The Community Media Association (CMA) is putting on a series of free, open to all online sessions this September on how to apply to the Community Radio Fund (CRF) in the next Round.
The Community Radio Fund is the one fund that is ringfenced for community radio stations licenced by Ofcom. However, it is always heavily oversubscribed. Last year only 16% of stations applying were successful and the fund was only able to give 14% of the total amount requested by stations.
For 2025-2026 DCMS has increased the amount in the Fund from the usual £400k to £900k but have also said that there will only be one round instead of the usual two rounds.
The Round is expected to open in early September. So now is the only chance you have to apply to the Fund this year.
To succeed you need to know what to ask for, how to sell yourself, ensure you submit good supporting documents. And, critically, you need to know the ‘trick’ questions in the application form and how to deal with them!
These sessions are designed to help you achieve all this!
🗓️ Dates all in September:
· Saturday 13th 10 am
· Wednesday 17th 7 pm
· Monday 22nd 7pm
All the sessions are set up to be identical.
On all the sessions we will be joined by Mark Jones, chair of the Community Radio Fund, who will outline various points and areas that applicants should consider when applying.
Richard Hilton, Treasurer of the CMA who served on the CRF Panel for over 15 years will go through the CRF application form highlighting areas where applicants often fail and what applicants can do to make their application stronger. Richard will also go through the supporting documentation you need to submit.
The sessions will highlight common errors that applicants make - so you don’t make them!
Equally importantly, we will also cover the supporting documents the Panel expect to see with your application.
We are also planning that a recently successful community radio station will give their insight into the process of applying with practical hints and tips from an applicant’s point of view.
Whether you're new to the process or refining a repeat bid, these free sessions could make the difference between success and failure.
If you have any questions please contact office@communitmedia.uk.
These sessions are possible thanks to the kind support of PPL
