‘World-class culture in every postcode’: ACE unveils new National Portfolio process

Arts Council England (ACE) has unveiled a redesigned and simplified process for its next round of National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding.

In a new application hub launched this week, the arm's-length body promised less paperwork for applicants and a greater role for local and community voices in decisions over how funding is distributed.

The five-year National Portfolio will run from April 2028 to March 2033.

Applications open on 20 October and close in December 2026, with funding decisions due next summer. Museums, arts organisations and libraries are eligible to apply for annual grants starting from £50,000 a year.

ACE said the redesigned process would allow organisations to describe their work and creative ambitions “in their own words”, without attachments or detailed delivery plans being required at the application stage unless funding is offered.

The changes follow recommendations from the independent Hodge review of the arts council, which called for a simpler funding process, a renewed focus on excellence and greater involvement of regional and citizen voices in decisions about arts funding.

For the first time, the National Portfolio will run for five years from the outset, rather than being extended incrementally, giving funded organisations greater certainty to plan and develop their work.

The new portfolio aims to build a “strong, diverse and resilient” cultural sector.

At a time when Westminster is preparing to reorganise local government and devolve more powers to regional authorities, the arts council says its funding decisions will be grounded in local need.

In order to draw on a wider range of on-the-ground intelligence, ACE is establishing 32 regional boards, made up of people from public policy and civic sectors, to provide information on local priorities, opportunities and challenges.

The arts council will also seek feedback from Mayoral Strategic Authorities – new regional bodies that will be led by elected mayors – on how the emerging portfolio reflects the needs of their areas.

In addition, 20,000 people across England will be surveyed about their engagement with culture, local needs, barriers and priorities, and the findings will be used to inform investment decisions.

There'll also be a greater emphasis on excellence in the new funding round; applicants will be encouraged to demonstrate their creative ambitions in their own words and artistic quality will remain central to investment decisions.

Areas of focus

The new-look National Portfolio will also be tailored to meet the needs unique to each art form under the arts council's remit, including museums. National panels of experts contributed to a series of overview analyses published by ACE to provide background information for applicants and decision-makers.

In its overview analysis of the museum sector, the arts council identified six areas of focus that will shape its work with museums over the next five years: sustainable collections stewardship; the public value of museums; business transformation; organisational sustainability; ambitious museums; the museum workforce; and placemaking.

Dawn Airey, the chair of Arts Council England, said the new NPO process would make the arm's-length body “easier to work with and even more connected to communities”.

“It’s about opening up the conversation, so a broader range of voices can influence our investment decisions,” she said.

“It’s not right that where you live dictates what culture and creativity you get to enjoy. Through our new investment process, we promise to back excellent work that reflects what people value in their own communities, and reaches everyone, not just the well-off and well-located.”

ACE chief executive Darren Henley said applicants should be able to concentrate on their creative work rather than the funding application itself.

“For this National Portfolio process we’ve said we want organisations to focus on the work, not the paperwork,” he said.

“We’ve designed it with applicants, and they’ve told us it feels much more streamlined. We hope the improvements we've made will be welcome.”

Henley warned that the funding round would be highly competitive, with demand expected to substantially exceed the available budget.

“Money is tight. This is going to be a really competitive investment round, and we’ll have to make tough decisions,” he said.

“We’re giving organisations an opportunity to tell us about their ambition in their terms, and we’ll support as much of that ambition as we can.”

ACE said funding decisions would be based not only on the quality of individual applications but also on the need to create a “balanced and complementary” National Portfolio across England.

Ruth Mackenzie, the minister for arts and museums at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “All good luck to the arts organisations starting work on the new NPO process, all thanks to the arts council teams for the work they have done already, and looking forward to the world class culture in every postcode that new ACE chair Dawn Airey is encouraging creatives and communities to produce.”

The arts council is holding a series of webinars over the next few weeks for prospective National Portfolio applicants, including current NPOs and new or returning organisations.