Arts Council of Northern Ireland: SIAP Grants from £3,000 to £15,000

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) runs the Support for Individual Artists Programme (SIAP), which is the primary public funding route for individual artists in Northern Ireland. For the 2026/27 cycle, ACNI has opened three distinct grant streams with deadlines in July 2026 and project periods running from late 2026 through 2027.

The funding amounts are modest compared to the Arts Council of Ireland bursary (up to €20,000) or the Arts Council England DYCP (up to £12,000), but Northern Ireland's arts funding ecosystem is smaller and the competition pool is correspondingly smaller too. If you are an artist based in Northern Ireland, these are your main public funding options.

The Three SIAP Grant Streams for 2026/27

1. Project Funding for Individuals: £3,000 to £10,000

This is the main SIAP stream and the one most artists will apply to. It supports a wide range of activity that develops your creative practice, including innovation and experimentation. A "project" can be any activity that advances your work.

Key details:

• Minimum request: £3,000
• Maximum request: £10,000
• Project period: November 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027
• Deadline: 12 noon, July 30, 2026
• Decisions announced: October 2026

This stream is open to artists at any career stage, including those just emerging. That is a significant advantage over programs that require a minimum number of years of professional practice. If you can make a compelling case for your project, you can apply regardless of where you are in your career.

2. Major Individual Artist: £15,000 (Four Awards)

This is the most substantial individual artist award from ACNI. It is designed for established artists with national or international recognition who want to undertake ambitious, extended creative work with a significant outcome.

Key details:

• Award amount: Up to £15,000 each
• Number of awards: Four
• Project period: September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027
• Deadline: 12 noon, July 20, 2026
• Decisions announced: August 2026

The earlier deadline (July 20 vs July 30 for Project Funding) reflects the earlier project start date. If you are applying for this stream, your proposal needs to demonstrate a track record of significant creative achievement and a project that will produce a substantial outcome. This is not for early-career artists.

3. Artists' International Development Fund: £1,000 to £7,000

Co-funded by the British Council, this stream supports early-stage international opportunities for artists and organisations based in Northern Ireland. It is designed to help you build links abroad and enhance Northern Ireland's artistic reputation internationally.

Key details:

• Minimum request: £1,000
• Maximum request: £7,000
• Project period: November 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027
• Deadline: 12 noon, July 30, 2026

This is a smaller grant designed to open doors, not fund a full project. Think of it as seed money for establishing an international connection that could lead to larger opportunities.

What You Can Spend the Money On

ACNI is relatively broad in what it considers eligible costs across all three streams. Eligible costs include:

• Art materials
• Your own time in undertaking the proposed activity (this is significant: you can pay yourself for the time spent on the project)
• Residency costs, including travel (you must provide evidence of an invitation or support from the host organisation)
• Artistic or technical fees including production or post-production costs associated with presentation or exhibition of work
• Venue hire (rehearsal space, studio space)
• Project-related travel costs, including mileage at 25.7p per mile and air travel
• Technical equipment related to the project (equipment requests cannot comprise more than 50 percent of your total request)
• IT equipment: Maximum contribution of £1,200 towards laptops and PCs, £500 towards tablets

The equipment cap is worth noting. If your project requires significant equipment purchases, you need to find other funding sources for the portion above 50 percent of your request. The IT equipment limits are also strict. Do not budget £2,000 for a laptop and expect ACNI to cover it.

Important Rules

1. You can apply to more than one programme, but only one grant will be awarded in any funding round. If you apply to both Project Funding and Major Individual Artist, you can only receive one.
2. Separate application forms must be submitted for each scheme, and the projects within each application must be significantly different.
3. Contact the art form officer at least two weeks before the closing date if you have questions about eligibility. Staff contact details are available on the ACNI website.
4. For Major Individual Artist, contact the relevant art form officer by close of play July 10, 2026 if you have eligibility questions.

How ACNI Compares to Other UK and Irish Funders

• vs. Arts Council England DYCP: DYCP offers up to £12,000 for individual development in England. ACNI's Project Funding offers up to £10,000, but ACNI also has the Major Individual Artist award at £15,000, which DYCP does not match.
• vs. Arts Council of Ireland: The Irish bursary offers up to €20,000 (roughly £17,000), which is more than ACNI's maximum. But the Irish bursary is for practice development, while ACNI's Project Funding can support specific project delivery.
• vs. Arts Council of Wales: ACW's Creative Practice program offers £500 to £10,000 for individual artists in Wales. ACNI's range is similar but includes the £15,000 Major Artist award, which ACW does not offer.
• vs. Creative Scotland Open Fund: Creative Scotland offers up to £100,000 for creative projects in Scotland, which is far more than ACNI. But the Scottish program is also far more competitive.

The Northern Ireland Arts Context

Northern Ireland has a distinctive arts ecosystem shaped by its unique political and cultural history. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has been supporting artists through the Troubles and the post-Good Friday Agreement period. The organisation's funding has historically been lower per capita than in England or Ireland, which makes the competition for SIAP grants particularly intense.

Despite the funding constraints, Northern Ireland has produced artists of international significance across visual arts, literature, and music. The SIAP programme is designed to ensure that artists can continue to develop their practice within Northern Ireland rather than having to leave for London or Dublin to access funding.

The British Council partnership on the Artists' International Development Fund reflects an understanding that Northern Irish artists need international connections to build careers, given the limited domestic market. If you are a Northern Ireland-based artist thinking about international opportunities, this fund is your starting point.

Insider Tips for Applicants

1. Read the Guidance Notes carefully. ACNI publishes detailed guidance notes for each scheme (available as PDFs on their website). The 2026/27 guidance notes are the definitive source for eligibility and assessment criteria.
2. Download the Budget Template. ACNI provides an Excel budget template that you must use for your application. Do not create your own budget format.
3. Pay yourself. ACNI explicitly allows you to budget for your own time. Calculate a realistic daily or weekly rate for the time you will spend on the project.
4. Do not over-budget for equipment. Equipment cannot exceed 50 percent of your request, and IT equipment has hard caps (£1,200 for laptops/PCs, £500 for tablets). Plan accordingly.
5. Get your residency invitation in writing. If you are applying for residency costs, you must provide evidence of an invitation or support from the host organisation. Start this conversation before you apply.
6. Apply to the right stream. If you are an established artist with a significant track record, consider the Major Individual Artist award. If you are at any career stage with a specific project, apply to Project Funding. If you want to build international connections, apply to the Artists' International Development Fund.

Final Verdict: Who Is This Actually For?

ACNI's SIAP programme is for artists based in Northern Ireland at any career stage who need funding to develop a specific project or undertake ambitious creative work. The £3,000 to £10,000 Project Funding stream is the most accessible and the one most artists should target. The £15,000 Major Individual Artist award is for established artists with a proven track record who can propose a project with a significant outcome.

The funding amounts are modest, but the competition pool is small. If you are based in Northern Ireland, this is your primary public funding route, and the annual July deadline means you should be planning your application by May at the latest.

Visit the ACNI funding page to download the guidance notes and budget templates. Contact the relevant art form officer at least two weeks before the deadline if you have any eligibility questions.