Peggy Ramsay Foundation grants
Peggy Ramsay Foundation is a national and international foundation that funds playwrights resident in the British Isles who have had a play professionally produced there, with grants capped at £5,000.
Guidance last checked 22 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Peggy Ramsay Foundation is a grant-making charity that supports playwrights who are resident in the British Isles and who have had at least one production professionally produced there. It makes grants to individual writers, capped at £5,000, and also makes some grants to organisations. It will not fund production costs, workshops, readings, dramaturg fees, research trips or residencies. Grants are usually limited to three per writer, except in exceptional circumstances, and it will not accept more than one application from the same writer within an 18-month period.
What they fund
Peggy Ramsay Foundation's funding sits within arts, culture and heritage, with a particular focus on theatre writing.
Who and where
It supports writers and the general public across the British Isles — England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Peggy Ramsay 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.
Who they say they'll fund
“who have had at least one production professionally produced in the British Isles which meets the qualifying production criteria set out below”
Source: peggyramsayfoundation.org — Grant Applications – Peggy Ramsay Foundation →
“We only support writers resident in the British Isles”
Source: peggyramsayfoundation.org — Grant Applications – Peggy Ramsay Foundation →
What they say they won't fund
“We do not support writers who write solely for media other than theatre”
Source: peggyramsayfoundation.org — Grant Applications – Peggy Ramsay Foundation →
“other than in exceptional circumstances will not make more than a total of three grants to you”
Source: peggyramsayfoundation.org — Grant Applications – Peggy Ramsay Foundation →
“We will not accept more than one application from you in any 18 month period”
Source: peggyramsayfoundation.org — Grant Applications – Peggy Ramsay Foundation →
“We won't give grants to cover production costs or a workshop or a reading or to pay for a dramaturg. We won't give grants for research trips and residences”
Source: peggyramsayfoundation.org — Grant Applications – Peggy Ramsay Foundation →
Grant sizes they mention
“the maximum grant we will make is £5,000”
Source: peggyramsayfoundation.org — Grant Applications – Peggy Ramsay Foundation →
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
The advancement of education by the encouragement of the art of writing and the relief of poverty among those practising the arts their dependants and relatives with special reference to writers and any other charitable purpose which may in the opinion of the trustees achieve assist in or contribute to the achievement…
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 Peggy Ramsay Foundation give?
Grants to writers are capped at £5,000. The foundation does not publish a typical (median) grant size.
What does it fund?
It funds professionally produced playwrights, supporting their writing rather than production costs. It will not pay for production costs, workshops, readings, a dramaturg, or research trips and residencies.
Who can apply?
Writers resident in the British Isles who have had at least one production professionally produced there, meeting the foundation's qualifying production criteria.
What won't it fund?
It does not support writers who write solely for media other than theatre. It will not normally make more than three grants to the same writer, and will not accept more than one application from you in any 18-month period.
How do I apply?
The foundation does not publish a step-by-step application process. Check the foundation's own website (www.peggyramsayfoundation.org) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1015427) for current guidance on how to apply.
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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 Peggy Ramsay Foundation.