Arts & Business Cymru
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.
Key takeaways
- Arts & Business Cymru funds CultureStep, which invests cash in partnerships between business and the arts, so it fits only an arts project with a business partner that brings new money over and above any existing commercial relationship, and that benefits people living in Wales and addresses at least one of its listed priorities, such as young people, health and wellbeing, or the Welsh language.
- Stated CultureStep grants run from £500 to £15,000, and the annual report shows £71,670 awarded in total, so a modest request within that range is realistic, though no typical grant band is given.
- The scheme is by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so contact Arts & Business Cymru to discuss your project first; if you are eligible you will receive a proposal form to complete with your business partner and email before the published deadline, which falls on Thursday 26 November or Thursday 4 March.
- Only arts members that are registered charities or legally constituted non-profit distributing organisations can take the arts partner role, and the scheme excludes staff salaries, retrospective costs and business staff time given in kind, so do not apply if your organisation falls outside these.
- Proposals must show clear business objectives, value for money and a plan for evaluation, and previous recipients who fail to produce an appropriate evaluation report are not looked on favourably, so plan your evaluation and financial reporting from the start.
Overview
Arts & Business Cymru is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1143772).
Arts & Business Cymru was originally established as ABSA Wales, part of the UK organisation called the Association of Business Sponsorship of the Arts, and it was set up as an independent Welsh charity on 1 November. Its role is to promote, enable, develop and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts. Through its CultureStep programme, it invests cash in innovative partnerships of all kinds between the two sectors, enhancing projects and increasing their long-term effectiveness, with a maximum CultureStep investment of £15,000.
What they fund
Priority Areas
Through CultureStep, Arts & Business Cymru invests cash in innovative partnerships between business and the arts, enhancing projects and their long-term effectiveness. Its arts partners must be A&B Cymru arts members; organisations should be registered charities or legally constituted as non-profit distributing. Commercial arts organisations are considered case by case, and individual artists may qualify if they belong to relevant professional associations or can submit two referees. Projects must benefit people living in Wales and address at least one scheme priority. Proposals must show clear business objectives, the potential for a sustainable partnership, value for money, and the ability to manage and deliver the partnership.
Themes
- Diversity and inclusion
- Employee development
- Health and wellbeing
- Young people
- Older people
- Tackling poverty
- Welsh language
Geographic Focus
Priority: Wales.
What they don't fund
- CultureStep only:
- Projects that do not identify new business money over and above any existing commercial relationship between the partners
- Funds that do not come from the business' own funds, but from a third party
- Marketing, PR or advertising spend, unless it specifically supports the project
- Trusts & Foundations whose funds do not originate from business activities
- Arts partners applying more than 12 months after a business has invested in their work
- Costs other than the cost price of goods, tickets and services being purchased for a project
- Retrospective costs
- Staff salaries. However, the cost of employing freelance staff to deliver arts activity is eligible
- Social events, parties and catering costs
- A business’ staff time to participate in a project as in-kind investment
- Arts partners other than A&B Cymru’s arts members
- Organisations that are not registered charities or legally constituted as non-profit distributing
- Individual artists who are not members of relevant professional associations and cannot submit the names of 2 referees
- Arts partners based outside Wales, unless the activity directly benefits the people of Wales
- Projects that do not benefit individuals living in Wales
- Projects that do not address at least one of the listed priorities
- No organisation can apply for A&B Cymru investment as both the arts and business partner simultaneously
How to apply
Applicants first contact A&B Cymru to discuss the project; if eligible, they receive a proposal form. They complete it with their partner and submit it by email before the published deadline.
Deadlines: Application deadlines are published alongside panel meeting dates.
Application windows:
- CultureStep
- Deadline: Thursday 26 November
- Deadline: Thursday 4 March
Who can apply:
- CultureStep
- CultureStep is open exclusively to A&B Cymru’s arts members.
- Organisations should be registered charities or legally constituted as non-profit distributing. Commercial arts organisations’ eligibility will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Individual artists are eligible if they are members of relevant professional associations or able to submit the names of 2 referees.
Applying again: CultureStep: An arts or business partner may apply to the scheme up to 3 times in one financial year for separate projects provided that the overall CultureStep investment does not exceed £15,000.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- A proposal should show clear business objectives for investing in the arts, strengthened through CultureStep.
- A proposal should show the potential to develop a clear sustainable relationship between both parties.
- A proposal must demonstrate value for money.
- A proposal should demonstrate the ability to manage and deliver the partnership.
- A proposal should include appropriate plans for crediting and evaluation.
- Previous organisational recipients who fail to produce an appropriate evaluation report are not looked on favourably.
- Recipients must prepare detailed evaluation and financial reports explaining how they used the investment.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Arts & Business Cymru.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 March 2021 | £400,931 | £392,352 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2021 |
| year to 31 March 2022 | £458,687 | £453,905 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2022 |
| year to 31 March 2023 | £467,745 | £478,909 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2023 |
| year to 31 March 2024 | £435,195 | £417,139 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2024 |
| year to 31 March 2025 | £437,273 | £426,483 | £71,670 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2025 |
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2025: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- aandb.cymru
- aandb.cymru/culturestep · read on 31 October 2026
- aandb.cymru/app/uploads/2026/03/CultureStep-Guidelines-2026-27.pdf · read on 31 October 2026
- aandb.cymru/about · read on 31 October 2026
- aandb.cymru/contact-us · read on 31 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 March 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 31 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Arts & Business Cymru?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 029 2030 3023source
- contactus@aandbcymru.org.uksource
- 16 Museum Place, Cardiff CF10 3BHsource
- aandb.cymru
- Contact form
Applying to Arts & Business Cymru?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 029 2030 3023source
- contactus@aandbcymru.org.uksource
- 16 Museum Place, Cardiff CF10 3BHsource
- aandb.cymru
- Contact form