Image: Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Applications are now open to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Culture Fund Spirit and Sustain strands of investment.
The GMCA Culture Fund has delivered “transformational social and economic value”, from mental health support to youth engagement, refugee inclusion, supporting the city’s visitor and night time economy and “making our high streets and town centres thriving and exciting places”.
The three-year funding is for cultural organisations in Greater Manchester.
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The GMCA is made up of the ten Greater Manchester councils and Mayor, who work with other local services, businesses, communities and other partners to improve the city-region.
Spirit and Sustain
The Greater Manchester Culture Fund 2026–2029 is open for applications through two investment strands: Spirit and Sustain.
Spirit is for organisations delivering cultural activity in more than one Greater Manchester district, with funding between £20,000 and £200,000 per year.
Sustain is for organisations delivering activity in all ten GM districts, with funding of £200,000 or more per year. Sustain recipients are “expected to play a leadership role in supporting the wider cultural sector”.
The deadline for applications to both funding strands is 5pm on Wednesday 19 November 2025.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.