Granada Foundation

Charity Number: CUSTOM_E6021EEE

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £183,000 (2022)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Approximately 4-8 weeks (applications reviewed three times per year)
  • Grant Range: £500 - £10,000
  • Average Grant: £2,000
  • Geographic Focus: North West England (Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Cheshire, High Peak, Westmorland and Furness, Cumberland)

Contact Details

Website: https://granadafoundation.org/

Email: enquiries@granadafoundation.org

Phone: 07876 744 235

Primary Contact: Irene Langford (Administrator)

Address: Garden Flat 15A Clarendon Gardens, London W9 1AY

Pre-application Support: Brief project outline submissions accepted via online enquiry form; pre-application advice available

Overview

The Granada Foundation was established in 1965 (originally as the Northern Arts and Sciences Foundation, renamed in 1972) following a generous donation from Granada Television founders Sidney and Cecil Bernstein. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over £6 million in grants supporting arts and sciences organizations across North West England. The Foundation operates as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity number 1206376, previously 241693) and focuses on encouraging and promoting the study, practice, and appreciation of science and the arts in the region. In recent years, annual giving has ranged from £76,000 to £183,000, with the Foundation prioritizing projects that contribute to the cultural and scientific life of communities, particularly in areas with lower cultural activity and projects involving professional artists or scientists with clear public engagement outcomes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

General Grants Programme: £500 - £10,000 (average grant: £2,000)

  • Rolling applications with three annual deadlines (spring, summer, autumn meetings)
  • Larger grants available for particularly innovative and imaginative projects with strong artistic or scientific content
  • Organizations can apply only once per 12-month period
  • Applications submitted via two-stage process: initial enquiry form, then full application pack if suitable

Priority Areas

Arts Support:

  • Drawing, architecture, landscape architecture, sculpture
  • Literature, music, opera, drama, dance, cinema
  • Major arts organizations (e.g., Royal Exchange Theatre, HOME, Whitworth Art Gallery)
  • Smaller community-driven cultural projects
  • Projects engaging young people and adults

Science Funding:

  • Public engagement with science
  • Projects helping people “explore the way science touches and enriches their lives”
  • Science education and outreach initiatives

Key Criteria:

  • Projects in areas with low cultural activity
  • Professional artist/scientist involvement
  • Clear outcomes and regional significance
  • Public understanding of arts/sciences
  • Match funding from multiple sources required
  • Preference for projects benefiting wider communities

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects where only very small numbers of people will benefit
  • Large-scale capital projects
  • Organizations seeking 100% funding (except in exceptional circumstances)
  • Projects outside their defined North West England geographic area
  • Organizations that have applied within the previous 12 months
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

  • Dr Virginia Tandy OBE (Chair) - Former Director of Manchester City Galleries and Manchester Culture; Founding Director of CADA (Creative Ageing Development Agency)
  • Philip Ramsbottom
  • Martin Ainscough DL
  • Jane Davies OBE

Advisory Council Members

  • Martin Ainscough DL
  • Jane Davies OBE
  • Kathy Arundale
  • Dr John Baxter
  • Amanda Sutton
  • Charles Lauder
  • Fiona Gasper MBE
  • Kevin McManus

Leadership Quote:

Dr Virginia Tandy OBE (Chair) stated upon her appointment: “The Granada Foundation is indebted to Bob for his contribution over so many years and I am very much looking forward to working with fellow Trustees and our Advisory Council to support the institutions, events and projects that contribute to the quality of creative and cultural life.”

The Foundation is governed by four Trustees, advised by an Advisory Council of ten members who meet three times annually at regular intervals to consider applications.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Stage 1 - Initial Enquiry:

  • Submit brief project outline via online enquiry form on website
  • Contact Irene Langford (enquiries@granadafoundation.org or 07876 744 235)

Stage 2 - Full Application:

  • If initial enquiry is suitable, full application pack will be sent
  • Submit electronically in PDF or Word format (no hard copies required)
  • Must demonstrate match funding from other sources

Application Schedule:

Advisory Council meets three times per year (spring, summer, autumn)

Decision Timeline

  • Applications reviewed at quarterly Advisory Council meetings
  • Applicants notified of outcomes within five working days after meetings
  • Typical timeline: 4-8 weeks from application deadline to decision
  • One application permitted per organization per 12-month period

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. The Foundation states:

  • Average grant: £2,000
  • Annual giving: £76,000-£183,000
  • This suggests approximately 40-90 grants awarded annually

Reapplication Policy

  • Organizations can only apply once every 12 months, regardless of outcome
  • No feedback provided on unsuccessful applications
  • Pre-application advice available to help strengthen future submissions
  • Unsuccessful applicants encouraged to review past awards before reapplying

Application Success Factors

Direct Guidance from the Funder:

The Advisory Council “examines the context of each application and tries to make grants in areas where the benefit will be most widely felt.”

The Foundation seeks:

  • Imaginative proposals from organizations (preferably with charitable status)
  • Projects contributing to regional cultural and scientific life
  • Evidence of match funding from multiple sources (including other trusts, foundations, crowdfunding)

Key Success Indicators:

  1. Geographic Fit: Project must take place within defined region (Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Cheshire, High Peak, Westmorland and Furness, Cumberland)
  1. Professional Quality: Involvement of professional artists/scientists
  1. Clear Outcomes: Well-defined benefits and measurable impact
  1. Public Engagement: Projects demonstrating public understanding of arts/sciences
  1. Innovation: Particularly innovative and imaginative projects may receive larger grants
  1. Match Funding: Strong evidence of diversified funding sources

Recent Funded Projects Examples:

  • Manchester Collective (artist commissions)
  • Streetwise Opera (creative program for homeless people)
  • Music Action International (Crisis Choirs for Refugee Week)
  • Shakespeare North Playhouse (schools program)
  • Science and Industry Museum (Wonder Materials: Graphene and Beyond exhibition; youth panel program)
  • Manchester Camerata (music workshops in schools)
  • National Museums Liverpool (South End Development project for Lady Lever Art Gallery)
  • Buxton Festival (newly commissioned opera Georgiana)

Testimonial from Funded Organization:

“The support and encouragement that we have received from The Granada Foundation has been instrumental in our development” - Caroline Clegg, Artistic Director of Feelgood Theatre Productions

Common Success Factors:

  • Alignment with regional cultural/scientific priorities
  • Demonstration of community benefit beyond small groups
  • Professional partnerships and collaborations
  • Clear articulation of how project fits Foundation's mission
  • Evidence of sustainability through multiple funding sources

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Geographic Specificity is Crucial: Ensure your project takes place within the Foundation's defined North West England region. This is a non-negotiable requirement.
  1. Study Past Awards: Review the Foundation's past awards list (available on their website) to understand the types and scale of projects they support. This provides valuable insight into their funding patterns.
  1. Demonstrate Match Funding Early: The Foundation will not be sole funders. Show evidence of diversified funding sources including other trusts, foundations, and crowdfunding efforts in your initial enquiry.
  1. Start with Initial Enquiry: Use the two-stage process to your advantage. The initial enquiry form allows you to test fit before investing time in a full application. Seek pre-application advice if uncertain.
  1. Emphasize Innovation and Public Benefit: Larger grants are awarded for particularly innovative projects with strong artistic or scientific content. Clearly articulate how your project benefits wider communities, not just small groups.
  1. Plan Around Meeting Schedule: With only three decision points per year, plan your application timeline carefully. Organizations can only apply once every 12 months, so timing is critical.
  1. Professional Involvement Matters: Highlight involvement of professional artists or scientists in your project, along with clear, measurable outcomes and regional significance.

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