Grant Funding: Youth Music Next Generation Fund Offers Young Creatives Grants of Up to £3000

The Youth Music NextGen Fund offers young creatives grants of up to £3,000 to make their ideas happen.

The Youth Music NextGen Fund is for early-stage musicians and wider music adjacent creatives to invest up to £3,000 in their own projects and make their ideas happen. The fund is especially aimed at those whose lack of finance holds them back from pursuing their goals.

It’s open to 18–25-year-olds (and up to 30-year-olds who identify as d/Deaf, neurodivergent or Disabled) who live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

They want to support the future of the music industries. Singers, Rappers, Songwriters, Producers, DJs, A&Rs, Managers and Agents, right through to roles that have yet to be defined.

NextGen Fund Round 11
Deadline: September 2025
Notification: January 2026

All deadlines are 5pm.

This fund is designed to help emerging artists and professionals develop the skills needed to participate in the fast-moving music industries. 

Modern creatives are having to be more versatile than ever, and they want to see young people challenging themselves to adapt to the modern climate. This could be developing skills like video editing, graphic design, coding alongside their artistic venture.

You can apply to develop a project that you can run and deliver mostly yourself. Here are some examples of ideas:

• A creative music project: a single, EP or contribution towards an album campaign. The music can be already made or in the process of being created.
• A music-based business: starting a record label or music platform.
• A platform that supports underrepresented voices and perspectives: Supporting leaders that build communities and help facilitate others in pursuing their creative goals.
• An event or series of events showcasing other emerging artists. They want to support new promoters and help new artists gain experience performing on stage.

All projects need to be released within a year of being awarded the funds, and ideas that aren’t accessible to the general public cannot be funded. For example, it couldn’t fund a training course with no project outcome.

Who’s the fund for?

People working towards a career in the music industries, but lack key contacts, resources, and insights. They might be:

• Musicians, Producers, Engineers, DJs, MCs, Rappers, Songwriters.
• Managers, Promoters, A&Rs, Agents.
• Activists and campaigners who are transforming the music industries.

In their funding decisions, they will prioritise:

• People who do not have the financial means to invest in themselves to get their ideas started.
• People that are too early stage to be funded by larger grant programmes like Arts Council England and PRS Foundation.
• Those who might be discriminated against, for reasons that could include Gender, Race, Disability, location, or other characteristics.
• People who are creative, entrepreneurial and are multi-disciplinary – even if they don’t recognise themselves as such.

Deadline: September 2025

Grants/Funds up t0: £3,000

How to apply: https://www.youthmusic.org.uk/funding/i-need-funding/nextgen-fund