Ampersand Foundation grants
Ampersand Foundation is a national foundation funding visual arts projects at UK registered charities, exempt charities and CIOs, with grants ranging from £2,000–£3,000 up to £10,000–£25,000.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Ampersand Foundation is a national foundation supporting a wide variety of visual arts projects, including exhibitions, artist commissions, public collection enhancement, collection care, and educational projects. It can only accept applications from UK registered charities, exempt charities, or charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), and cannot accept applications from individuals — although the charity register also records a small amount of grants to individuals, so its guidance and the register do not fully agree on this point. Grants range from small contributions of £2,000–£3,000 to larger grants of £10,000–£25,000. It does not support capital projects or core costs, and any exhibitions or projects it supports should be free to the public at least one whole day a week.
What they fund
Ampersand Foundation funds visual arts projects, from exhibitions and artist commissions to collection care and education.
Who and where
It supports UK registered charities, exempt charities and CIOs; it cannot accept applications from individuals.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Ampersand Foundation says in its own guidance
Quoted directly from the funder’s own website, with a link to the page each quote came from. Always the most current word is theirs — check the source before you apply.
What they say they're looking for
“We support a wide variety of visual arts projects, including but not limited to exhibitions, artist commissions, public collection enhancement, collection care, and educational projects”
Source: theampersandfoundation.com — Grants — The Ampersand Foundation →
Who they say they'll fund
“We can only accept applications from UK registered charities, exempt charities, or charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs)”
Source: theampersandfoundation.com — Grants — The Ampersand Foundation →
“All exhibitions and projects supported by The Ampersand Foundation should be free to the public at least one whole day per week”
Source: theampersandfoundation.com — Grants — The Ampersand Foundation →
What they say they won't fund
“We cannot accept applications from individuals”
Source: theampersandfoundation.com — Grants — The Ampersand Foundation →
“Please note that we do not support capital projects or core costs”
Source: theampersandfoundation.com — Grants — The Ampersand Foundation →
Grant sizes they mention
“can range from small contributions of £2,000-£3,000 to larger grants of £10,000-£25,000”
Source: theampersandfoundation.com — Grant Frequently Asked Questions — The Ampersand Foundation →
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
The objects of the charity are for the public benefit to advance education and appreciation in the visual arts in all forms in such ways as the trustees may determine.
How to approach them
Start with the official sources — they’re always more current than any directory, including this one.
Common questions
How much does it give?
Grants can range from small contributions of £2,000–£3,000 to larger grants of £10,000–£25,000.
What does it fund?
A wide variety of visual arts projects, including but not limited to exhibitions, artist commissions, public collection enhancement, collection care, and educational projects.
Who can apply?
Only UK registered charities, exempt charities, or charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs). It cannot accept applications from individuals.
What won't it fund?
It does not support capital projects or core costs.
How do I apply?
Ampersand Foundation does not publish a step-by-step application process on its website. Any exhibitions or projects it supports should be free to the public at least one whole day a week. Check the funder's own website (www.theampersandfoundation.com) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1167018) for current guidance, as processes can change.
Is your charity a fit for Ampersand Foundation?
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Contains public sector information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and grants data from 360Giving used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Figures are derived (filtered and summarised by TrusteeMeetings), not republished unchanged. About the data · Terms of use. This page is a starting point for your own research, not a promise of funding, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ampersand Foundation.