Collaborate Fund

Collaborate Fund is a 300,000-pound GMCA investment for cross-sector cultural work across Greater Manchester. It brings together culture, creative, and heritage organisations and individuals on projects that span at least two districts. The fund is structured in three tiers: up to 25,000 pounds for four smaller collaborations, up to 50,000 pounds for two medium-scale projects, and up to 100,000 pounds for one large-scale collaboration. The 2025 cycle used a two-stage process, with an expression of interest phase followed by invited full applications. Projects began in May 2025, and no 2026 call has been announced. It is best suited to partnerships that can show both cultural value and a clear cross-district footprint. Applicants need to fit the cultural, creative, or heritage brief and avoid using the money for core operating costs or work outside Greater Manchester. The fund rewards collaboration more than scale alone, so a strong proposal should show how the partners materially change the work.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.