These are the questions you will be asked in the online form. Reviewing them in advance will help you prepare your responses before beginning your application.
The Organisation Support Revenue Fund (OSRF) for cultural organisations aims to provide core revenue support to constituted and not-for-profit organisations that are providing arts and museum services to Dorset communities which align with our core priorities and Dorset Cultural Strategy 2026 to 2031 outcomes.
We encourage applicants to write in their own voice. While AI tools can be helpful to support organisational capacity, we ask that responses are not AI-generated and instead reflect your organisation's genuine voice, perspective and creativity.
To help you plan your answers before you start the online form, we have provided this full list of questions and outlined what supporting documents you will need to upload.
Is your organisation’s annual turnover under £2 million?
Does your organisation have at least 3 directors/trustees who are unrelated?
Is your organisation 'not-for-profit'?
Are you applying for a revenue grant to deliver in the Dorset Council area only?
Are you a cultural organisation (accredited museum, arts, theatre, heritage)?
Are you applying for a grant to spend on capital items?
Does your organisation operate from a building?
Does your organisation have 5 years or more security of tenure?
Has your organisation been working in the Dorset Council area for at least the last 18 months?
Does your organisation have a reserves policy?
Is your organisation registered in the Dorset Council area and serves Dorset Council residents?
Is your organisation part of a larger regional or national organisation?
Full name of your organisation.
Organisation address.
Website.
Social media.
When was your organisation first set up?
Which type of organisation are you?
Drop down menu
What is your charity number?
What is your company number?
What is your organisation’s primary purpose?
(750 characters)
What was your organisation’s turnover in the last accounting year?
Are you applying on behalf of a partnership/collaboration?
Yes/No
Name of lead partner.
Who are you working with and what will their role be?
If you are applying as a partnership, please upload your Memorandum of Understanding/Partnership Agreement.
Your name.
Position in the organisation.
Is your address different to the organisation’s address?
Yes/No
Your email address.
Your preferred contact number.
How many full-time staff do you currently employ?
How many part time staff do you currently employ?
Number only no narrative
Will you regularly contract freelancers to deliver services?
Yes/No
Is there someone responsible for fundraising in your organisation?
Yes/No
Does your organisation provide any of the following opportunities?
(select all that apply)
Tell us about any volunteer contributions that you expect your organisation to offer/benefit from.
(1500 characters)
How does your organisation support skills development for its workforce?
(1,500 characters)
How much revenue funding are you requesting per year?
(Drop down menu £5,000 - £50,000)
Do you intend to apply to the next round of Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding?
Summarise your organisation’s business model identifying how you generate income and raise funds.
(1500 characters)
Income breakdown - specify amounts in relation to overall turnover and state what relative percentages of your turnover are earned income and annual grant income.
(1000 characters)
If you anticipate that this model will change significantly over the next three years, tell us how your model will evolve.
(1000 characters)
How do you intend to cover your ongoing revenue costs, once our grant comes to an end?
(1500 characters)
What operational challenges has your organisation had in the last two years and what challenges do you predict over the medium term that could have an impact on your capability to deliver your intended business plan?
(1000 characters)
How will our revenue funding help you to develop and diversify your organisation’s work, and support your organisation to deliver its business plan over the next three years?
(5000 characters)
Which of Dorset Council’s strategic priorities will your organisation contribute to over the next 3 years? (select all that apply):
Drop down menu
Describe how your organisation makes a distinctive and valuable contribution to the vibrancy to Dorset’s cultural and community life.
(6,000 characters)
Which other Dorset cultural strategy outcome will your organisation contribute to over the next 3 years? Tick your preferred outcome.
Drop down list – can only select one further priority
Describe how your organisation will contribute to this cultural priority.
(6,000 characters)
Dorset Council aims to help the whole of Dorset become carbon neutral by 2045. How is your organisation addressing its impact on the environment? (1,500 characters)
Which areas of Dorset does your organisation do most of its work?
Drop down menu with ability to tick one or more
What evidence do you have to demonstrate your geographical reach?
(1000 characters)
Roughly how many audiences/beneficiaries does your organisation reach per year?
What audiences/beneficiaries will your organisation be seeking to engage with over the next three years and how will you ensure you reach them?
(3000 characters)
Which other groups will benefit from your grant?
(drop down menu - select all that apply)
Please explain how your organisation will contribute to the universal themes of equity/inclusion in principle including young people and older people.
(3000 characters)
What key outcomes is your organisation seeking to deliver over the next three years?
(5,000 characters)
What methods will you use to report on and evaluate the effectiveness of your organisation’s programmes and services?
(4000 characters)
We welcome the submission of a supplementary impact video report to accompany your application for revenue funding, offering an opportunity to further demonstrate your organisation’s impact.
