Continuo Foundation Launches Ninth Grant Round for UK Period-Instrument Ensembles

£100,000 is available to support concerts, tours, and projects undertaken by both emerging and established ensembles

The UK's Continuo Foundation has opened its ninth round of grant funding and is offering £100,000 in grant money for early music concerts, tours, and other artistic projects that will take place in the UK between May and October 2025.

Ensembles can apply for grants of between £2,000 and £8,000 to support UK projects. Emerging ensembles are particularly welcome to apply. For these groups, the Foundation prefers to support live concerts or tours — but will consider a recording where this would best support the ensemble's development.

Grants could be used in a number of contexts: to enable a concert at risk of being downsized, to fund a new project where there is uncertainty about audience take-up, or to fund the recording of repertoire not previously recorded.

The grant should cover no more than 90% of the total cost of the project, and applicants should provide a description of where the remaining funding will come from.

To be eligible, a group should comprise at least three musicians playing period instruments (or faithful replicas) with a consistent membership of instrumentalists and year-round activity.

The Continuo Foundation has proved to be a central part of the UK's early music scene. To date, it has funded 100 different period-instrument ensembles in more than 170 creative projects. More than 1,000 freelance musicians have received income from these projects, and more than 180,000 audience members across the UK have attended concerts that would not otherwise have taken place.

You can find out more, and complete an application, here. Applications should be received by Monday, February 10, 2025.