’ll provide some separate guidance notes for each funding strand to let you know what information you need to give us in each question.

We will assess your application against four key criteria:

Story and Vision

how well you’ve explained what you want to do and why
why this project is important to your community and how you have involved them in making decisions
how the project is being developed with expert support and/or people with lived experience (such as artists, consultants, local people).

Diversity and Inclusion

how you are inviting people to be part of the project
how you have considered who will be able take part or experience the project either when it is happening or once it is complete
how you will make your project accessible to Deaf and disabled people.

Making it Happen

how clear you are on the steps to make your project happen
is your budget clear and have you have considered all costs involved in running the project?
how aware you are of the financial, legal and planning aspects of getting your project done
the strength of support for your project – including any organisations that are supporting you.

Untold Stories Aims

how well your project meets the aims of Untold Stories and how it fits with the wider work of the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm

A panel will review all applications to make funding recommendations to Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, and D r. Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, who co-chair the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm. When making recommendations, the panel will consider additional ‘balancing criteria’.

These include:

where your project takes place – we want to fund activity across London, so we may decide to support some projects in areas where we know there isn’t much else happening. Look at our Frequently Asked Questions document to see which boroughs we have not funded activity in.
who you are working with and representing – we want these grants to represent diverse stories and voices from people and communities from a range of backgrounds, so we may decide to prioritise a projects that represent a communities that are not represented elsewhere in the funding programme. We are very keen to fund applications from organisations that are led by Deaf and disabled Londoners
type of project or activity – we’ve made what you can apply for open. This could be a new artwork, a garden, bench or playground. Other projects may want to run activities that highlight existing heritage such as walking tours or audio trails. We will make sure that we are funding as broad a range of activity as possible.