Beyond the Grantium Glitch

As many of you will know, the Arts Council England (ACE) Grantium portal went down on the 23^rd July 2025. For those of us navigating the already precarious terrain of arts funding, this technical failure has felt less like a glitch and more like a rupture. ACE have given support where they can to artists and organisations throughout this period. Their team has remained responsive and empathetic, and I want to acknowledge that upfront. But even the most stoic support cannot mask the reality: Grantium’s collapse has become the straw that threatens to break the sector’s back.

Arts Derbyshire is not currently part of the National Portfolio, though we have ambitions to be. In the meantime, we rely on National Lottery Project Grants to deliver our strategic development and delivery programmes across the county. After an unsuccessful application (over £30k) back in March this year, feedback was taken on board, and we were poised to resubmit on 1^st August – only to find the portal had given up the ghost.

This delay poses significant risks for us, particularly regarding contract continuity and future planning. But we are not alone. Freelance artists—already operating at the sharpest edge of sustainability—are facing an almost insurmountable hurdle. The timing couldn’t be worse.

We’ve had constructive conversations with ACE, and I want to reiterate that this is not about blame. Something has gone wrong internally, and the impact has been profound. We need clarity. We need solutions. We need a system that we have confidence in.

Securing match funding has become increasingly difficult in the current climate. With Local Authority support dwindling and competition for trusts and foundations intensifying, many organisations, particularly sector support bodies like ours, are finding themselves squeezed from all sides. For Arts Derbyshire, the reality is stark: Arts Council England has become the only viable route to sustaining our core work. This dependency is not ideal, but it reflects a wider systemic fragility that demands urgent attention. The independent review of ACE, led by Baroness Margaret Hodge, is proposing several key changes aimed at improving transparency, equity, and strategic alignment across the cultural sector. Grantium’s failing will also be included. We should have the outcomes of the review very soon, so we must wait and see.

As of 22^nd September, ACE accepted applications of under £30k, with the £30k–£100k window opening from 30th September. I wish everyone the very best of luck. Let’s keep supporting one another and keep the pressure on for a system that works – for all of us.

Stephen Munn
Director, Arts Derbyshire